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We face an alarming scenario as far as non renewable sources of energy are concerned. Recent studies have confirmed their fast depleting stock due to over exploitation and misuse. The thrust therefore is on alternative sources of energy that are cheap and in abundant supply. Solar energy is one such alternative.Solar Panels

source of energy. It has immense potential to benefit us in a number of ways. Continuous research and innovation has succeeded in bringing down the cost of solar cells and panels considerably. This has enabled more and more people to install solar panels in their homes.

How to Make Solar Panels – Parts List
When it comes to making your own solar panels, cheaply, sourcing the parts correctly is everything. The basic components you will need include:
1. Solar Cells – To produce the power.
2. Tabbing Wire – To connect the solar cells together.
3. Solder – To attach the tabbing wire to the solar cells.
4. Bus Wire – To wire everything together in a series when done.
5. Plywood – To use as a backing
6. Framing material (square aluminum tubing or 1 x 2 lumber) – To build a frame on top of the plywood.
7. Plexiglas or Lexan – To seal your assembled unit up, and protect your solar cells.
8. Silicone – To ensure the whole unit is sealed up.
9. Misc Hardware – Screws, etc to put it all together.

The most important component is the solar cells themselves. For most people, a suitable solution is to choose your standard 2Watt Polycrystalline cells. These types of solar cells are less efficient than the more current thin-film cells, but the difference in efficiency is only about 7%. The cost difference is about 400% (in other words thin-film cells are expensive).

Although the final solar panel may not necessarily look as attractive as one that is build from new solar cells, broken solar cells work just as great.

Electricity generated by solar panels is not only cheap, it is also environment friendly. There are no harmful by products as is the case in generating electricity from non renewable sources of energy. By installing solar panels at home, you not only save on your ever increasing electricity bills but also do a great service to future generations by leaving a cleaner environment.

Before you start you need to look at how many solar cells you have and then divide them into an even number. For example if you have 50 cells to make a 100 Watt panel, you might choose to make 5 rows of 10 cells.

Step by Step to Make Solar Panels:
1. Tab Your Solar Cells – Cut two pieces of tabbing wire for each cell. These should be double the width of a cell, and then solder those wires to the cells themselves.
2. Wire the Cells in Series – With all of the cells tabbed, begin wiring the cells in a series. Solder the wires from the top of one cell to the bottom of the next cell ( – to +). Continue this until you have the number of rows you decided on before you started.
3. Build a Panel – Using your plywood and your 1 x 2, cut the correct size to house your series of cells out of the plywood and then build a frame around it.
4. Place the Solar Cell Series in the Panel – Place your solar cells in your panel. Before you tack them down using silicone, wire two more tabbing wires to the end of each series (so that you have a + connection off one side of the series and a – connection off the other).
5. Wire it Together – Once you cells are in the panel cut bus wires that can reach across to two groups of cells. Wire them together in a series so that you are wiring the positive side of one group to the negative side of the next. Continue this until all of your series are wired together.
6. Attach Your Final Wires – Take some braided copper wire and solder it to the + connection of the first series of cells, and then wire another piece to the – connection of the last series of cells. Run these wires out of the panel.
7. Test and Seal – With the wiring complete all that is left is to test your panel and then close it up. Take it out in the sun to test it. Assuming your voltage is what you expected, close the panel up using your silicon and Plexiglas. At this point you’re ready to wire your solar panel into it’s final position.

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