How Do You Make Solar Voltaic Panels?
Solar panels that produce electricity work by the photovoltaic process, through which energy is produce by the interactions between electrons contained in the solar cells and photons from the sun’s radiation. Solar panels can be constructed fairly easily with basic knowledge of carpentry and electrical wiring and materials available at your local hardware store. A solar panel consists of two basic components: a solar cell array and a frame structure that protects the array. Building the Array Step 1 Place the 36 mono-crystalline solar cells face down on the plywood in six rows of six so that the leads on the backs of the cells are exposed. Step 2 Solder all of the connections on the solar cells together in an array using copper wire. Be sure to touch on all soldering points or the array will not function, and be sure to use separate wires for the positive and negative connections. Leave about a foot of extra wire at the end of the array for connecting the blocking diode. Step 3 Place a
