Making solar panels CHEAP - Finding inexpensive materials

First of all you'll need to source your materials. I'll list where I get mine.

1- Solar cells: Since solar panels are nothing more than a battery of smaller cells, that's what you'll be after. Only the best cells goes in commercial panels but what most people are not aware of is that factories do not throw away the ones that do not pass the test. Those 'inferior' cells can be anything from perfect to broken shards. You can find excellent ones that only have a glass chip here or there.

Where I get mine ? Ebay. There are numerous sellers. Try to get cells that are at least 0.5Volts and 0.5Amps each. If they are "tabbed" that's even better. More on that later. Some sellers put a grade on them such as A or B grade but dont go with that, ask for more pictures if needed. You need to make sure you are getting what you pay for. Also look for sellers shipping them "waxed" as it mean less chance of damages in the shipping process. This is the most expensive part that goes into panels, beside labor.

2- Wood : Of course you could go with expensive material, plastic or aluminium, but frankly, wood is just fine. Get a bunch of 1/2 inch square lumber and 1/8 inch thick board. Cheaper the better, you'll paint them for protection anyways.




3- Soldering iron. 30watts or more You can get one for 5$ on ebay or any electronic shop such as Addtronic, Jaycar and the likes

4-misc electric parts . You'll need diode (1n4001) and 18 gauge wiring cable. Diodes are very cheap, and you only need one per panel. A dollar will get you over 5 of them. Or on ebay you can get 50 for 4$ shipped. Wiring cost will depend on your installation but it's under 1$/linear foot. This can be purchased in the same stores as the soldering iron but also on digikey for the diode, and home hardware stores for wires.

1-Cell soldering : First you need to solder all your individual cells in a "bank". I like to have panels at 18volt because I run them into a charge converter and this makes sure Ill be over 12 volt after conversion. My typical panels consist of 9 cells by 4 cells. That makes 36 cells per panel with a output of around 18volts. Being my cells are usually 3amps, it gives me a 60 watts panels. Because all of them are connected one into the other, or in series, the current (amps) will remain the same but voltage will be higher. That's makes more power because power is voltage times current.

2-frame. This is easy, mesure what you assembled width and lenght, and add a inch. Cut a 1/8 sheet of that size and then makes a frame around it with the 1/2inch square lumber, that will give you a snug fitting frame . Use plexiglass or glass to make a second panel that will be used for covering the box. It's easy to work with plexiglass, but glass is often less expensive. I use plexiglass for anything ill move around a lot, and glass for fixed installations such as those on my house.

You can seal and paint it now, if you want to.

3-You should put a diode in the positive terminal going to your batteries or device. Otherwise current could go in the opposite direction when there is no light and discharge your batteries. There's a white mark on the diode, makes sure that end of the diode is going toward your battery pack, and the other end toward the positive terminal of your panel. (use a voltmeter to figure it out if needed)

4-Makes a hole and runs the cable out of the panel through it, put a bead of silicone around the egde and fasten the plexiglass on top.

5-You now have a 18volt panels with 2 wires sticking out and ready to wire however you want.

You can make as many as you want and use them for various purposes. I use mine to charge car batteries. Then I can use an normal car inverter to get 110v AC to use for my irrigation pumps, or laptop. There is numerous ways to wire panels together and to other devices but I'm not the best person to explain them. There's a lot to learn about charge controllers, inverters and batteries. If you are a bit hesitant and afraid of breaking something when wiring you might want to do what I did first and buy a book. Click here or below for a direct link to the one which helped me figure it out, it's worth checking out. Considering I was to save upwards of a 100$ for EACH panels , the initial investment was more than worthwhile. It eliminated all the guesswork and will answer questions I can't even begin to try and explain. There is tons of information in it and as a added bonus they also show how to build a windmill from a car's alternator, which is my current project right now.

Also, remember to have fun and experiment, you'll be glad you did. Leave a comment if you liked my lens to encourage writting more!