Home solar panels

Modern life dictates new rules, and alternative energy sources are becoming more popular among owners of their own houses or country cottages. However, such a device is usually very expensive, and not everyone can buy solar panels for the house . Therefore, the issue of hand-made construction is becoming increasingly important.

Features of solar battery

SolarThe panel is a semiconductor structure, which is designed toeobrazovyvat solar radiation into electricity. Such systems fulfill the main task - uninterrupted, economical and reliable electricity supply at home. In particular, it is important to install the device in hard-to-reach areas of residence, as well as in cases where there are frequent interruptions with the supply of electricity from the main source.

An alternative device is quite practical, since solar panels for the house, at prices significantly differ from the traditional source of energy. Manufacturing by yourself will allow the owner not only to save money, but also to optimize power consumption.

Advantages of installing the solar battery

Among the main advantages of solar panels are the following:

• is easy to install, due to the lack of the need to lay the cable to the supports;
• minimum time spent on system maintenance;
• electricity is generated with zero harm to the environment;
• low weight of panels;
• no moving parts;
• noiseless operation;
• independence of the supply of electricity from the distribution network;
• long service life of the device at minimum cost.

Disadvantages of the solar panel

Despite the significant advantages of solar panels, there are some disadvantages in their functionality:

• is a laborious manufacturing process;
• takes up a lot of space;
• sensitivity to contamination;
• at night the panel does not work;
• performance depends on the natural factor, i.e.from overcast / sunny days.

Battery design parameters

Solar battery installation in the private house - is feasible. However, in order to make the construction made by own labor, bring maximum benefit, it is necessary to take into account some of its features. Consider the main requirements for the solar panel device:

1. In connection with the fragility of the product, it is desirable first to mount the frame, and only after the completion of this process to install the structural elements.
2. The size of the panel depends on the functional load, but it should be borne in mind that a large box will have considerable weight and will require more energy conductors to fill it.
3. The solar battery case must be designed with low lateral edges so that its shadow does not prevent the sun's rays from reaching the elements.
4. It is desirable to process the housing inside and outside with moisture-resistant paint, as the structure will be exposed to weather conditions around the clock.
5. In the case itself, you should place the substrate.
6. At the bottom of the housing box, it is necessary to provide small ventilation openings that will allow maintaining the required temperature in the radiator and remove the gas generated during the operation of the panel.

Selection of materials for the panel

If you can not buy solar panels for the house , then hand-making is the best solution to the problem. Before proceeding with the formation of the device, it is necessary to determine the required materials. Let us consider in more detail what you should pay attention to when buying.

1. To create a heliopanel you will need high-quality photocells. Modern manufacturers offer two types of devices:

• monocrystalline silicon elements, which have an efficiency of up to 13%, but are not effective at cloudiness;
• photocells of polycrystalline silicon, the efficiency of which is up to 9%, but the intensity of their work is similar to sunny and cloudy days.

For home energy supply, it is advisable to use polycrystals that are readily available in the kits.

Important! Purchase all the cells needed for assembly from one manufacturer, because the products of different brands can have significant differences in the efficiency of products. This can entail additional difficulties in the assembly, operating costs and low power of the solar battery.

1. To assemble a solar battery from improvised tools, you will also need a set of special conductors that can connect the photocells.
2. The housing of the future panel is preferably made of aluminum corners, which have a low weight. It is permissible to build a structure of other materials, for example, wood. But since the product will be constantly exposed to atmospheric effects, this will only shorten the service life.
3. The dimensions of the housing for the panel are determined by the number of photocells.
4. Plexiglas or transparent polycarbonate is suitable for external coating of photocells. You can also use tempered glass, which will not pass the infrared rays.

So, after careful selection, you will need to prepare the following materials:

• photocells in the kit;
• aluminum corners;
• fastening hardware;
• Schottky diodes;
• copper high power wire;
• transparent sheet of plexiglass or polycarbonate;
• vacuum supports made of silicone;
• screw set for fastening;
• soldering equipment.

You can buy all these materials in the building materials store or by using the online store of this subject.

Solar battery manufacturer's manual

You can start assembling the structure after you have selected all the necessary materials. Let's consider step by step the necessary actions:

1. Assemble a set of polycrystalline photocells on the table. In our example, this is a set of 40 solar cells, each measuring 6x6 inches.

1. Since the manufacturer's declared capacity is 4W, and the voltage is 0.5V, you will need 36 cells for a battery with a power of 18W.
2. Using a soldering tool with a power of 25 W, apply contours to the photocells, creating soldered conductors from the tin. It is most convenient to solder on a flat surface of glass.

1. After that, connect all the cells together according to the electrical diagram. Important! Regardless of the type of connection, shunt diodes must be provided, which are necessary for installation on the "positive" terminal. For this purpose, the best option will be the Schottky diodes, which will allow the correct calculation of solar cells for the house and avoid the discharge of the battery during the night.

1. Take the soldered cells to a sunny place and test their performance. In case of normal functionality, you can proceed with the assembly of the case.

1. For the assembly of the frame will require aluminum corners with low sides and hardware. Apply silicone sealant to the inner edges of the rails.
2. On top of this layer, lay a prepared sheet of polycarbonate or other transparent material, pressing firmly against the adhesive circuit for fixing.
3. After the sealant has completely dried, fasten the transparent surface and the frame using hardware.
4. Next it is necessary to place photocells along the inner transparent plane with conductors, keeping a distance of 5 mm between each cell. It is desirable to make preliminary marking.
5. After this, the photocells should be fixed and the panel sealed, so that the solar panels on the roof of the house have a long service life. To do this, apply a mounting silicone to each element and close the structure with the back panel.

11. When the silicone is completely solidified, seal the entire structure so that all panels fit tightly together.

Connection diagrams for the solar panel

There are two widespread types of solar cell connection. Let's consider each of them in more detail.

Parallel connection

In this scheme it is necessary to connect the terminals of both modules by the analogy principle: positive plus positive, and minus with minus. From any module, take the( +) and( -) terminals and output the ends for connection to the charge controller or battery. In the case where it is necessary to combine three modules into one system, the actions will be the same: connect the analogous terminals of all modules, then output the ends( +) and( -).

Serial connection

With this connection scheme, it is necessary to connect the( +) terminal from the first module to the( -) terminal from the second one, and output the remaining ends for connection to the battery or controller. Regardless of the number of modules, the principle will remain the same.

Conclusion

Getting free electricity is the aspiration of every homeowner, which is easy to make real. With this device and an energy converter, you can create an additional source of power. It is important that the solar panel is an environmentally friendly, reliable and low-cost maintenance solution.

Summarizing the above actions on panel manufacturing by one's own hands, we can single out several basic recommendations:

1. The conductor connecting solar cells to a single system must be made exactly according to the size of the elements. Take into account the dimensions of each fragment, the distance between the plates and the length of the conductor on the back of the surface. This is necessary in order to quickly and accurately connect all the elements and avoid cutting the soldered conductor, since it is so easy to break the cell.
2. Apply a small amount of tin to the place of soldering, as it does not heat well and provokes a strong push with a solder pencil on the plate. There is a risk of damage.
3. It is advisable to first prepare the battery case, then insert the solar cells with conductors into it. So you can avoid damage when moving items.

Instructions on how to make a solar panel with your own hand can be seen in the fragment: