How to make a solar battery with your own hands: step-by-step instructions. Do-it-yourself solar battery: an expensive toy or a real opportunity to save money? Frame for solar panels

Although the use of solar energy has become widespread today, the price of photovoltaic batteries remains at high level. But they can be done with your own hands. In most cases, owners of private houses are interested in this. But some people even manage to equip their apartments with homemade photo panels.

Solar battery device

Before you create a solar battery with your own hands, it is worth understanding its operation. Electrical energy is stored in batteries. The operation of the battery itself is based on the photoelectric effect. It occurs in photocells, which “collect” the energy of the sun’s rays. Such plates are precisely the main part of photo batteries. How is energy converted from solar to electrical:

1. The sun's rays fall on one side of the plate, which has a thin layer of boron or phosphorus.
2. Under their influence, many electrons are released. The phosphorus film holds them in place, preventing them from scattering.
3. The movement of electrons is ordered by metal “tracks” with which each plate is equipped.
4. This is how an electric current arises. The more silicon cells you take, the more you can get it.

First on the list necessary materials come, of course, solar photocells. Since it does not stand still, many different solar plates have already been developed.

• Film. Today they are produced only by technologically “advanced” companies, so all that remains is to “hunt” for them. Such elements are found in ready-made photo batteries.
• Amorphous. These are photographic plates capable of collecting the rays of the sun in any weather conditions: at sunset, in dusty air, in rain, etc. The amorphous elements are based on a thin layer of silicon, sprayed onto a glass or polymer surface. To create a homemade solar battery with your own hands, such elements are rarely used due to their short service life and insufficient efficiency.
• Made from crystalline silicon. There are two types of photographic plates:
  • Monocrystalline. Consist of one silicon crystal. The efficiency of such panels is higher due to the one-way direction. Similar elements are more often used in regions with high activity sun. Such cells can be recognized by their uniform dark color and cut corners. Their efficiency is about 19%, and their service life reaches 50 years.
  • Polycrystalline. Many small crystals are combined into one element. This reduces the efficiency, but the panels can be used where the sun is not too active. The structure of a large number of crystals can be detected by a lighter shade of blue color and heterogeneous pattern. Polycrystals are inferior to single crystals in service life (up to 25 years) and efficiency (up to 15%).

For the first time, it is better to make a solar battery with your own hands from cheaper polycrystalline plates. It is worth switching to monocrystalline ones after testing the technology. Inexpensive photographic plates are sold in foreign online stores. The most famous among them are EBay, Aliexpress and Amazon.

Today, some sellers offer discounted "B" grade photographic plates. They are cheaper due to existing damage: various chips, missing corners, microcracks, etc. The performance of the cells does not suffer from this, but the price is significantly reduced. Such elements are quite suitable for “training your hand”.

Having decided to make a solar battery with your own hands from available materials, you can replace the photoplates with semiconductors with p-n junctions. They are often left over from old receivers and televisions. Semiconductors are also capable of generating current when exposed to solar radiation. To make the panel, all that remains is to connect several similar parts.

The catch here is the insufficient power of the resulting devices. With the most powerful transistors, it is possible to obtain a voltage of no more than 0.2 V from each. The current strength in them will be measured in microamps, and this is in the brightest sun. To achieve the same parameters that silicon solar cells provide, it will be necessary to find hundreds of semiconductors. But even in the best case, you will only be able to charge an LED flashlight or a cell phone.

An important step in the instructions on how to make a solar battery with your own hands is calculating its size. The voltage and current of the photocells are important here. For medium cells these parameters are 0.5 V and 3 A, respectively. If you connect 30 cells to create a battery, then its power will be 30 · 0.5 V · 3 A = 45 W.

What else is needed to create a photo battery?

Before starting work, check that you have everything on the list at hand:

• slats and plywood for the frame;
• silicone sealant;
• solder;
• antiseptic and wood paint;
• stranded copper wire for connecting photocells;
• aluminum corners;
• anti-reflective glass, polycarbonate or plexiglass;
• Schottky diodes designed for output from one photographic plate.

You will also need a simple tool: a soldering iron, a saw, a glass cutter, a screwdriver, a paint brush - everything that any home-saving owner has.

Instructions for creating a solar panel

When connecting solar cells, you should adhere to an aspect ratio of 1:1. For example, if according to your calculations it turns out that you need to lay 120 plates, then you can arrange them in 12 rows of 10 pieces. Connect every two “columns” in parallel, and the 5 resulting blocks – in series. This way the wires will be laid out more neatly. Having decided on the location of the cells, you can begin to follow the instructions on how to assemble a solar battery with your own hands. It includes several main stages.

The body is made from wooden slats. Their height should not be more than 25 mm, otherwise the outer rows of cells will be shaded. Aluminum corners are used to connect the slats. The dimensions of the housing are determined by the dimensions of the photographic plates. For cells 3x6 inches (7.62x15.24 cm) when arranged in 12 rows of 10 pieces. you will need a frame of at least 160x100 cm.

The reverse side is covered with plywood, and ventilation holes are drilled at the bottom of the frame. To protect the wood, it is coated with an antiseptic and then painted. A panel is cut out from the finished glass or plexiglass frame, which is secured using corner brackets.

To perform this task, you need a soldering iron with a power of up to 40 W and low-melting solder. A small amount of it is applied to the lead parts of the plates. The polarity of the connection must be observed. The distance between photocells must be at least 5 mm to account for possible expansion. To increase the voltage, the elements are connected in series, and to increase the current - in parallel.

When the individual chains are assembled, they are placed with their backs against the substrate and glued with sealant. Each block of solar plates must be equipped with a Schottky diode to prevent the batteries from discharging at night. According to the diagram presented above, all chains are connected using a copper wire or a special bus.

Final assembly

Ready-made substrates are placed in the housing. Self-tapping screws are used for fastening. If there is a crossbar in the frame, holes are drilled in it for the wires. The cable brought out is fixed and soldered to the terminals of the assembly. The glass is placed in the frame, having previously applied a layer of sealant to the upper contour of the frame.

Having studied how to make solar panels at home with your own hands, we can conclude that this requires at least minimal knowledge of electrical engineering. But having done everything as carefully as possible, you can hope for the successful completion of the task. You also need to be prepared, which requires financial and time costs. After practicing on the first panel, you will be able to make more than one solar battery, thereby providing your home with free electricity.

Humanity in order to take care of the environment and save money Money began to use alternative energy sources, which, in particular, include solar panels. Buying such a pleasure will be quite expensive, but it is not difficult to make this device with your own hands. Therefore, it won’t hurt you to learn how to make a solar panel yourself. This will be discussed in our article.

Solar batteries are devices that generate electricity using photocells.

Before we talk about how to make a solar battery with your own hands, you need to understand the structure and principles of its operation. Solar battery includes photocells connected in series and parallel, a battery that stores electricity, an inverter that converts D.C. into a variable and a controller that monitors the charging and discharging of the battery.

As a rule, solar cells are made of silicon, but its purification is expensive, so elements such as indium, copper, and selenium have recently begun to be used.

Each photocell is a separate cell that generates electricity. The cells are interconnected and form a single field, the area of ​​which determines the battery power. That is, the more photocells, the more electricity is generated.

In order to make a solar panel with your own hands at home, you need to understand the essence of such a phenomenon as the photoelectric effect. A photocell is a silicon plate that, when light hits it, knocks out an electron from the last energy level of silicon atoms. The movement of a flow of such electrons produces a direct current, which is subsequently converted to alternating current. This is the phenomenon of the photoelectric effect.

Advantages

Solar panels have the following advantages:

• environmentally friendly;
• durability;
• silent operation;
• ease of manufacture and installation;
• independence of electricity supply from the distribution network;
• immobility of device parts;
• minor financial costs;
• light weight;
• work without mechanical converters.

Varieties

Solar batteries are divided into the following types.

Silicon

Silicon is the most popular material for batteries.

Silicon batteries are also divided into:

1. Monocrystalline: These batteries use very pure silicon.
2. Polycrystalline (cheaper than monocrystalline): polycrystals are obtained by gradually cooling silicon.

Film

Such batteries are divided into the following types:

1. Based on cadmium telluride (10% efficiency): cadmium has a high light absorption coefficient, which allows it to be used in the production of batteries.
2. Based on copper selenide - indium: efficiency is higher than the previous ones.
3. Polymer.

Solar batteries from polymers began to be manufactured relatively recently; usually furellenes, polyphenylene, etc. are used for this. Polymer films are very thin, about 100 nm. Despite the efficiency of 5%, polymer batteries have their advantages: low cost of material, environmental friendliness, elasticity.

Amorphous

The efficiency of amorphous batteries is 5%. Such panels are made from silane (hydrogen silicon) according to the principle of film batteries, so they can be classified as both silicon and film. Amorphous batteries are elastic, generate electricity even in bad weather, and absorb light better than other panels.

Materials

To make a solar battery you will need the following materials:

• photocells;
• aluminum corners;
• Schottky diodes;
• silicone sealants;
• conductors;
• mounting screws and hardware;
• polycarbonate sheet/plexiglass;
• soldering equipment.

These materials are required in order to make a solar battery with your own hands.

Selection of photocells

To make a solar battery for your home with your own hands, you need to choose the right photocells. The latter are divided into monocrystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous.

The efficiency of the former is 13%, but such photocells are ineffective in bad weather and appear as bright blue squares. Polycrystalline solar cells are capable of generating electricity even in bad weather, although their efficiency is only 9%, are darker in appearance than monocrystalline ones and are cut off at the edges. Amorphous photocells are made of flexible silicon, their efficiency is 10%, their performance does not depend on weather conditions, but the production of such cells is too expensive, so they are rarely used.

If you plan to use electricity generated by photovoltaic cells at your dacha, we advise you to assemble a solar battery with your own hands from polycrystalline cells, since their efficiency is sufficient for your purposes.

You should buy photocells of the same brand, since photocells from several brands can be very different - this can cause problems with the assembly of the battery and its functioning. It should be remembered that the amount of energy produced by a cell is directly proportional to its size, that is, the larger the photocell, the more electricity it produces; The voltage of a cell depends on its type, not its size.

The amount of current produced is determined by the dimensions of the smallest photocell, so you should buy photocells of the same size. Of course, you should not purchase cheap products, because this means that they have not been tested. Also, you should not buy photocells coated with wax (many manufacturers coat photocells with wax to protect products during transportation): removing it can damage the photocell.

Calculations and project

Installing a solar panel with your own hands is not a difficult task, the main thing is to approach it responsibly. To make a solar panel with your own hands, you should calculate the daily electricity consumption, then find out the average daily solar time in your area and calculate the required power. Thus, it will become clear how many cells and what size you need to purchase. After all, as mentioned above, the current generated by the cell depends on its dimensions.

Knowing the required size of cells and their number, you need to calculate the dimensions and weight of the panel, after which you need to find out whether the roof or other place where you plan to install the solar battery will support the planned structure.

When installing the panel, you should not only choose the sunniest place, but also try to fix it at right angles to the sun's rays.

Stages of work

Frame

Before you start making a solar panel with your own hands, you need to build a frame for it. It protects the battery from damage, moisture and dust.

The body is assembled from moisture-resistant material: plywood coated with a moisture-repellent agent, or aluminum corners to which plexiglass or polycarbonate is glued with silicone sealant.

In this case, it is necessary to maintain space between the elements (3-4 mm), since it is necessary to take into account the expansion of the material with increasing temperature.

Soldering elements

The photocells are laid out on the front side of the transparent surface, so that the distance between them on all sides is 5 mm: this takes into account the possible expansion of the photocells as the temperature rises.

Converters having two poles are fixed: positive and negative. If you want to increase the voltage, connect the elements in series, if the current - in parallel.

To avoid discharging the battery at night, a Schottky diode is included in a single circuit consisting of all the necessary parts, connecting it to the positive conductor. Then all the elements are soldered together.

Assembly

Soldered converters are placed in the finished frame, silicone is applied to the photocells - all this is covered with a layer of fiberboard, closed with a lid, and the joints of the parts are treated with sealant.

Even a city dweller can make and place a solar panel on the balcony with his own hands. It is advisable that the balcony be glazed and insulated.
So we figured out how to make a solar battery at home, it turned out that it’s not difficult at all.

Ideas from scrap materials

You can make a solar battery with your own hands from scrap materials. Let's look at the most popular options.

Many will be surprised to learn that foil can be used to make a solar battery with your own hands. In fact, this is not surprising, because foil increases the reflectivity of materials. For example, to reduce overheating of the panels, they are placed on foil.

How to make a solar panel from foil?

We will need:

• 2 “crocodiles”;
• copper foil;
• multimeter;
• salt;
• empty plastic bottle without neck;
• electric oven;
• drill.

After cleaning the copper sheet and washing your hands, cut off a piece of foil, place it on a hot electric stove, heat it for half an hour, observing blackening, then remove the foil from the stove, let it cool and see how pieces peel off from the sheet. After heating, the oxide film disappears, so the black oxide can be carefully removed with water.

Then a second piece of foil is cut out the same size as the first, the two parts are folded and lowered into the bottle so that they have no chance of touching.

Foil can also be used for heating. To do this, you need to pull it onto the frame, to which you then need to connect hoses connected, for example, to a watering can with water.

So we learned how to make a solar panel for your home from foil yourself.

Many people have old transistors lying around at home, but not everyone knows that they are quite suitable for making a solar battery for the garden with your own hands. The photocell in this case is a semiconductor wafer located inside the transistor. How to make a solar battery from transistors with your own hands? First you need to open the transistor, for which it is enough to cut off the cover, so we can see the plate: it is small in size, which explains the low efficiency of solar cells made from transistors.

Next you need to check the transistor. To do this, we use a multimeter: we connect the device to a transistor with well-lit p-n junction and measure the current, the multimeter should record a current from a few fractions of a milliampere to 1 or a little more; Next, switch the device to voltage measurement mode, the multimeter should output tenths of a volt.

We place the transistors that have passed the test inside a housing, for example, sheet plastic, and solder them. You can make such a solar battery with your own hands at home and use it to charge batteries and low-power radios.

Old diodes are also suitable for assembling batteries. Making a solar battery with your own hands from diodes is not at all difficult. You need to open the diode, exposing the crystal, which is a photocell, then heat the diode for 20 seconds gas stove, and when the solder melts, remove the crystal. All that remains is to solder the removed crystals to the body.

The power of such batteries is small, but it is enough to power small LEDs.

This option of making a solar battery with your own hands from improvised materials will seem very strange to most, but making a solar battery with your own hands from beer cans is simple and cheap.

We will make the body from plywood, on which we will place polycarbonate or plexiglass; on the back surface of the plywood we will fix foam plastic or glass wool for insulation. Aluminum cans will serve as photocells. It is important to choose aluminum cans, since aluminum is less susceptible to corrosion than, for example, iron and has better heat transfer.

Next, holes are made in the bottom of the cans, the lid is cut off, and unnecessary elements are folded to ensure better air circulation. Then you need to clean the jars from grease and dirt using special means, do not contain acid. Next, you need to hermetically seal the jars together: with silicone gel that can withstand high temperatures, or a soldering iron. Be sure to dry the glued cans very well in a stationary position.

Having attached the cans to the body, we paint them black and cover the structure with plexiglass or polycarbonate. Such a battery is capable of heating water or air and then supplying it to the room.

We looked at options on how to make a solar panel with your own hands. We hope that now you will not have a question about how to make a solar battery.

Video

How to make solar panels with your own hands - video tutorial.

Ecology of consumption. Science and Technology: Everyone knows that a solar cell converts the sun's energy into electrical energy. And there is a whole industry for the production of such elements in huge factories. I suggest you make your own solar battery from readily available materials.

Everyone knows that a solar battery converts the sun's energy into electrical energy. And there is a whole industry for the production of such elements in huge factories. I suggest you make your own solar battery from readily available materials.

Components of a solar battery

The main element of our solar battery will be two copper plates. After all, as you know, copper oxide was the first element in which scientists discovered the photoelectric effect.

So, for the successful implementation of our modest project you will need:

1. Copper sheet. In fact, we don’t need a whole sheet, but small square (or rectangular) pieces of 5 cm each will suffice.

2. A pair of alligator clips.

3. Microammeter (to understand the amount of current generated).

4. Electric stove. It is necessary to oxidize one of our plates.

5. Transparent container. A regular plastic mineral water bottle will do just fine.

6. Table salt.

7. Regular hot water.

8. A small piece of sandpaper to remove any oxide film from our copper plates.

Once everything you need is prepared, you can proceed to the most important stage.

Preparing the plates

So, first of all, take one plate and wash it to remove all fats from its surface. After this, use sandpaper to clean off the oxide film and place the already cleaned bar on the switched on electric burner.

After that, we turn it on and watch how it heats up and changes our plate.

Once the copper plate has completely turned black, keep it on the hot stove for at least another forty minutes. After this, turn off the stove and wait until your “fried” copper has cooled completely.

Due to the fact that the cooling rate copper plate and the oxide film will be different; most of the black plaque will come off on its own.

After the plate has cooled, take it and gently wash off the black film under water.

Important. However, you should not tear off the remaining black areas or bend them in any way. This is necessary so that the copper layer remains intact.

After this, we take our plates and carefully place them in the prepared container, and attach our alligator clips with soldered wires to the edges. Moreover, we connect the untouched piece of copper to the minus, and the processed piece to the plus.

Then we prepare a saline solution, namely, we dissolve a few tablespoons of salt in water and pour this liquid into a container.

Now we check the performance of our design by connecting it to a microammeter.

As you can see, the installation is quite working. In the shade, the microammeter showed approximately 20 µA. But in the sun the device went off scale. Therefore, I can only say that in the sun such an installation clearly produces more than 100 μA.

Of course, with such an installation you will not even be able to light a light bulb, but by doing such an installation with your child, you can stir up his interest in studying, for example, physics. published

If you have any questions on this topic, ask them to the experts and readers of our project.

The sun is a huge and stable source of energy; it would be stupid not to use it. The power generated by the sun is 1000 W/m². You won't be able to use all the power, but you will be able to use some of it. Using photocells, you can collect up to 140 W per m².

Solar panels are several photocells that convert solar energy into electricity.

What is the structure of a solar battery? These are one or more solar cells that convert solar energy into electricity.

Electricity is becoming more expensive every day and will continue to rise in price. Now companies are looking for new energy sources and trying to make them. One of the most popular such sources is solar panels. More and more solar chargers are appearing every day. They are used at home, in the office, in industry. Solar energy is being used more and more often.

Advantages of a solar battery

Diagram of the structure and operation of a solar battery.

1. Durability. Such an energy source will work for you for a very long time, therefore, when purchasing a solar battery, you sign a long-term contract with it.
2. Simple structure. You can make the battery yourself at home, there is nothing difficult about it. Below are instructions on how to do this.
3. Little weight. Solar batteries, due to their design and the material used, weigh little, which is a huge advantage in some industries.
4. Repairable. This kind of battery breaks quite rarely, but if it does happen, they can be easily restored.
5. Environmental friendliness. Solar panels are environmentally friendly and use an inexhaustible resource - sunlight. In addition to being environmentally friendly, they have another advantage - noiselessness.

You need to know that such an energy source is not ideal; it also has disadvantages. Firstly, solar panels are quite expensive. Secondly, they take up a lot of space. Thirdly, they need careful care - batteries react to dirt, they must always be kept clean. Fourthly, it depends on the weather and time of day. You can receive solar energy only if the weather is favorable and during the daytime. On cloudy and cloudy days, battery power can decrease by 10 times. Fifthly, low efficiency. It ranges from approximately 10 to 25%.

Currently, there are several factories in Russia that produce solar panels, but you can make them yourself at home. They won't be as powerful as the professional ones, but they might be fine for the home.

Structure of a solar battery

The main function on which the structure of a solar battery depends is energy generation.

The basis of the battery is photocells, which must be connected in series and in parallel. The most popular solar cells are made from silicon. Our planet has a huge amount of silicon in its reserves, but the process of purifying it is very expensive, which causes difficulties. An alternative to silicon is copper, selenium, indium, organic solar cells, etc. One solar cell has very little power, it is not suitable for industrial applications, therefore, the elements are connected together, thereby increasing their power and efficiency. The resulting “bundle” of elements is very fragile, so it is covered with a protective layer (glass, film, plastic). All together forms a solar battery.

Types of solar panels.

The main characteristic of a battery is its power. It is formed depending on the current and voltage in the battery. The parallelism of the connection of the plates is responsible for the current value, and their sequence is responsible for the voltage. It is also possible to connect not only the plates inside the battery, but also the batteries themselves.

If we describe each level of a photocell, starting from the base, it will look like this:

• metal backing;
• silicon;
• anti-glare coating;
• conductor plates.

The battery will look different:

• frame;
• photocell;
• anti-glare sheet;
• protective covering.

Make a solar battery with your own hands without effort

Have you ever tried to build your own energy source at home? It's time to try this.

For your home's solar panel to provide you with the most benefit, it needs to be exposed to sunlight as much as possible.

Solar battery diagram.

You also need to use batteries that will collect energy. Homemade batteries will come in handy when traveling, when you go outdoors, and at home.

There are several ways to make solar source energy at home.

The first method is quite simple. You will need to purchase solar panel modules. They can be ordered on the website on the Internet. Modules may not be the same good quality, any are suitable for building a battery. Look, maybe you can find a couple of modules at your home.

If you plan to consume solar energy only in good weather, then a battery is not needed, the energy source will be the sun. Be careful when building - the modules are very fragile! A strong finger press on the module is enough for it to crack and go into the trash.

The number of modules you will need directly depends on the required battery power and where it will be used in the future. Take the modules and solder them on a flat table into several identical chains. Solder the chains together so that you get a rectangular sheet of modules. For example: 3 rows of 5 modules each. Attach a protective layer on top; regular glass will do. Take care of the base of the battery too, use plywood, plastic sheet or something else. Fasten the resulting modular sheet together with the base and protective layer. Regular construction tape will do for this. An important rule: do not press your battery, make sure there is a small gap between the module, base and protective glass.

Next, install the block on the structure and pull the wires there.

You should not press the battery too hard; you need to make sure that there is a small gap between all the elements.

The next method is also quite simple and practical. It was described above how to make a battery at home from modules, and now another option will be offered - how to make a battery from diodes.

Choose D223B diodes, they have many advantages over others. Firstly, they are cheap, a box of 100 pieces costs 130 rubles. Secondly, the paint is easily removed from them. You just need to keep them in acetone for a little while, and then wipe them with a rag, and the paint will come off. Thirdly, they are compact. Your design will take up little space and will be convenient for transportation. Fourthly, these diodes have a good voltage - approximately 350 mV in direct sunlight. Look around your home; diodes may have been left over from ancient times.

Take a sheet of paper in a cage, draw a diagram and observe the scale. It's better to do 1:1. The cage can be 5x5 mm, 10x10 mm, no longer needed. The diagram should have the following form: the closing rows should be continuous, i.e. Simply connect the top and bottom rows in series. The rows between the trailing ones will be different. Rows 2 and 3, 4 and 5, 6 and 7 and so on will be connected to each other in the center, forming a square the size of one cell. Now we need to return to the diodes, which are soaked in acetone. Carefully remove them and peel off the paint. Using a voltmeter, determine where the positive is on the diode. Bend the positive terminal to create a hook. Make holes in the plastic plate according to the diagram, and then insert diodes into these holes and solder them. The battery is ready, you can test it using a voltmeter.

Such homemade solar panels will definitely find application in everyday life, make your life more comfortable and reduce costs. Making a solar battery at home is not difficult. Assembly takes about an hour.

How to make a solar battery at home with your own hands (video)

DIY solar battery for home

Currently, alternative energy sources are very fashionable and popular, especially among owners country cottages or private houses. But often such a device costs a lot of money and not everyone can afford to purchase solar panels for their home. Therefore, making solar panels with your own hands has become very relevant. So how can you make solar panels yourself?

Characteristics of solar panel

A solar cell is a semiconductor structure that is capable of converting solar radiation into electricity. This allows you to provide your home with economical, reliable and, most importantly, uninterrupted power supply. Especially this is relevant for hard-to-reach areas, as well as where there are frequent power outages from the main source.

This alternative energy source is quite practical because, unlike a traditional source of energy supply, it costs much less. Making solar panels with your own hands allows you not only to optimize energy consumption, but also saves money.

Advantages

Solar batteries have the following advantages:

• simple installation due to the fact that there is no need to lay a cable to the supports;
• electricity generation does not harm the environment at all;
• there are no moving parts;
• electricity is supplied independently of the distribution network;
• minimal time spent on system maintenance;
• light weight of batteries;
• silent operation;
• long service life at minimal costs.

Flaws

Despite quite significant advantages, solar panels also have their disadvantages, such as:

• the complexity of the manufacturing process;
• sensitivity to pollution;
• the effective operation of solar panels is influenced by weather conditions (sunny or cloudy days);
• such a design requires a lot of space;
• The batteries don't work at night.

Requirements for a solar battery

Anyone can install solar panels in a private home. But in order for such a DIY design to bring maximum benefits, its features should be taken into account. The following requirements apply to the solar battery:

Materials needed to make a solar battery with your own hands

If it is not possible to purchase solar panels, you can make them yourself. At the beginning need to decide on the material, from which they will be made.

To create panels, high-quality photocells will be needed. Manufacturers today offer the following types of devices:

• elements made of monocrystalline silicon have an efficiency of up to 13%, but are not efficient enough in cloudy weather;
• Solar cells made of polycrystalline silicon have an efficiency of up to 9% and can work on both sunny and cloudy days.

To power your home, it is best to use polycrystals, which are available in kits.

It is important to know that everything needed for assembly Cells are best purchased from one manufacturer, since products of different brands have significant differences in the effectiveness of the products. This may create additional difficulties during assembly, entail costs as a result of operation, and the solar battery will have low power.

To make a solar panel from improvised materials, you will need special conductors designed to connect photocells.

The body of the future design is best made from aluminum corners that are light in weight. You can also use a material such as wood. But due to the fact that the structure will be constantly exposed to atmospheric influences, its service life will decrease.

The dimensions of the panel body depend on the number of photocells.

The outer covering of photocells can be made of plexiglass or transparent polycarbonate. Tempered glass is also used, which does not transmit infrared rays.

Thus, to make a solar battery with your own hands, you will need the following materials:

• photocells in the set;
• fastening hardware;
• high power copper electrical wires;
• silicone vacuum stands;
• soldering equipment;
• aluminum corners;
• Schottke diodes;
• transparent sheet of polycarbonate or plexiglass;
• set of screws for fastening.

How to make solar panels with your own hands?

In order to make panels with your own hands, you need to collect the required materials. A solar battery for a home is assembled in the following sequence.

To properly make solar panels with your own hands, you need to adhere to the following recommendations:

Every person dreams of getting free electricity in their home, and this dream is possible. By making solar panels with your own hands, you can enjoy an additional source of electricity. Wherein This design does not cause any harm to the environment Moreover, it is very reliable and inexpensive.

How to make a solar panel for your home with your own hands: battery characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, tips

DIY solar panels

Many people are interested in how solar energy can be converted into electricity. Alternative energy sources have always occupied the minds of people, and today everyone can get solar energy. In the article we will tell you how to make converter panels yourself from improvised materials (at home), and give step-by-step instructions for assembling the structure.

How it works

Solar battery device

An alternative energy source is a generator operating on the basis of the photoelectric effect. It allows you to convert solar energy into electricity. Getting on silicon wafers, which are components solar battery, light quanta displace electrons from the last orbits of each silicon atom. Thus, you can get a large number of free electrons, which form an electric current.

Types of solar panels

Before you start manufacturing a solar panel, you need to select the converter modules that will be used: monocrystalline, polycrystalline or amorphous. The most accessible are the first and second options. In order to select suitable elements, you need to know their exact characteristics:

1. Polycrystalline wafers with silicon provide a fairly low efficiency - no more than 8-9%. However, they have the advantage of being able to work even during cloudy or cloudy weather.
2. Monocrystalline plates provide about 13-14% efficiency, however, any cloudiness, not to mention cloudy weather, significantly reduces the power of a battery assembled from such plates.

Battery structure

Both types of plates are different long term service – from 20 to 40 years.

Purchasing silicon wafers for self-assembly you can take elements with minor defects - the so-called B-type modules. Some components of the plates can be replaced, thus assembling a battery for significantly less money.

Solar Panel Design

Tilt angle

When planning the placement of the converters, you need to choose a place for its installation so that it is located at an angle, receiving the sun's rays more or less perpendicularly. The ideal way would be to place the batteries in such a way that you can adjust their angle of inclination. They need to be located on the most illuminated side of the site, and the higher the better - for example, on the roof of a house. However, not all roofs can support the weight of a full-fledged solar battery, so in some cases it is recommended to install special support stands for the converters.

The required angle at which the battery should be located can be calculated based on the geographic location of the area, as well as the solstice level in the area.

Materials for production

Assembly kit

• B-type converter modules,
• aluminum corners or ready-made frames for a future battery,
• protective coating for modules.

You can make support frames yourself using aluminum frames, or you can purchase ready-made ones of various sizes.

There may be no protective coating for solar panels, but it may be:

Basically everything protective coatings can be used without large losses of converted energy, however, plexiglass transmits rays worse than all the listed materials.

The size of the solar panel frame depends on how many modules will be used. When planning the arrangement of elements, it is necessary to leave a distance of 3-5 mm between the modules to compensate for possible changes in size due to temperature changes.

Finished work

• Having calculated the data and obtained the required dimensions, you can begin installing the frame. If you use ready-made frames, you just need to select modules that completely fill them. Aluminum corners allow you to create a battery of any size.
• The frame from aluminum corners is assembled using fasteners. Silicone sealant is applied to the inside of the frame. It must be applied carefully, without missing a single millimeter - the battery life directly depends on this.
• Next, a panel of the selected protective material is placed in the frame. It is recommended to securely secure the material to the frame using hardware. To do this you will need screws and a screwdriver. Upon completion of work, glass or its equivalent must be cleaned of dust and debris.
• Purchased modules may or may not contain already soldered contacts. In any case, it is recommended to either perform soldering from scratch, that is, three times - for greater reliability - using solder and soldering acid, or go through the soldering with a soldering iron.
• The solar battery can be assembled either directly on a prepared frame, or first on marked cardboard. Laying out the elements on the glass in the necessary way, you need to connect them by soldering: on one side, the tracks carrying current have a plus sign; on the other hand - with a minus sign. The contacts of the last elements must be routed to a wide silver conductor, the so-called bus.

• After soldering is completed, it is necessary to check the work and carefully eliminate all problems, make sure that the panel is working properly.

The final stage of work will be sealing the manufactured panels using a special elastic sealant. All connected modules are completely covered with this mixture. After it has completely dried, you need to install a second panel of protective material, and also place the resulting source of alternative energy at the desired angle in the planned location.

Complete video instructions for making a solar battery for your home:

solar cell

The basis

Installing the underlay

Frame

Painting the frame

Wax removal

Layout and soldering

Assembled battery

Attachment to base

Blocking diode

Do-it-yourself solar panels - how to make them at home (photo)

We make a solar battery with our own hands

Obtaining electricity from alternative power sources is a very expensive endeavor. For example, using solar energy when purchasing ready-made equipment will require you to spend a significant amount of money. But nowadays it is possible to assemble solar panels with your own hands for a summer house or private home from ready-made solar cells or other available materials. And before you start purchasing the necessary components and designing the structure, you need to understand what a solar battery is and its operating principle.

Solar battery: what is it and how does it work?

People who are faced with this task for the first time immediately have questions: “How to assemble a solar battery?” or “How to make a solar panel?” But having studied the device and the principle of its operation, problems with the implementation of this project disappear by themselves. After all, the design and principle of operation are simple and should not cause difficulties when creating a power source at home.

Solar battery (SB) - these are photovoltaic converters of energy emitted by the sun into electrical energy, which are connected in the form of an array of elements and enclosed in a protective structure. Converters - semiconductor elements made of silicon for generating direct current. They are produced in three types:

• Monocrystalline;
• Polycrystalline;
• Amorphous (thin film).

The operating principle of the device is based on photoelectric effect. Sunlight falling on photocells knocks out free electrons from the last orbits of each atom on the silicon wafer. The movement of large numbers of free electrons between the electrodes of the battery produces a direct current. Next, it is converted to alternating current for home electrification.

The principle of operation of a solar battery

Selection of photocells

Before the beginning design work To create a panel at home, you need to choose one of three types of solar energy converters. To select the appropriate elements you need to know them specifications:

• Monocrystalline. The efficiency of these plates is 12–14%. However, they are sensitive to the amount of incoming light. Light clouds significantly reduce the amount of electricity generated. Service life up to 30 years.
• Polycrystalline. These elements are capable of delivering an efficiency of 7–9%. But they are not affected by the quality of illumination and are capable of delivering the same amount of current in cloudy and even cloudy weather. Operational period - 20 years.
• Amorphous. Manufactured from flexible silicon. They produce an efficiency of about 10%. The amount of electricity produced is not reduced by the quality of the weather. But expensive and complex production makes them difficult to obtain.

To manufacture the SB on your own, you can purchase type B converters (second grade). These include elements with minor defects; even if some components are replaced, the cost of the batteries will be 2-3 times less than the market price, thanks to this you will save your money.

To provide a private home with electricity from an alternative energy source, the first two types of plates are best suited.

Site selection and design

It is better to place batteries according to the principle: the higher the better. An excellent place would be the roof of the house; it will not be shaded by trees or other buildings. If the design of the ceilings does not allow it to support the weight of the installation, then the location should be chosen in the area of ​​the dacha that receives the most radiation from the sun.

The assembled panels must be positioned at such an angle that the sun's rays fell as perpendicularly as possible onto the silicon elements. Ideal option installation of solar panels, it will be possible to adjust the entire installation in the direction behind the sun.

Making your own battery

You will not be able to provide your house or cottage with 220 V electricity from a solar battery, because... The size of such a battery will be enormous. One plate generates an electric current with a voltage of 0.5 V. The best option considered to be a SB with a rated voltage of 18 V. Based on this, it is calculated required amount photocells for the device.

Frame assembly

First of all, a homemade solar battery needs protective frame (housing). It can be made from aluminum corners 30x30 mm or from wooden blocks at home. When using a metal profile, one of the shelves is chamfered with a file at an angle of 45 degrees, and the second shelf is cut at the same angle. The frame parts, cut to the required size with machined ends, are twisted using squares made of the same material. Protective glass is glued to the finished frame using silicone.

Aluminum angle housing

Soldering plates

When soldering elements at home, you need to know that to increase voltage needs to be connected sequentially, and for increasing current strength - parallel. The flint plates are laid out on the glass, leaving a gap of 5 mm between them on each side. This gap is necessary to dampen possible thermal expansion of the elements when heated. The converters have two tracks: on one side " plus", with another - " minus" All parts are connected in series into a single circuit. Then the conductors from the last components of the chain are brought out to a common bus.

To avoid self-discharge of the device at night or in cloudy weather, experts recommend installing a 31DQ03 Schottky diode or an analogue on the contact from the “middle” point.

After completing the soldering work, use a multimeter to check the output voltage, which should be 18–19 V to fully supply a private home with electricity.

Battery cell assembly

Panel assembly

Soldered converters are placed into the finished housing, then Silicone is applied to the center of each flint element, and is covered with a fiberboard backing on top to fix them. After which the structure is closed with a lid, and all joints are sealed with sealant or silicone. The finished panel is mounted on a holder or frame.

Solar batteries from scrap materials

In addition to assembling SBs from purchased photocells, they can be assembled from scrap materials that any radio amateur has: transistors, diodes and foil.

Transistor battery

For these purposes, the most suitable parts are KT type transistors or P. Inside them is a rather large silicon semiconductor cell, necessary for the production of electricity. Having selected the required number of radio components, you need to cut them off metal cover. To do this, you need to clamp it in a cleaver and use a hacksaw to carefully cut off the upper part. Inside you can see a plate that will serve as a photocell.

Transistor for battery with sawn-off cap

All these parts have three contacts: base, emitter and collector. When assembling the SB, you need to choose a collector junction due to the greatest potential difference.

Assembly is carried out on a flat plane from any dielectric material. Transistors need to be soldered into separate serial circuits, and these chains, in turn connect in parallel.

The calculation of the finished current source can be made from the characteristics of radio components. One transistor produces a voltage of 0.35 V and a current with a short circuit of 0.25 μA.

Diode battery

Solar battery made of diodes D223B can really become a source electric current. These diodes have the highest voltage and are made in a glass case coated with paint. Output voltage finished product can be determined from the calculation that one diode in the sun generates 350 mV.

1. Place the required number of radio components in a container and fill it with acetone or another solvent and leave for several hours.
2. Then, you need to take a plate of the required size from a non-metallic material and make markings for soldering the components of the power source.
3. Once soaked, the paint can be easily scraped off.
4. Armed with a multimeter, in the sun or under a light bulb we determine the positive contact and bend it. Diodes are soldered vertically, because In this position, the crystal best generates electricity from the sun's energy. Therefore, at the output we get the maximum voltage that the solar battery will generate.

Foil battery

In addition to the two methods described above, the power source can be assembled from foil. A homemade solar battery, made according to the step-by-step instructions described below, will be able to provide electricity, albeit with very low power:

1. For homemade you will need copper foil area 45 sq. see. The cut piece is processed in soap solution to remove fat from the surface. It is also advisable to wash your hands so as not to leave grease stains.
2. Emery is necessary remove protective oxide film and any other type of corrosion from the cutting plane.
3. A sheet of foil is placed on the burner of an electric stove with a power of at least 1.1 kW and heated until red-orange spots form. With further heating, the resulting oxides are converted to copper oxide. This is evidenced by the black color of the surface of the piece.
4. After the formation of the oxide, heating must be continued within 30 minutes so that an oxide film of sufficient thickness is formed.
5. The roasting stops and the sheet cools down along with the stove. When cooling slowly, the copper and oxide cool at different rates, making the latter easier to peel off.
6. Under running water oxide residues are removed. In this case, you should not bend the sheet and mechanically tear off small pieces so as not to damage the thin layer of oxide.
7. A second sheet is cut to the size of the first.
8. Place two pieces of foil in a 2-5 liter plastic bottle with the neck cut off. Secure them with alligator clips. They must be positioned so that they didn't connect.
9. A negative terminal is connected to the processed piece, and a positive terminal is connected to the second piece.
10. A saline solution is poured into the jar. His the level should be 2.5 cm below the top edge of the electrodes. To prepare the mixture 2–4 tablespoons salt(depending on the volume of the bottle) dissolve in a small amount of water.

Foil battery

All solar panels are not suitable for providing a cottage or private home with electricity due to their low power. But they can serve as a power source for radios or charging small electrical appliances.

DIY solar panels: many ways, video

Hello Dear blog readers! In our 21st century, changes are constantly taking place. They are especially noticeable in the technological aspect. Cheaper energy sources are being invented, and various devices are being distributed everywhere to make people’s lives easier. Today we will talk about such a thing as a solar battery - a device that is not breakthrough, but nevertheless, which is becoming more and more part of people’s lives every year. We will talk about what this device is, what advantages and disadvantages it has. We will also pay attention to how to assemble a solar battery with your own hands.

Summary of this article:

Solar battery: what is it and how does it work?

A solar battery is a device that consists of a certain set solar cells(photovoltaic cells) that convert solar energy into electricity. Most solar panels are made of silicon because this material has good efficiency to “process” incoming sunlight.

Solar panels work as follows:

Photovoltaic silicon cells, which are packaged in a common frame (frame), receive sunlight. They heat up and partially absorb the incoming energy. This energy immediately releases electrons inside the silicon, which through specialized channels enter a special capacitor, in which electricity is accumulated and, being processed from constant to variable, is supplied to devices in the apartment/residential building.

Advantages and disadvantages of this type of energy

The advantages include the following:

• Our Sun is an environmentally friendly source of energy that does not contribute to environmental pollution. Solar panels do not release various harmful waste into the environment.

• Solar energy is inexhaustible (of course, while the Sun is alive, but this is still billions of years in the future). From this it follows that solar energy would definitely be enough for your entire life.

• Once you have installed solar panels correctly, you will not need to maintain them frequently in the future. All you need is to carry out a preventive examination once or twice a year.

• Impressive service life of solar panels. This period starts from 25 years. It is also worth noting that even after this time they will not lose their performance characteristics.

• Installation of solar panels may be subsidized by the government. For example, this is actively happening in Australia, France, and Israel. In France, 60% of the cost of solar panels is returned.

The disadvantages include the following:

• So far, solar panels are not competitive, for example, if you need to generate large amounts of electricity. This is more successful in the oil and nuclear industries.

• Electricity production directly depends on weather conditions. Naturally, when it’s sunny outside, your solar panels will operate at 100% power. When it’s a cloudy day, this figure will drop significantly.

• To produce a large amount of energy, solar panels require a large area.

As you can see, this energy source still has more advantages than disadvantages, and the disadvantages are not as terrible as it would seem.

Do-it-yourself solar battery from improvised means and materials at home

Despite the fact that we live in a modern and rapidly developing world, the purchase and installation of solar panels remains the lot of wealthy people. The cost of one panel that will produce only 100 Watts varies from 6 to 8 thousand rubles. This is not counting the fact that you will have to buy capacitors, batteries, a charge controller, a network inverter, a converter and other things separately. But if you don’t have a lot of money, but want to switch to an environmentally friendly source of energy, then we have good news for you - you can assemble a solar battery at home. And if you follow all the recommendations, its efficiency will be no worse than that of the version assembled on an industrial scale. In this part we will look at step by step assembly. We will also pay attention to the materials from which solar panels can be assembled.

From diodes

This is one of the most budget materials. If you are planning to make a solar battery for your home from diodes, then remember that these components are used to assemble only small solar panels that can power some minor gadgets. D223B diodes are best suited. These are Soviet-style diodes, which are good because they have a glass case, due to their size they have a high installation density and have a reasonable price.

After purchasing the diodes, clean them of paint - to do this, just place them in acetone for a couple of hours. After this time, it can be easily removed from them.

Then we will prepare the surface for future placement of diodes. This can be a wooden plank or any other surface. It is necessary to make holes in it throughout its entire area. Between the holes it will be necessary to maintain a distance of 2 to 4 mm.

Then we take our diodes and insert them with aluminum tails into these holes. After this, the tails need to be bent in relation to each other and soldered so that when receiving solar energy they distribute electricity into one “system”.

Our primitive solar battery made of glass diodes is ready. At the output, it can provide energy of a couple of volts, which is a good indicator for a homemade assembly.

From transistors

This option will be more serious than the diode one, but it is still an example of harsh manual assembly.

In order to make a solar battery from transistors, you will first need the transistors themselves. Fortunately, they can be bought in almost any market or electronic stores.

After purchase, you will need to cut off the cover of the transistor. Under the lid is hidden the most important and necessary element - a semiconductor crystal.

Then we insert them into the frame and solder them together, observing the “input-output” standards.

At the output, such a battery can provide enough power to operate, for example, a calculator or a small diode light bulb. Again, such a solar battery is assembled purely for fun and does not represent a serious “power supply” element.

From aluminum cans

This option is already more serious, unlike the first two. It's also incredibly cheap and effective method get energy. The only thing is that at the output there will be much more of it than in the versions of diodes and transistors, and it will not be electrical, but thermal. All you need is a large number of aluminum cans and a housing. A wooden body works well. The front part of the housing must be covered with plexiglass. Without it, the battery will not work effectively.

Before starting assembly, you need to paint the aluminum cans with black paint. This will allow them to attract sunlight well.

Then, using tools, three holes are punched in the bottom of each jar. At the top, in turn, a star-shaped cutout is made. The free ends are bent outwards, which is necessary for improved turbulence of the heated air to occur.

After these manipulations, the cans are folded into longitudinal lines (pipes) into the body of our battery.

A layer of insulation (mineral wool) is then placed between the pipes and the walls/back wall. The collector is then covered with transparent cellular polycarbonate.

This completes the assembly process. The last step is to install the air fan as a motor for the energy carrier. Although such a battery does not generate electricity, it can effectively warm up living space. Of course, this will not be a full-fledged radiator, but such a battery can warm up a small room - for example, an excellent option for a summer house. About full-fledged bimetallic radiators heating we discussed in the article - in which we examined in detail the structure of such heating batteries, their technical characteristics and compared manufacturers. I advise you to read it.

Do-it-yourself solar battery - how to make, assemble and manufacture?

Moving away from homemade options We will pay attention to more serious things. Now we’ll talk about how to properly assemble and make a real solar battery with your own hands. Yes - this is also possible. And I want to assure you that it will be no worse than purchased analogues.

To begin with, it is worth saying that you probably will not be able to find on the open market the actual silicon panels that are used in full-fledged solar cells. Yes, and they will be expensive. We will assemble our solar battery from monocrystalline panels - a cheaper option, but showing excellent performance in terms of generating electrical energy. Moreover, monocrystalline panels are easy to find and are quite inexpensive. They come in different sizes. The most popular and popular option is 3x6 inches, which produces 0.5V equivalent. We will have enough of these. Depending on your finances, you can buy at least 100-200 of them, but today we will put together an option that is enough to power small batteries, light bulbs and other small electronic elements.

Selection of photocells

As we stated above, we chose a monocrystalline base. You can find it anywhere. The most popular place where it is sold in huge quantities is the Amazon or Ebay trading platforms.

The main thing to remember is that it is very easy to run into unscrupulous sellers there, so buy only from those people who have a fairly high rating. If the seller good rating, then you will be sure that your panels will reach you well packed, not broken, and in the quantity you ordered.

Site selection (attitude system), design and materials

After you have received your package with the main solar cells, you must carefully choose the location for installing your solar panel. After all, you will need it to work at 100% power, right? Professionals in this matter advise installing it in a place where the solar battery will be directed just below the celestial zenith and look towards West-East. This will allow you to “catch” sunlight almost all day.

Making a solar battery frame

• First you need to make a solar panel base. It can be wooden, plastic or aluminum. Wood and plastic perform best. It should be large enough to fit all your solar cells in a row, but they won't have to hang around inside the entire structure.

• After you have assembled the base of the solar battery, you will need to drill many holes on its surface for the future output of conductors into a single system.

• By the way, do not forget that the entire base must be covered with plexiglass on top to protect your elements from weather conditions.

Soldering elements and connecting

Once your base is ready, you can place your elements on its surface. Place the photocells along the entire structure with the conductors down (you push them into our drilled holes).

Then they need to be soldered together. There are many schemes on the Internet for soldering photocells. The main thing is to connect them into a kind of unified system so that they can all collect the received energy and direct it to the capacitor.

The last step will be to solder the “output” wire, which will be connected to the capacitor and output the received energy into it.

Installation

This is the final step. Once you are sure that all the elements are assembled correctly, fit tightly and do not wobble, and are well covered with plexiglass, you can begin installation. In terms of installation, it is better to mount the solar battery on a solid base. Perfect metal carcass, reinforced with construction screws. The solar panels will sit firmly on it, not wobble or succumb to any weather conditions.

That's all! What do we end up with? If you made a solar battery consisting of 30-50 photocells, then this will be quite enough to quickly charge your mobile phone or light a small household light bulb, i.e. What you end up with is a full-fledged homemade charger for charging a phone battery, an outdoor country lamp, or a small garden lantern. If you have made a solar panel, for example, with 100-200 photocells, then we can already talk about “powering” some household appliances, for example, a boiler for heating water. In any case, such a panel will be cheaper than purchased analogues and will save you money.

Video - how to make a solar battery with your own hands?

This section presents photographs of some interesting, but at the same time simple options homemade solar panels that you can easily assemble with your own hands.

What is better - to buy or make a solar battery?

Let's summarize in this part everything we learned in this article. Firstly, we figured out how to assemble a solar battery at home. As you can see, a DIY solar battery can be assembled very quickly if you follow the instructions. If you follow the various manuals step by step, you will be able to collect excellent options for providing you with environmentally friendly electricity (or options designed to power small elements).

But still, what is better - to buy or make a solar battery? Naturally, it is better to buy it. The fact is that those options that are manufactured on an industrial scale are designed to work the way they should work. When manually assembling solar panels, you can often make various mistakes that will lead to them simply not working properly. Naturally, industrial options cost a lot of money, but you get quality and durability.

But if you are confident in your abilities, then with the right approach you will assemble a solar panel that will be no worse than its industrial counterparts. In any case, the future is here and soon solar panels will be able to afford all the layers. And there, perhaps, there will be a complete transition to the use of solar energy. Good luck!