How to Make a Solar Panel

Anything related to solar and particularly of a renewable energy source, all begins with the sun. Solar panels are arrays of photo-voltaic cells which converts the available solar light received from the sun into electricity. The same electricity can be used to power equipment of telecommunications, remote power systems for grids and cabins, remote sensing, power electrical loads and most essentially, to produce electricity by commercial and residential solar panel systems. This article will assist you, the simple ways to learn how to make a solar panel for your own residential or commercial use. They are the best roots to obtain a clean source of energy and are very environmental friendly too.

Short History of Solar Panels
The history of the existence of solar energy goes back in time for more than 100 years now. In the primitive times the solar power was used in the production of raising steam in order to drive machines. The 'photo-voltaic effect'-- i.e the conversion of the light from the sun to the solar-electric energy, was discovered by a scientist called 'Henri Becquerel'. This same invention was led by Charles Fritt in the year 1893. He formed the solar cell by coating sheets of a material called selenium with thin layers of gold, which in turn led to the invention of solar panels. These panels are widely used to power a lot of electrical appliances and applications. Yes! till date these solar cells are used in the mathematical calculators and in few of the commercial buildings like the headquarters of Google in California. U.S.A.

How This Stuff Works
As mentioned earlier the way how solar panels work is very simple. The panels collect clean and renewable source of energy in the course of sunlight and converts that very light into electric power (electricity). Basically, a solar panel is constituted of many individual solar cells which in turn are made of different layers of phosphorous (providing negative charge), silicon and boron (providing positive charge). These panels are adequate to absorb the photons emitted from the sun which in turn are capable to produce electric current. The released energy from the striking photons on the solar panel knocks out the electrons present on the surface of the panel. These electrons are basically eliminated out of their own atomic orbits and are discharged into the electric field yielded by the solar cells. It's observed that the free electrons are pulled into the directional current giving rise to the concept of Photovoltaic Effect.

Know The Benefits of Solar Panels
Solar panels indeed are the best way to make use of all the natural elements found on Earth in order to create natural energy. Here are some benefits of solar panels, in addition to helping the environment already. Even if it is not possible to collect enough sunlight for producing a lot of electricity, the least you can do is collect enough of the light to vitally reduce what you do use.

1. Once you learn how to make solar panel for gathering solar energy, these instruments become a practical mode to produce electricity for many purposes.
2. Simply make sure, the location your reside in, is off-grid, i.e. it does not avail the main electric-grid.
3. Know the progressive ways how to make a solar panel and then you can use it in remote homes, buildings, cabins, etc. and reap the gains of this device.
4. You will not have to struggle financially to pay the bills for the electricity supplied from the main-grid. Not even the cabling and installing of the access points.
5. The solar panels cost is inexpensive and it requires a low degree maintenance. Also, due to the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, it in a way reduces the atmospheric pressure to a minimum level.
6. The solar panels for electricity generation provides one of the biggest benefits like, producing electricity that, if it's maintained meticulously, this energy saving device would last for another 15-20 years or probably even a larger life span.

How To Make a Solar Panel
In modern times, just to maintain a comfortable living status, powering a home with the rising prices of electricity costs us a fortune. So, the rationality of learning the ways how to make a solar panel at home can be an excellent alternative for pennies on the dollar. The use of this solar energy will not only generate sufficient power but help you to build an entire power company altogether. It can be used and reused without incurring any high costs. Check out these ways- how to make a solar panel at home.

Requirements

1. Electric Stove or hotplate (1 piece) (at least of 1100 watts)
2. Micro-ammeter (1 piece) (to read the current range between 10 and 50 micro-amperes)
3. Sheet Metal Shears
4. Tap Water
5. Safety Eye Glass
6. Two liter plastic bottles or glass (1 piece)
7. Table Salt (2-3 tablespoons)
8. Square Sheet of Copper Flashing (½ Foot)
9. An Electric Drill with Sandpaper
10. Alligator Clip Leads (2 pieces)

Instructions

Step #1: Clean the copper flashing thoroughly with sandpaper and cut it into a square or a rectangle shape such that it matches the size of the electric burner. Use the sheet metal sheers to do this.

Step #2: Then place the same copper flashing on the burner and turn the burner on. (Wear your eye-glasses for protection) This process should go on for a good 30 minutes time frame. This duration helps to develop a chunky layer of black cupric oxide.

Step #3: Once this oxide layer is formed, allow the copper to slowly cool down. You might notice some forceful flaking off the layers because of the different cooling rates of the copper material and the oxide.

Step #4: Gently scrub the cooled copper under a running tap to scrape out all the bits of oxide. (The red cuprous oxide created by the heat, shouldn't get scraped)

Step #5: Now cut another same- sized piece of copper and using alligator clips bond both the panels to the inner section of the wide-mouth plastic bottle or (glass) whichever. (The top of the bottle should be sliced off). Make sure the panels do not touch each other and bends appropriately to match the bottle curves.

Step #6: Now the lead of the alligator clip attached to the copper plate should be connected to the positive terminal of the meter and the negative terminal to the cuprous oxide plate.

Step #7: In hot water dissolve some salt and with this solution cover the plates at the bottom. The clips should be kept high and dry.

Step #8: The device is ready for use. Place the solar panels in the sun and you will see rise in the ammeter reading. It will reflect the electric current.

Step #9: The rise in the current first conforms that the apparatus has succeeded and secondly for a start if it gives an output power of 10 micro-watts, which is not adequate to light even a sodium vapor lamp but all the steps that you learned above on- 'how to build a solar panel at home' would be proven.

So here were some ways for you to learn how to make a solar panel at home or at your workshop. This concept is pretty primitive, all we have to do is implement it, in this extravagant world.