LEDs for the computer. Ways to connect LED strip to a computer

Today more and more people are thinking about alternative energy sources. The solar panel is one such device. This is a set of batteries for converting solar energy into electricity. Like other alternative sources, such a device is expensive. However, installing the battery can be made cheaper if you make the device yourself. The article will tell and show with the help of a video how to construct with your own hands a panel for obtaining solar energy at home or in other conditions.

The principle of the solar battery

The sun is a free source of energy. You just need to learn how to get it right. On a cloudless day, the heavenly body "charges" the earth with about 1000 W per 1 square meter. m. This would be enough to meet the household needs of the inhabitants of the planet. But so far the device for obtaining such energy is not very accessible to the general population.

A solar panel is a collection of photovoltaic cells. In fact, they are semiconductors, most often made of silicon. Light hits the solar cell and is partially absorbed by it. Energy frees electrons. The electric field present in the photocell directs the electrons - and this is the current. The solar cells of the module are connected to each other and brought out to a metal contact, with the help of which the received energy is removed for external use.

To create a solar battery at home, you need to take care of the implementation of the following theses:

Design a module that will receive and convert energy at minimal cost.
Provide the highest possible power (read - efficiency) of the power supply.

Solar panel on the roof of the house

To assemble a solar panel you will need:

photocells;
glass or plexiglass;
plywood, chipboard or aluminum corner;
sealant;
low power soldering iron;
soldering tires, flux, tin;
multimeter.

Where to get solar cells

The photocell is a key part of the future solar battery. Finding them and buying them at an adequate cost is the main difficulty in designing a solar battery. There are several options available:

Extract semiconductor crystals from diodes and transistors found in old radios and televisions.
Buy on eBay or AliExpress.
Buy from domestic stores, which most often simply resell goods from AliExpress and eBay.

Solar cells

The first method may not require at all financial costs, however, for a more or less powerful battery, you need to find more than a dozen diodes. In the second option, be sure to take into account the cost of delivery, which can cost several tens of dollars. In addition, in order to make purchases in foreign online stores, you need to go through the registration and linking procedures bank card... However, according to reviews, it will still be cheaper than ordering a battery locally (third option).

Advice. Online stores often sell completely working photovoltaic converters, which were rejected during the production process (the so-called B-type). Their cost is an order of magnitude lower, and the efficiency is the same. Broken elements will also work for assembling a home solar panel.

Before you start looking for solar cells, decide on the tasks that you will set for the battery. Next, calculate the required power. To do this, add the load of the devices that you will power from the solar panel. Under this value, and type the elements.

Varieties of solar cells

Photovoltaic converters are small panels with sides from 38 to 156 mm. For more or less normal power, you need at least 35-50 elements. They can be with or without soldered conductors. The second case will be more troublesome with a soldering iron.

The panels are very fragile. Sellers come up with different ways protect them from cracks and scratches during delivery. But even such measures do not always save the elements. In the process of work, the chance to damage the elements is even greater: if they are bent, they can burst, if folded in a pile, they can scratch one another. Minor chips will not have a big impact on power.

There are two most popular types of photocells on the market:

polycrystalline;
monocrystalline.

Polycrystalline have a service life of about 20 years. They are quite effective in difficult weather conditions. The efficiency is 7-9%. Monocrystalline converters are more durable (about 30 years) and have a higher efficiency (13%). However, they are too sensitive to bad weather: if the sun is obscured by clouds or the rays do not fall at a right angle, the efficiency drops significantly.

Types of solar cells

Frame selection and soldering of elements

The solar battery is a shallow box. Best of all at home - plywood or made of, but you can also use an aluminum corner. It will simultaneously be a support and protection for the elements. For these purposes, for example, 9.5 mm plywood is suitable. The main thing is that the side does not obscure the elements. For reliability, you can divide the panel into two parts.

Photovoltaic converters are usually placed on plexiglass or other surface. It is important that it does not transmit the infrared spectrum. This is necessary so that the photocells themselves do not heat up. The glass must be degreased before placing the transducers on it. Soldering can be done before or after the photocells are laid.

The soldering process looks like this:

Apply flux and solder to the conductors to be soldered.
Place the solar cells on the surface, leaving a gap of about 5 mm between them.
Solder the end pieces to the busbars - these are wider conductors (they are usually found in photocell kits).
Print "-" and "+". For most elements, the front side is negative and the back is positive.
Print the "midpoint" to then put shunt diodes (Schottke diodes) for each half of the panel - they will prevent the battery from discharging at night or in cloudy weather.

Sealing panel elements

Sealing elements and panel mounting

This process is the final stage in the creation of a solar energy source. Sealing is needed to reduce the negative impact of the environment on the elements. An excellent sealant (it is used abroad) is a compound, but it is not cheap. Therefore, silicone is also suitable for a home panel, but rather thick. Start by fixing the system in the middle and on the sides, then pour the substance in between the elements. On the back, apply acrylic varnish mixed with the same silicone.

Advice. Before starting the sealing, once again make sure that the soldering is good - test the panel. Otherwise, it will be difficult to make changes later.

The panel can be operated in the following ways:

An inverter is included in the electrical target, which will convert the DC voltage from the solar panel to AC.
The electric target is equipped with a battery (battery) and a battery charge controller. They store energy from the solar panel constantly (within the capacity of the battery), even while you are not using it.

Remember: you can always increase the number of items by expanding the panel. The solar panel will be most efficient only on the sunny side of the house. Consider the possibility of mechanical rotation and change of the angle of inclination, because the sun moves across the sky, sometimes it is drawn in by clouds. It is also important for efficiency that snow does not adhere to the device.

Making a solar panel with your own hands: video

Solar battery in the country: photo

Probably, there is no such person who would not like to become more independent. The ability to completely control your own time, travel without knowing borders and distances, not thinking about housing and financial problems - this is what gives a feeling of real freedom. Today we will talk about how, using solar radiation, to remove the burden of energy dependence. As you may have guessed, we are talking about solar panels. To be more precise, about whether it is possible to build a real solar power plant with your own hands.

History of creation and prospects of use

The idea of converting the energy of the Sun into electricity was hatched by humanity for a long time. The first to appear were solar thermal installations, in which steam superheated by concentrated solar rays rotated the turbines of a generator. Direct conversion became possible only in the middle of the 19th century, after the Frenchman Alexander Edmond Baccarel discovered the photoelectric effect. Attempts to create an operating solar cell on the basis of this phenomenon were crowned with success only half a century later, in the laboratory of the outstanding Russian scientist Alexander Stoletov. It was possible to fully describe the mechanism of the photoelectric effect even later - humanity owes this to Albert Einstein. By the way, it was for this work that he received the Nobel Prize.

Bakkarel, Stoletov and Einstein are the scientists who laid the foundation for modern solar energy

The creation of the first solar photocell based on crystalline silicon was announced to the world by the employees of Bell Laboratories back in April 1954. This date, in fact, is the starting point of the technology, which will soon be able to become a full-fledged replacement for hydrocarbon fuel.

Since the current of one photovoltaic cell is milliamperes, they have to be connected in modular structures to generate sufficient power. Arrays of solar photovoltaic cells, protected from external influences, are a solar battery (due to their flat shape, the device is often called a solar panel).

Conversion of solar radiation into electricity has great prospects, because every square meter of the earth's surface accounts for an average of 4.2 kWh of energy per day, and this saves almost one barrel of oil per year. Originally used only for the space industry, the technology already in the 80s of the last century became so commonplace that solar cells began to be used for domestic purposes - as a power source for calculators, cameras, lamps, etc. At the same time, "serious" solar power plants were created. Attached to the roofs of houses, they made it possible to completely abandon wired electricity. Today you can see the birth of power plants, which are many kilometers of fields of silicon panels. The power they generate allows them to power entire cities, so we can confidently say that the future belongs to solar energy.

Modern solar power plants are multi-kilometer fields of photovoltaic cells capable of supplying tens of thousands of homes with electricity.

Solar cell: how it works

After Einstein described the photoelectric effect, the whole simplicity of such a seemingly complex physical phenomenon was revealed to the world. It is based on a substance whose individual atoms are in an unstable state. When photons are bombarded with light, electrons are knocked out of their orbits - and so they are the current sources.

For almost half a century, the photoelectric effect had no practical application for one simple reason - there was no technology for obtaining materials with an unstable atomic structure. Prospects for further research appeared only with the discovery of semiconductors. The atoms of these materials either have an excess of electrons (n-conductivity), or lack them (p-conductivity). When using a two-layer structure with an n-type layer (cathode) and p-type (anode), the "bombardment" with photons of light knocks out electrons from the atoms of the n-layer. Leaving their places, they rush to the free orbits of the p-layer atoms and then, through the connected load, return to their original positions. Probably each of you knows that the movement of electrons in a closed loop is electricity... But it is possible to make electrons move not due to the magnetic field, as in electric generators, but due to the flow of particles of solar radiation.

The solar panel works thanks to the photovoltaic effect, which was discovered in the early 19th century.

Since the power of one PV module is insufficient to supply electronic devices, then in order to obtain the required voltage, a series connection of many cells is used. As for the current strength, then it is increased parallel connection a certain amount such assemblies.

The generation of electricity in semiconductors directly depends on the amount of solar energy, therefore, photocells are not only installed in the open air, but also try to orient their surface perpendicular to the incident rays. And to protect cells from mechanical damage and weathering, they are mounted on a rigid base and protected from above with glass.

Classification and features of modern photocells

The first solar cell was made on the basis of selenium (Se), however, low efficiency (less than 1%), rapid aging and high chemical activity of selenium solar cells forced to look for other, cheaper and more efficient materials. And they were found in the face of crystalline silicon (Si). Since this element of the periodic table is a dielectric, its conductivity was ensured by inclusions of various rare earth metals. Depending on the manufacturing technology, there are several types of silicon solar cells:

monocrystalline;
polycrystalline;
from amorphous Si.

The first ones are made by cutting the thinnest layers from silicon ingots of the highest purity. Externally, monocrystalline photocells look like monochromatic dark blue glass plates with a pronounced electrode grid. Their efficiency reaches 19%, and their service life is up to 50 years. And although the performance of panels made on the basis of monocrystals is gradually decreasing, there is evidence that batteries manufactured more than 40 years ago still remain operational, giving out up to 80% of their original power.

Monocrystalline solar cells have a uniform dark color and cut corners - these features do not allow them to be confused with other solar cells

In the production of polycrystalline solar cells, not so pure, but cheaper, silicon is used. The simplification of the technology affects the appearance of the plates - they do not have a uniform shade, but a lighter pattern that forms the boundaries of many crystals. The efficiency of such solar cells is slightly lower than that of monocrystalline ones - no more than 15%, and the service life is up to 25 years. It must be said that the decrease in basic performance indicators has absolutely no effect on the popularity of polycrystalline solar cells. They benefit from a lower price and less dependence on external pollution, low cloudiness and orientation to the Sun.

Polycrystalline solar cells have a lighter blue tint and a non-uniform pattern - a consequence of the fact that their structure consists of many crystals

For solar cells made of amorphous Si, not a crystal structure is used, but the thinnest layer of silicon, which is sprayed onto glass or polymer. Although this method of production is the cheapest, such panels have the shortest lifespan, the reason for which is the burnout and degradation of the amorphous layer in the sun. This type of photocells is not happy with its performance - their efficiency is no more than 9% and during operation it significantly decreases. The use of solar cells made of amorphous silicon is justified in deserts - high solar activity levels the drop in productivity, and endless spaces allow placing solar power plants of any size.

The ability to spray silicon structure onto any surface allows for flexible solar panels

Further development of technology for the production of photovoltaic cells is driven by the need to reduce costs and improve performance. Maximum performance and durability today are film photocells:

based on cadmium telluride;
from thin polymers;
using indium and copper selenide.

It is still too early to talk about the possibility of using thin-film photocells in home-made devices. Today, only a few of the most "technologically advanced" companies are engaged in their production, so most often flexible photocells can be seen in finished solar panels.

Which photovoltaic cells are best for a solar panel and where can you find them

Homemade solar panels will always be one step behind their factory counterparts, for several reasons. Firstly, renowned manufacturers carefully select photocells, screening out cells with unstable or reduced parameters. Secondly, in the manufacture of solar cells, special glass is used with increased light transmission and reduced reflectivity - it is almost impossible to find this on sale. And thirdly, before starting serial production, all parameters of industrial designs are tested using mathematical models. As a result, the effect of heating the cells on the efficiency of the battery is minimized, the heat removal system is improved, the optimal cross-section of connecting buses is found, ways to reduce the rate of degradation of photocells are being investigated, etc. It is impossible to solve such problems without an equipped laboratory and appropriate qualifications.

The low cost of self-made solar panels allows you to build an installation that allows you to completely abandon the services of energy companies

Nevertheless, self-made solar panels show good performance results and are not so far behind industrial counterparts. As for the price, here we have a gain of more than two times, that is, with the same costs, homemade products will give twice as much electricity.

Considering all of the above, a picture emerges of which photocells are suitable for our conditions. Film ones disappear due to lack of sale, and amorphous ones - due to a short service life and low efficiency. Cells of crystalline silicon remain. I must say that in the first home-made device it is better to use cheaper "polycrystals". And only after running in the technology and "having gotten a hand", one should switch to monocrystalline cells.

Cheap substandard photocells are suitable for testing technologies - like high-quality devices, they can be bought on foreign trading floors.

As for the question of where to get inexpensive Solar cells, then they can be found on foreign trading platforms such as Taobao, Ebay, Aliexpress, Amazon, etc. There they are sold as separate photocells different sizes and performance, as well as ready-made kits for the assembly of solar panels of any power.

Sellers often offer so-called "B" class solar cells, which are damaged solar cells of a mono- or polycrystalline type. Small chips, cracks or the absence of corners have practically no effect on the performance of the cells, but allows them to be purchased at a much lower cost. It is for this reason that they are most profitable to use in homemade solar energy devices.

Is it possible to replace photovoltaic plates with something else

Rarely does a home craftsman not have a treasured box with old radio components. But diodes and transistors from old receivers and televisions are all the same semiconductors with pn junctions that generate current when illuminated by sunlight. Taking advantage of these properties and connecting several semiconductor devices, you can make a real solar battery.

For the manufacture of a low-power solar battery, you can use the old element base of semiconductor devices

The attentive reader will immediately ask what the catch is. Why pay for factory-made mono- or polycrystalline cells when you can use what lies literally under your feet. As always, the devil is in the details. The fact is that the most powerful germanium transistors make it possible to obtain a voltage of no more than 0.2 V in the bright sun at a current strength measured by microamperes. In order to achieve the parameters that a flat silicon photocell produces, several dozen or even hundreds of semiconductors are needed. A battery made from old radio components is only useful for charging a camping led flashlight or a small battery mobile phone... For the implementation of larger-scale projects, purchased solar cells are indispensable.

What power of solar panels can you count on?

Thinking about building your own solar power plant, everyone dreams of completely abandoning wired electricity. In order to analyze the reality of this venture, let's make some small calculations.

It is not difficult to find out the daily consumption of electricity. To do this, it is enough to look at the invoice sent by the energy supply organization and divide the number of kilowatts indicated there by the number of days in a month. For example, if you are offered to pay 330 kWh, it means that the daily consumption is 330/30 = 11 kWh.

The graph of the dependence of the power of the solar battery depending on the illumination

In the calculations, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the solar panel will generate electricity only during daylight hours, and up to 70% of the generation is carried out from 9 to 16 hours. In addition, the efficiency of the device directly depends on the angle of incidence of sunlight and the state of the atmosphere.

A slight cloudiness or haze will reduce the efficiency of the solar plant by a factor of 2–3, while a sky covered with solid clouds will provoke a drop in performance by a factor of 15–20. In ideal conditions, a solar battery with a capacity of 11/7 = 1.6 kW would be sufficient to generate 11 kWh of energy. Taking into account the influence of natural factors, this parameter should be increased by about 40-50%.

In addition, there is one more factor forcing to increase the area of used photocells. Firstly, one should not forget that the battery will not work at night, which means that powerful batteries will be needed. Secondly, to power household appliances, you need a current of 220 V, so you need a powerful voltage converter (inverter). Experts say that losses for the accumulation and transformation of electricity take up to 20-30% of its total amount. Therefore, the real power of the solar battery should be increased by 60–80% of the calculated value. Assuming an inefficiency of 70%, we get the rated power of our solar panel equal to 1.6 + (1.6 × 0.7) = 2.7 kW.

Using assemblies from high-current lithium batteries is one of the most elegant, but by no means the cheapest way to store solar energy

To store electricity, you will need low-voltage batteries designed for voltages of 12, 24 or 48 V. Their capacity should be designed for daily energy consumption plus transformation and conversion losses. In our case, we need an array of batteries designed to store 11 + (11 × 0.3) = 14.3 kWh of energy. If using regular 12-volt car batteries, then you will need an assembly for 14300 W × h / 12 V = 1200 A × h, that is, six batteries designed for 200 Ah each.

As you can see, even in order to provide electricity for the household needs of an average family, a serious solar power plant is needed. As for the use of self-made solar panels for heating, at this stage such an undertaking will not even reach the limits of self-sufficiency, not to mention the fact that something could be saved.

Battery size calculation

The size of the battery depends on the required power and the size of the power sources. When choosing the latter, you will definitely pay attention to the offered variety of photocells. For use in DIY devices, it is most convenient to choose medium-sized solar cells. For example, polycrystalline panels with a size of 3 × 6 inches designed for an output voltage of 0.5 V and a current strength of up to 3 A.

In the manufacture of a solar battery, they will be connected in series in blocks of 30 pieces, which will make it possible to obtain the voltage required for charging a car battery of 13-14 V (taking into account losses). The maximum power of one such unit is 15 V × 3 A = 45 W. Based on this value, it will be easy to calculate how many elements are needed to build a solar panel of a given power and determine its dimensions. For example, to build a 180-watt solar electric collector, 120 photovoltaic cells with a total area of 2,160 sq. inches (1.4 sqm).

Building a homemade solar panel

Before proceeding with the manufacture of a solar panel, it is necessary to solve the problems of its placement, calculate the dimensions and prepare the necessary materials and tools.

Choosing the right installation location is important

Since the solar panel will be made by hand, the aspect ratio can be any. This is very convenient, since a home-made device can more successfully fit into the exterior of the roof or the design of a suburban area. For the same reason, you should choose a place for mounting the battery even before the start of design activities, not forgetting to take into account several factors:

openness of the place for sunlight during daylight hours;
lack of shading buildings and tall trees;
the minimum distance to the room in which the storage capacities and converters are installed.

Of course, a roof-mounted battery looks more organic, but placing the unit on the ground has more benefits. In this case, the possibility of damage to the roofing materials during the installation of the supporting frame is excluded, the laboriousness of the installation of the device is reduced and it becomes possible to timely change the "angle of attack of the sun's rays". And best of all, bottom placement will make it much easier to keep the solar panel surface clean. And this is a guarantee that the installation will work at full capacity.

Mounting the solar panel on the roof is caused more by a lack of space than by necessity or ease of use

What is needed in the process of work

When starting to make a homemade solar panel, you should stock up on:

photocells;
stranded copper wire or special busbars for connecting solar cells;
solder;
Schottky diodes, designed for the current output of one photocell;
high quality anti-reflective glass or plexiglass;
slats and plywood for the manufacture of the frame;
silicone sealant;
hardware;
paint and a protective compound for the treatment of wooden surfaces.

In work, you will need the simplest tool that the homely owner always has at hand - a soldering iron, glass cutter, saw, screwdriver, paint brush, etc.

Manufacturing instruction

For the manufacture of the first solar battery, it is best to use photocells with already soldered leads - in this case, the risk of damage to the cells during assembly is reduced. However, if you have the skills to handle a soldering iron, you can save some money by purchasing solar cells with unsoldered contacts. To build the panel, which we discussed in the above examples, 120 plates are required. Using an aspect ratio of approximately 1: 1, you will need to stack 15 rows of 8 photocells each. In this case, we will be able to connect every two "columns" in series, and connect four such units in parallel. In this way, cable tangle can be avoided and a smooth, beautiful installation can be achieved.

Electrical wiring diagram of a home solar power plant

Frame

The assembly of a solar panel should always start with the fabrication of the case. To do this, we need aluminum corners or wooden slats no more than 25 mm high - in this case, they will not cast a shadow on the outer rows of photocells. Based on the dimensions of our 3x6 '' silicon cells (7.62x15.24 cm), the frame size must be at least 125x 125 cm.If you decide to use a different aspect ratio (for example, 1: 2), then the frame can be additionally reinforced with a slat cross member the same section.

The back side of the case should be sewn up with a plywood or OSB panel, and ventilation holes should be drilled at the bottom end of the frame. The connection of the inner cavity of the panel with the atmosphere will be needed to equalize the humidity - otherwise, fogging of the glass cannot be avoided.

For the manufacture of the solar panel housing, the simplest materials are suitable - wooden slats and plywood.

By external dimension the frame is cut from a plexiglass or high-quality glass panel with a high degree of transparency. As a last resort, you can use window glass up to 4 mm thick. For its fastening, corner brackets are prepared, in which drills are made for attachment to the frame. When using plexiglass, holes can be drilled directly into transparent panel- this will simplify assembly.

To protect wooden case solar battery from moisture and fungus, it is impregnated with an antibacterial composition and painted with oil paint.

For the convenience of assembling the electrical part, a substrate is cut out of fiberboard or other dielectric material according to the internal size of the frame. In the future, the installation of photocells will be carried out on it.

Brazing plates

Before you start soldering, you should "estimate" the installation of the photocells. In our case, you will need 4 arrays of cells with 30 plates in each, and they will be located in the case in fifteen rows. Such a long chain will be inconvenient to work with, and the risk of damage to fragile glass plates increases. It will be rational to connect 5 parts each, and carry out the final assembly after the photocells are mounted on the substrate.

For convenience, the photocells can be mounted on a non-conductive substrate made of textolite, plexiglass or fiberboard

After connecting each chain, you should check its performance. To do this, each assembly is placed under a table lamp. By writing down the values of the current and voltage, you can not only monitor the performance of the modules, but also compare their parameters.

For soldering, we use a low-power soldering iron (maximum 40 W) and good, low-melting solder. We apply it in a small amount on the output parts of the plates, after which, observing the polarity of the connection, we connect the parts to each other.

When soldering photocells, you should exercise the utmost care, since these parts are highly fragile.

Having assembled the individual chains, we unfold them with the back to the substrate and use silicone sealant to glue them to the surface. Each 15-volt photocell block is supplied with a Schottky diode. This device only allows current to flow in one direction, so it will not allow batteries to discharge when the solar panel voltage is low.

The final connection of individual chains of photocells is performed according to the above electrical diagram... For these purposes, you can use a special bus or stranded copper wire.

The hinged elements of the solar battery should be fixed with hot melt glue or self-tapping screws.

Panel assembly

The substrates with the photocells located on them are placed in the body and fixed with self-tapping screws. If the frame was reinforced with a cross member, then several drills are made in it for mounting wires. The cable, which is led out, is securely fixed to the frame and soldered to the terminals of the assembly. To avoid confusion with polarity, it is best to use two-color wires, connecting the red lead to the positive of the battery and the blue to the negative of the battery. A continuous layer of silicone sealant is applied along the upper contour of the frame, on top of which glass is laid. After the final fixation, the assembly of the solar cell is considered complete.

After the protective glass is installed on the sealant, the panel can be transported to the installation site

Installation and connection of the solar battery to consumers

For a number of reasons, a homemade solar panel is a rather fragile device, therefore, it requires the arrangement of a reliable supporting frame. The ideal option would be a design that will orient the source of free electricity in both planes, but the complexity of such a system is most often a weighty argument in favor of a simple tilted system. It is a movable frame that can be set at any angle to the luminary. One of the options for the frame, knocked down from a wooden bar, is presented below. You can use metal corners, pipes, tires, etc. to make it - everything that is at hand.

Solar cell frame drawing

To connect a solar panel to batteries, you need a charge controller. This device will monitor the state of charge and discharge of the batteries, monitor the current flow and switch over to the mains supply in the event of a significant voltage drop. The device of the required power and the required functionality can be purchased at the same retail outlets where the photocells are sold. As for the power supply of household consumers, this will require transforming the low-voltage voltage to 220 V. Another device, an inverter, successfully copes with this. I must say that the domestic industry produces reliable devices with good performance characteristics, so the converter can be bought on the spot - in this case, a "real" guarantee will be a bonus.

One solar battery will not be enough for a full-fledged power supply at home - you will also need batteries, a charge controller and an inverter

On sale you can find inverters of the same power, differing in price at times. Such a spread is explained by the "purity" of the output voltage, which is a prerequisite for powering individual electrical devices. Converters with a so-called pure sine wave have a more complicated design, and as a result, a higher cost.

Video: DIY solar panel making

Building a home solar power plant is not a trivial task and requires both financial and time costs and minimal knowledge of the basics of electrical engineering. When starting to assemble a solar panel, you should observe maximum attention and accuracy - only in this case you can count on a successful solution to the issue. Finally, I would like to remind you that glass contamination is one of the factors in the decline in performance. Remember to clean the solar panel surface in time, otherwise it will not be able to work at full power.

A solar battery is several photovoltaic cells, assembled in one case, supplying electricity to the consumer. The photocells themselves are becoming more accessible every day, largely due to the fact that they are in good quality began to produce China.

The choice of photovoltaic cells for solar panels

Polycrystal or single crystal. There is no definite answer, polycrystalline modules are cheaper, but they have lower energy efficiency. Most industrial manufacturers prefer polycrystalline solar cells. In Russia, neither one nor the other is produced, therefore we shop on com or aliexpress.com.
Dimension. There are sizes 6x6 (156 x 156 mm), 5x5 (127 127 mm), 6x2 (156 x 52 mm) inches. The latter should be taken. The fact is that all photocells are very thin and fragile, they break easily during installation, so it is more profitable to break a small photocell. Also, the smaller the size of one cell, the easier it is to fill the battery area.
Soldered contacts. Each plate will be connected in series with the others, therefore you will have to work with a soldering iron a lot. Soldered contacts to the panels make this work much easier. It will be much easier to connect such contacts to a common bus. If there are no such contacts, you will have to solder them yourself.

Tools and materials

Materials:

Aluminum corner 25x25;
Bolts 5x10 mm - 8 pcs;
Nuts 5 mm - 8 pcs;
Glass 5-6 mm;
Adhesive - Sylgard 184 sealant;
Ceresit CS 15 adhesive sealant;
Polycrystalline solar cells;
Felt-tip pen (a mixture of rosin and alcohol);
Silver tape for connection to photocells;
Tape for the tire;
Solder (you need a thin one, because excessive heating will damage the photocell);
Polyurethane foam (foam rubber), 3 cm thick;
Dense plastic film 10 microns.

Tool:

File;
Hacksaw for metal with blade 18;
Drill, drills for 5 and 6 mm;
Open-end wrenches;
Soldering iron;

Step-by-step photo instructions

It is described in as much detail as possible how to assemble a solar battery from photocells on an aluminum frame with your own hands.

File off the corners on one edge on each side of the 45-degree aluminum corner.

Cut the corners with a hacksaw for metal at 45 degrees. For convenience, you can use the miter box:

On each side of the corner, you should get the following design:

Trimmed aluminum corner

We make brackets for connecting corners:

We attach the corners with cut corners to each other
We put a corner perpendicularly and mark a cutting line on it You should get 4 connecting corners

On the sides of each resulting bracket, we find the center and drill a hole with a diameter of 6 mm:

Find the center of each side of the staple
Hole in the bracket

We make markings through the hole in each bracket at the corner. In order not to be confused later, we mark each corner and each bracket with a number:

Hole marking "in place"
We put numbers in order not to confuse later

We drill holes in the corner with a 5 mm drill, it should look like this:

Corner holes

We assemble the frame using bolts and nuts:

We glue the glass into the assembled frame using a sealant:

Silicone should be used to treat joints outside and inside

Degrease the glass surface from the inside and lay the photocells face down in such a way that the contact rails are parallel:

Connect the photocells together with adhesive tape, so they will not disintegrate during further operations.

Connect the elements together according to the scheme:

Connection diagram of photocells in a battery

We assemble the sealing structure:

Cut out a rectangle from a sheet of polyurethane foam, 1 cm less than the inner part of the frame on each side;
We solder the resulting rectangle into plastic wrap using scotch tape or a soldering iron

The structure fits inside the frame:

Foam rubber fits inside the frame

The frame, together with the foam rubber, is turned over and removed. All that remains are the photocells stacked and taped together:

Remove the aluminum frame
Photocells on foam rubber

Apply Sylgard 184 sealant to the entire surface of the photocells with a brush and cover the top with a frame with glass:

Photocell sealant
Cover the photocells with a glass frame

We put the load on the glass for several hours, during this time air bubbles should be removed:

Bubbles go away in 2-3 hours

After 12 hours, we remove the load and tear off the foam rubber. The battery is ready to plug in!

Errors when assembling a solar panel with your own hands

Several common mistakes made when self-assembly panels that I would like to warn about.

Assembly on a frame made of wood or chipboard. A self-assembled solar battery pays off only if it lasts for several years, so an unreliable timber construction is definitely not suitable for it, because will swell and lose shape in a year or two. The design is bulky and heavy, difficult to transport and carry.
Careless storage of Sylgard 184. If you do not use up the entire can of this adhesive, after use it must be transferred to a smaller container so that the remains do not come into contact with the air inside it. Otherwise, after six months of storage, all the glue may harden.
The use of plexiglass. The battery is always in the sun (this is its essence), therefore it gets very hot. Plexiglas very badly removes heat from photocells. This reduces their effectiveness. Each degree above 25 ° C reduces efficiency by 0.45%. But this is not the main disadvantage of plexiglass! At temperatures above 50 ° C, it deforms in all planes, breaking the contacts inside the circuit, depressurizing the battery and rendering it unusable.
Insufficient attention to insulating connections. When assembling solar panels for your home with your own hands, it is better to use special connectors (MC4), connecting several panels in single network... The fact is that in the future, they may have to be dismantled for repair, turning in the other direction, replacing elements, etc. Twisting the contacts "tightly" or using for this purpose connecting terminals, which are intended for internal work - not the best option.

Comments:

Selection of materials for creating a panel

In the Chinese online stores, as well as at the eBay auction, there is a wide selection of elements for self-production of solar panels with any parameters.

Even in the not too distant past, home-made people purchased plates that were rejected during production, having chips or other defects, but much cheaper. They are quite efficient, but have a slightly reduced power output. Given the constant decline in prices, this is hardly advisable now. After all, losing on average 10% of the power, we also lose in the effective area of the panel. Yes and appearance the battery, consisting of plates with chipped pieces, looks rather artisanal.

You can purchase such modules in Russian online stores, for example, molotok.ru offers polycrystalline cells with operating parameters at luminous flux 1.0 kW / m 2:

Voltage: idle - 0.55 V, operating - 0.5 V.
Current: short-circuit - 1.5 A, working - 1.2 A.
Working power - 0.62 W.
Dimensions - 52x77 mm.
Price 29 rubles.

Advice: It should be borne in mind that the elements are very fragile and during transportation, some of them may be damaged, therefore, when ordering, you should provide for a certain amount of stock.

Making a solar battery for your home with your own hands

To make a solar panel, we need a suitable frame, which you can make yourself or pick up a ready-made one. Of the materials for it, it is best to use duralumin, it does not corrode, is not afraid of dampness, and is durable. With appropriate processing and painting, steel and even wood are suitable for protection from atmospheric precipitation.

Advice: Do not make the panel very large: it will be inconvenient in the assembly of elements, installation and maintenance. In addition, small panels have a low windage, they can be more conveniently placed at the required angles.

We calculate the components

Let's decide on the dimensions of our frame. To charge a 12-volt acid battery, an operating voltage of at least 13.8 V is required. Let's take 15 V as a basis. To do this, we will have to connect 15 V / 0.5 V = 30 cells in series.

Tip: The output of the solar panel should be connected to the battery through a protective diode to prevent its self-discharge at night through solar cells. So our panel output will be: 15V - 0.7V = 14.3V.

To get a charging current of 3.6 A, we need to connect three such chains in parallel, or 30 x 3 = 90 elements. It will cost us 90 x 29 rubles. = 2610 p.

Tip: The solar panel elements are connected in parallel ‑ series. It is necessary to observe the equality of the number of elements in each sequential chain.

With this current, we can provide a standard charging mode for a fully discharged battery with a capacity of 3.6 x 10 = 36 Ah.

In reality, this figure will be less due to uneven sunlight during the day. Thus, to charge a standard 60 Ah car battery, we will need to connect two such panels in parallel.

This panel can provide us with an electrical power of 90 x 0.62 W ≈ 56 W.

Or during a 12-hour sunny day with a 42% correction factor 56 x 12 x 0.42 ≈ 0.28 kWh.

We will place our elements in 6 rows of 15 pieces. To install all the elements, we need a surface:

Length - 15 x 52 = 780 mm.
Width - 77 x 6 = 462 mm.

For free placement of all plates, we will take the dimensions of our frame: 900 × 500 mm.

Tip: If there are ready-made frames with other dimensions, you can recalculate the number of elements in accordance with the above outlines, select elements of other standard sizes, try to place them by combining the length and width of the rows.

We also need:

Electric soldering iron 40 W.
Solder, rosin.
Installation wire.
Silicone sealant.
Double sided tape.

Manufacturing steps

To mount the panel, it is necessary to prepare a flat workplace sufficient area with a convenient approach from all sides. It is better to place the element plates themselves separately to the side, where they will be protected from accidental hits and falls. They should be taken carefully, one at a time.

Circuit breakers increase the safety of your home electrical system by reducing the risk of electric shock and fire. Detailed acquaintance with the characteristic features different types switches of differential current will tell, for an apartment and a house.

When using an electric meter, situations arise when it needs to be replaced and reconnected - you can read about this.

Usually, for the manufacture of a panel, a method of gluing elements pre-soldered into a single chain of plates on a flat base-substrate is used. We offer another option:

We insert into the frame, fix well and seal the glass or a piece of plexiglass along the edges.
We lay out on it in the appropriate order, gluing them with double-sided tape, the plates of the elements: with the working side to the glass, with soldering leads to the back of the frame.
Putting the frame on the table with the glass down, we can conveniently unsolder the leads of the elements. We carry out electrical installation in accordance with the selected connection diagram.
We finally glue the plates from the back with tape.
We put some kind of damping pad: sheet rubber, cardboard, fiberboard, etc.
We insert the back wall into the frame and seal it.

If desired, instead of the rear wall, you can fill the rear frame with some kind of compound, for example, epoxy. True, this will already exclude the possibility of disassembling and repairing the panel.

Of course, a single 50W battery is not enough to power even a small house. But with its help, it is already possible to implement lighting in it using modern LED lamps.

For a comfortable existence of a city dweller, at least 4 kWh of electricity is required per day. For a family - according to the number of its members.

Therefore, the solar battery of a private house for a family of three should provide 12 kWh. If the home is supposed to be supplied with electricity only from solar energy, we will need a solar battery with an area of at least 12 kWh / 0.6 kWh / m2 = 20 m2.

This energy must be stored in storage batteries with a capacity of 12 kWh / 12 V = 1000 Ah, or approximately 16 batteries of 60 Ah each.

For normal work battery with a solar panel and its protection, a charge controller is required.

To convert 12 VDC to 220 VAC, an inverter will be needed. Although now on the market there are already sufficient quantities of electrical equipment for voltages of 12 or 24 V.

Tip: In low-voltage power supply networks, currents of much higher values are in effect, therefore, to carry out wiring to powerful equipment, a wire of the appropriate cross section should be selected. Wiring for networks with an inverter is carried out according to the usual 220 V.

Drawing conclusions

Subject to the accumulation and rational use of energy, today non-traditional types of electric power industry are beginning to create a substantial increase in the total volume of its generation. It could even be argued that they are gradually becoming traditional.

Considering the level of energy consumption of modern household appliances that has significantly decreased recently, the use of energy-saving lighting devices and the significantly increased efficiency of solar cells of new technologies, we can say that already now they are able to provide electricity to a small private house in southern countries with a large number of sunny days per year.

In Russia, they may well be used as reserve or additional energy sources in combined power supply systems, and if their efficiency can be increased at least to 70%, then it will be quite realistic to use them as the main suppliers of electricity.

Video on how to make your own solar collector

Ecology of consumption. Life hack: Independence from energy and rising prices for it, be it at least thermal or electric. Solar panels and homemade windmills will come to the rescue - one of the types of alternative sources of electricity

What does it mean to you to be a farmer? For me, this is independence. Independence from various kinds of sanctions imposed different countries... Independence from the rise in food prices, since everything can be grown on your farm. And, of course, this is independence from energy and rising prices for it, be it at least thermal or electric. In one of my articles, I wrote about how to build a biogas plant with your own hands, but it suits those farmers who raise livestock, but what about those farmers who are engaged in vegetable growing or plant growing?

Solar panels and homemade windmills will come to the rescue - some of the types of alternative sources of electricity. In my opinion, everything should be combined. The wind turbine will charge the batteries when there is wind but no sunlight, and the solar panel is vice versa.

How solar panels work:

To understand how to assemble solar panels with your own hands, you need to understand how they work. This will allow you to select the appropriate material upon purchase. I believe you need to know the following:

Solar cells work by means of photocells, which are monocrystalline and polycrystalline. Solar cells are often referred to as solar cells.
It is unlikely that it will be possible to assemble solar cells with your own hands, so you will have to buy them in any case. I was looking for them in Russia, but unfortunately now everything is done in China.

The video below is an excerpt from scientific program about solar panels, it tells a bit of history and how solar cells work. At the end of the article there will be a detailed video on how to assemble a solar panel with your own hands.

After you learned about the principle of the solar battery from the video, we can summarize some of the results:

Monocrystalline solar cells have an efficiency of about 13%, but it is more profitable only when the number of sunny days is high enough.
In Russia, I think it is not profitable to install these panels, therefore there are polycrystalline solar cells, their efficiency is about 7%, but they work better with cloudiness and a small amount of sunny day.
Now there are technologies that make it possible to make a photocell with an efficiency of more than 40%.
Approximately one photocell will produce 2.7 watts.
The price for polycrystalline and monocrystalline solar cells is basically the same, it is also the same for solar panels.

You need to understand how much power you need and, based on this, calculate the required number of solar panels, but we will talk about this in future articles. It is important to know that solar panels can be used directly, so if you need to boil water in a 2 kW kettle, then this will require 20 100 W panels. But if you use rechargeable batteries, you can get by with 3-5 batteries, which will charge the battery after the kettle boils the water.

I would like to note that batteries often cost the same as the panels themselves. If you use solar panels for lighting, then you can get by with a 200 W panel and put energy-saving light bulbs in the house.

We collect solar panels with our own hands

Before assembling solar panels with your own hands, you will need to make a frame for the battery. Plexiglas is used as a protective layer and a transparent surface in the frame; ordinary glass can also be used, but it is not so reliable. Aluminum corners are used for the body.

It is IMPORTANT to pay attention to soldering the solar cells into the circuit, it depends on how well the solar panel will work. Photocells come with soldered wires, which will make the task easier, but you will have to solder in any case. Pre-applied flux and solder.

How to assemble a solar panel with your own hands, see the video below.

A little economy about solar panels and the profitability of assembling it yourself

Having searched the Internet for photocells for assembling solar panels in order to buy them in Russia, I found them at 3200 rubles for 38 pieces, I think this is not profitable, since now there are panels for 4500 rubles, a difference of 1300 will reduce your time and effort.

But if you look for Chinese solar cells, you can find them at 4,500 rubles per 100 pieces. Two 100 W panels can be assembled from 100 pieces. In this case, the profitability of buying photocells is obvious. I want to draw your attention to the fact that in the video below there is an assembly of photocells, the size of which is 125 * 63. On the Internet, I found Chinese solar cells 156 * 156 with their help, you can assemble 4 solar panels of 100 watts.

As promised, the video is about how to assemble a solar panel with your own hands. The principle of soldering and sealing is shown in great detail.SUBSCRIBE to OUR youtube channel Econet.ru, which allows you to watch online, download from YouTube free video about health improvement, rejuvenation of a person. Love for others and for yourself,how the feeling of high vibrations is an important factor in healing - site

Join us at