Build A Low-Cost DIY Solar Panel System Quickly

A Low-Cost DIY Solar Panel System

A low-cost DIY solar panel system will always be the greatest answer to high power costs. Each year, solar cells get more affordable.

While an off-the-shelf installation may cost up to $10,000 and pay for the system in just over ten years, it’s still better and more instructive to build one yourself.

The cost of commercially produced solar panels is still high, but it does not have to be.

A variety of solar cell providers across the world have solar cells available that may be simply integrated into a custom-built solar panel for you.

There’s a problem: how can you recoup the expenditures in a few months?

I know it seems difficult, and I know you’ll have a difficult time getting started, just like with anything you do for the first time, but once you get started, you’ll realise it’s not such a huge issue.

And you don’t have to pay $10,000 for a solar panel system that will perform the same thing as your own hand-built system. Alternatively you could simply watch this

There is, however, a solution: build your own DIY solar panel system. Here’s how it works:

Cell Voltages

A Self-contained, low-cost DIY solar panel system provides a number of advantages. A wide variety of power outputs and a voltage of 0.5V are common for solar cells.

If you want an output voltage that is multiples of 0.5V, you may connect them in series. Off-grid charging of a 12V deep cycle battery requires an 18V panel with 36 cells in line (36 x 0.5V = 18V output).

This panel may be used to charge the battery. You require 18V so that the battery may be recharged even if the panel is not exposed to direct sunlight.

Solar cells can be divided to increase the voltage of each one, which will lower the number of cells needed.

solar cells

0.5V Solar Cells

Solar Panel Power Output

The second thing to think about is how much electricity you’ll need.

Divide the total electricity you require by the power of each solar cell to determine the number of solar cells you’ll need. If you require a 200W panel and your cells are 4W, you’ll need 200W / 4W = 50 cells.

In other words, whether the cells are linked in series or parallel has no impact on the power output.

The framework for the solar panel

Finally, a solar cell frame is required. Solar cells are brittle and must be covered with a perspex sheet or a piece of glass to prevent damage.

You must also cover the back of the cells with a sheet of material that is not transparent, such as wood, plywood, glass, or plastic.

For attaching the panel, you’ll also need to create a frame that attaches to the backing.

How to Put Together the Panel

We’ll manufacture a 36W panel in this post, but the process is the same if you want to produce a 200W or 300W panel.

What Materials You Will Need For One Panel

• 0.5V 4W Solar Cells,  Pack  of 9
• Sheets of 3mm Safety/Shatterproof Glass, 20″ x 24″
• Silicon Sealant
• Solar Bus Wire
• Solar Tabbing Wire
• Flux Pen / Solar Pen
• Soldering Iron

To begin, make a rough sketch of your panel arrangement. This is normally done based on the amount of space you have available for the panel; you may be limited by the panel’s length or breadth, but you may alter the other measurements to fit your needs.

The solar cells were set out as follows on a sheet of glass that measured 0.5m × 6m (20′′ x 24′′).

Layout of Solar Cells

Next, you’ll need to tab your solar cells together, which will take the most time.

Although most solar cell vendors will provide you with un-tabbed cells, you may also purchase pre-tabbed cells if you aren’t comfortable using a soldering iron.

It’s not difficult if you know how to do it correctly, but you should practise on a few test cells first because the tabbing wire is difficult to remove.

End tabs should be about 1cm / 1/2′′ longer than the length of the cell, and interconnecting tabs should be about twice as long.

The tabbing wire should now be soldered to the solar cell, so get to work! To begin, use a flux pen to draw a line along the length of the silver tabs.

 Run the soldering iron along the tab’s length once you line up the tabbing wire over the tab’s line of sight.

Do not overheat the soldering iron by leaving it in one spot for an extended period of time. Because tabbing wire is pre-soldered, there’s no need to add any solder to it.

Focusing focused on a certain area

All of your cells must be tabbed and then linked together once they have been tabbed. Each cell has a negative front and a positive rear.

To make a chain of cells running back to front, link them in series like batteries. Complete each line by soldering the tabbing wires from the rear of one cell to the front of the subsequent cell.

The bus wire is then used to link the wires together. The final design should resemble the one shown in the picture below:

Solar & Bus Layout

When connecting the wires, keep in mind that the next lines should go in the opposite way, from positive to negative.

Solar cells with tabs

As soon as you’ve finished connecting all of your wires, you should have two solar panel outputs: a positive and a negative.

Wires for tiny panels can be soldered directly onto larger panels or terminated in a dedicated box for solar panels.

Bus layout

Solar cells can be protected with a perspex or glass cover once the bus cables are installed.

Place a continuous silicon bead along the backing board’s perimeter, and then gently place the glass over the cells on top of the backing board.

As a result, the cells will be safe from damage now that the silicon has sealed the panel’s edges.

An edge-guarding layer of silicon

After clamping the glass sheet to the backing board (which is also a glass sheet), let the silicon set overnight.

Glass that’s been clamped down

Solder your incoming bus terminals to the terminal strip and attach the terminal box to the backing board.

If you’re using a glass backing board, you’ll need to connect the box with screws rather than silicon.

Battery charger solar panel connector box

Finally, attach the rear board of your solar panel with any mounting brackets you desire.

Alternatively, you may use it to charge batteries by connecting it to a solar charge controller or a DC load.

In order to power an AC load, you must use a power inverter.

You’re finished! you have built your first low-cost DIY solar panel system But there is an easier way here

You’ve built your first functioning solar panel system, and you can now take it outdoors to check how much energy it generates.

You must first measure the voltage, followed by the short-circuit amperage. Just make sure your ammeter reads the nominal power of the solar cells (108W at 12V means 9 amps).

You may now use DC current to power anything, charge your car battery, and so on.

If you completed these five stages successfully, you can order more solar cells until you achieve the desired power level for your system.

Remember that the more electricity you want, the larger the inverter you will require.

The most difficult phase of constructing the solar panel system, which necessitates greater attention and seriousness in the quality of the job done, is connecting the panel to a battery pack and then to an inverter.

You can use a PC UPS (Uninterruptible Electricity Supply), but your house will require more power.

However, the batteries do not have to be new, and they can be lead-acid, but it is recommended that you buy specially crafted ones for power storage and deep cycle use, because car batteries can only handle high loads for a limited time, and if they are accidentally discharged below a certain threshold, they are permanently lost.

Of course, there are many secrets that can only be discovered via practise, but the main notion is that such a system is inexpensive, with solar cells costing around $200 and batteries costing around $400 to $500 for 200 watts of electricity.

 If you obtain an inverter on eBay, or even better, a used UPS (Uninterruptible Power Source), you won’t spend more than $500 on the entire setup.

To become totally energy independent, you’ll need around $1,000 to power your entire home and that’s not a bad investment.