Do you want to save money and reduce your carbon footprint by making your solar panels at home? Follow this DIY project guide and learn how to build, install, and use your solar power system.

Introduction 

In this universe, a safe energy source is solar energy, which is cheap, saves us from spending money on electric bills, and is free of emitting harmful gas. The foremost challenge many people face regarding solar energy is its high cost and complex installation process. Due to these factors, many people gather information to construct solar panels independently at their homes. 

In this article, we will learn how to create a panel at a low price and get to know its working principle and main components. Ultimately, we can build a safe panel to light our gadgets and home. You can build this panel easily, even if you are a beginner at soldering, measuring, cutting, and writing. It is a fun learning activity that will interest you till the end. 

Purchase the Solar Cells

These are the basic component of the solar panels. These cells convert sunlight into mechanical energy. The cell has 3 categories; polycrystalline, monocrystalline, and thin film. All three of them differ on the base of efficiency, price, and reliability. You have to choose cells according to the budget and required needs. On the other hand, you should also take care of other things such as lifecycle, shape, size, and distortion rate. 

The quantity of cells depends on how much voltage and current is required. Commonly a cell has 0.5 voltage and 3 amperes of current. You can connect cells in series to increase voltage. And you can connect cells in parallel order if you desire the current to increase. For instance, if you are planning a 12-volt panel, you need to connect 24 cells in sequence, and you have to connect two rows in a parallel sequence of 24 cells to get a 6-amp panel. You have local and online options to purchase solar cells, and if you are looking for something low in price, you can consider buying pre-tabbed or broken cells. 

Measure and Cut a Backing Board 

The next step is to measure and cut a backing board according to your need. The backing board needs a plain surface that attaches to the solar cells. The material must be non-conductive because conductive materials cause short circuits connecting solar cells. 

You need an aid ruler, pencil, gloves, and saw to prevent wrong measurements during board cutting. Align solar cells on a table without any strict requirement of arrangement. One very important thing is that you must make sure that cells have even space and are aligned in good order. You can use any adhesive material to hold cells together. 

At a later stage, with the help of a ruler and pencil, measure the length and width of your arranged cells. On both ends, you need to spare 2 inches for the wires. Use a pencil to mark these measurements on the backing board, and then you will reach the final stage. Use a saw and cut marked lines of the backing board at this stage. Remember to wear gloves during cutting to avoid any mishaps. 

Measure and Cut all of the Tabbing Wire

Following the second step, we must cut all the tabbing wire after measuring. Tabbing wires are used in connecting solar cells. In appearance, it looks thin and flat. On one side, it consists of solder coating, which helps cells stick together. It is durable and has great flexibility, which does not let it break down. 

To do all the measurement processes, you need a ruler, scissors, and gloves, which are the most important thing to save you from damage. After that, you need to flip each solar side and then take a look at the back side of it. There you will see each cell has two sets of lines, one with larger lines and the other with shorter ones. Large lines indicate positive terminals, while shorter lines indicate negative terminals. 

Now you need this wire to connect one negative terminal to one positive terminal. Later, with the help of a ruler, measure the larger lines and then add 1 inch of extra wire at both ends. Now you need to cut down the tabbing wire into two pieces. It is important to note that always cut the wire with jo solder. 

Flux and Solder the Tabbing Wire 

The fourth step is fluxing and soldering the tabbing wire to make your solar panel. Regarding flux, it is a chemical that cleans and makes metal surfaces for soldering and avoids oxidation. Oxidation forms rust on the metal, leads to electrical conductivity and interrupts the efficiency of the solar cells. 

The main components or accessories that are required for this process are a soldering iron, goggles to avoid any eye damage, gloves to protect your hands, a sponge, and last but not least, a flux pen. Now, on the back of each cell strip, you need to apply flux with the help of a flux pen. A row of solar cells is called a cell strip, and the tabbing wire connects it in a specific arrangement. You must apply flux on each cell strip comprising large and small lines. Then, to melt the solder, you can use a soldering iron. After melting, attach it to cell strips.

Before using soldering iron, you need to clean it with a wet sponge and clean it thoroughly. For protection, remember to use gloves and goggles. Then place the soldering iron above the tabbing wire and press it softly. And then, you will see the melting of solder, which will flow towards the cell strip. Now keeping the tabbing wire length in mind, you will move the soldering iron side by side with the length. For each cell strip, you need to repeat this method. 

Connect the Cells in Series 

The fifth step comprises connecting the cells in an arrangement. This is the connection of one positive terminal to one negative terminal. This connection makes the voltage and current the same. 

To do this, you will need accessories such as a sponge, gloves, goggles for protection, and soldering iron. In this process, you need to solder the tabbing wire. One cell tabbing wire will be connected to the back of the nest cell, and to do it easily and quickly, you can flip every cell in each row. Then, you need to melt solder above the tabbing wire with the help of soldering iron, press it softly, and repeat this process for each cell. 

Connect the Rows in Parallel 

In the sixth step, you need to connect rows in parallel. The parallel composition indicates connecting one row of positive terminal cells to the other row of positive terminals. Similarly,  you will follow this pattern for the negative terminals as well. This will let the current and voltage of each row be on the same level. 

You need the same accessories as above, with the addition of a bus wire. Bus wire is thicker as compared to tabbing wire. And you will connect the end of each row. Cut bus wire into four pieces with scissors. Two pieces will be cut according to length, while two will be cut according to the width of the panel. Melt solder above the bus wire with the help of soldering iron and attach each row end. When you place the soldering iron onto the bus wire, you need to put a slight pressure on it, and you will see the solder melting. Then make sure that each end of the row is attached to the length of the bus wire. And repeat this process for each row. In this process, you will only attach negative to negative terminals and positive to positive ones. 

Build a Panel Box 

In this step, you will build a panel box for your solar panel. It is a case for protecting solar panels from the front and back. It protects it from any damage, such as weather or dust.

To make this box, you can use any desired material, such as metal or wood. Then you need some nails, screws, a drill, a saw, gloves, and goggles. In the initial step, you will create a frame; then, you will cut pieces accordingly with the help of a saw. You need to keep the sides of the box longer and wider than required. Then you will make holes with the help of a drill and secure them with nails and screws. 

Hinges and latches are a must to make the frame open and close easily. And after setting hinges and latches, ensure they are aligned well and work properly. Lastly, you need to make a few holes for the ventilation on the top and bottom. It will help in air circulation and prevent heating. 

Wire the Panel 

1- Requirements

i. A Diode: 

When the sunlight charges the battery, its power can also discharge back power to the panels at night or when sunlight is unavailable. To prevent this from happening, a device called a diode is used. It can be connected to the positive wire by using solar connecting tools. 

ii. A Junction Box:

It is a box in which all the electrical connections of the panels are placed, and it performs the task of preventing the connections from being moist, dirty, or dusty. Mostly it is attached at the back of the panel by screws or any adhesive material. To protect it from water, a water sealant could be used. 

iii. A Charge Controller

A device regulates the current flow from the panels to the battery. It is called a charge controller. Its basic purpose is preventing discharging of power back to panels and over-charging the battery. It is connected to the junction box using solar connectors and wires and can be installed on a wall near the panels. 

iv. A Battery: 

At night or on some days, you would not have any sun to produce solar energy. Thus, a battery is used to store the power for use later in case of the unavailability of the sun. A battery is connected to the charge controller using terminals and wires. It must be made sure that the battery is placed in a place that is well-ventilated and insulated so that it can be saved from fire hazards and high temperatures. 

v. An Inverter: 

Electric appliances in our homes use alternating current (AC) for functioning. But the electricity produced by the solar panels is Direct current (DC), and our appliances cannot work on it. An inverter is used in the solar system to convert the DC to AC. It is generally attached to the battery with a fuse. 

vi. A Production Meter: 

The device used is called a production meter for measuring how much electricity is being produced by the solar panels. It measures the amount of electricity and shows it to the user. Both analog and digital meters are available in the market. This meter is joined with the junction box but can also be installed on a wall or pole near the panels. 

2- Procedure

·       Connect the Diode to the panel’s positive wire through solar connector tools. 

·       The junction box will be attached to the panel’s backside using an adhesive or screw. And to prevent water damage, a water sealant must be used.

·       Then, using the wired, the junction box needs to be connected to the charge controller. 

·       The charge controller will be installed on a pole or wall near the panels. 

·       Then, use wires and battery terminals to connect the charge controller to the battery. 

·       Battery must be kept in a well-insulated and ventilated place. 

·       Then, the battery should be connected to the inverter. 

·       Use a circuit breaker panel to plug the inverter into it. 

·       Then, the production meter will be connected to the junction box to measure the electricity produced.

·       Production meter is to be installed on a nearby wall or pole. 

3- Test The Solar Panel

Now it is time to test the solar panel. For this purpose, a multimeter can be used to measure the current produced by the system. The multimeter’s settings must be set to check the voltage and DC. And to measure the amount, it can be connected to the junction box or charge controller. The readings on the multimeter must match the specifications of the solar panel. If this is not the case, there might be any fault in the connections, or the location of the installation is in a shady place. If these can be the issues, you should fix them accordingly. 

Seal and Mount the Panel

After the installation of all accessories discussed above, now it’s time to seal the panels to prevent them from rainwater, dust, dirt, and bird droppings. This is the last step of creating your solar panel. These contractions can seep into the panel cells and distort them or lower the panels’ efficiency. It must also ensure that the panels are mounted at a reasonable height so that the sun rays can reach the panels easily. 

1- Sealing The Panel

The process of sealing is important and technical. You need a caulking gun, gloves, silicone, and a brush to seal panels. Epoxy resin can also be used as an alternative to silicone. Both can make a seal that would fill the gaps and be airtight. To apply them in a better way, a caulking gun could be used. A brush should spread the silicone or epoxy resin over the panels. 

• First, Spread the silicone on the edges of the board and the frame using the caulking gun. The gun must be used gently to spread the silicone evenly over the panels. 
• Then by using the brush fill the cracks or gaps on the panels. Make sure that the whole surface of the panel box is covered. 
• After that, use transparent material to cover the front of the panel box. These transparent materials protect the panels from damage and allow the sun’s rays to pass through them. One of these materials is Plexiglass. 
• Cut a piece of transparent material that must be larger than the panel box, then use silicone to paste it on the panel box and frame. 

2- Mounting The Panel

Now comes the time to mount the panels. Some tools like a drill, screws, brackets, a compass, and a leveling device are required for the procedure. Brackets and screws keep the panels attached to the roof or pole. The drill would be used to make holes for screws in the surface where the panels would be installed. Make sure that the surface is level by using a leveling device and a compass to ascertain the directions of the sun. 

• First of all, choose a place where there is enough sunlight throughout the day. Shady places must be avoided. 
• Then use a drill to make holes in the surface and attach the brackets to the panels using screws. It must ensure that the panel box is firmly attached to the surface and neither moving nor shaking. 
• Use the leveling device to ensure that the panels are at a level horizontally and vertically, and then use the compass to ensure that the panels are facing south if you are in the Northern Hemisphere and north if you are in the Southern Hemisphere. 
• Now you are done with the procedure, and the panels are installed. 

Final Analysis 

The homemade solar panel is quite a safe and cheap form of energy. Above all, it is eco-friendly, cost-effective, and renewable. This article taught us the composition of solar panels with diodes, cells, junction boxes, charger controllers, inverters, and batteries and how to build them. And we also got familiar with the device called a multimeter that examines the voltage and current. This simple DIY can reduce our electric bills and can increase energy independence. It has both advantages and disadvantages. It poses some threats, such as safety hazards during the process, maintenance issues, and a limited performance rate. It is advised to consult the electrician or the instructor of solar panels before starting this project. Follow the guidelines and take action.