| you have made up your mind and decided to go | | | | onto the tab with a Popsicle stick. You should do |
| for a homemade solar panel, you need to make | | | | that until all the cells are attached, with tabs |
| sure you already have all the supplies you need to | | | | sticking off. The following step is gluing the cells to |
| build it. To make your own solar panel you need | | | | the frame by applying silicone to the facing up |
| to buy tabbedphotovoltaic cells. You should keep | | | | sides. Make sure there is no silicone between the |
| in mind that these are not cheap, but the more | | | | solar cells and the plastic, because it can be an |
| cells you use, the more power you can obtain | | | | obstacle to the normal sunlight flow. |
| from of the panel. Deep picture frames or | | | | Then you need to align the frame onto the sheet |
| shadows boxes and a clear plastic cover are also | | | | and press down so the back of the cells can bond |
| required. You need a solder and soldering iron, as | | | | to the frame. You should turn over the panel and |
| well as Popsicle sticks, insulated and non-insulated | | | | remove the plastic cover. To connect the wires |
| wire. Make sure you have a multimeter, an AC | | | | you should check that the tabs are actually |
| inverter and a battery holder. RTV silicone and a | | | | sticking out of the cells on the sides of the panel. |
| schottky diode are necessary, too. Now you can | | | | One side has the negative tabs and the other, the |
| get to work and make your own solar panel. | | | | positive tabs. Negative tabs should be attached to |
| First of all you need to put the cells facing down | | | | the lined sides of the cells and the positive tabs |
| onto the plastic pane in order to place the lined | | | | should be poking out from the bottom of the |
| side facing the sun. If you want to increase the | | | | cells. |
| voltage, you should place the cells aligned on one | | | | With a solder and soldering iron, you should solder |
| wire. To increase the current they should be lined | | | | a wire which connects all the negative tabs. Once |
| connecting to separate parallel wires. As you | | | | you have chosen one side of the panel for the |
| already know, each solar cell has positive and | | | | cords to stick out of, you can solder the end of |
| negative sides. Current will flow across the cells in | | | | an insulated wire to the corner or the center of |
| a series when the negative side is connected to | | | | the non-insulated wire. Then you should glue it |
| the positive through the tabs on the side. That is | | | | towards that side. Enough wire should be left to |
| why all the tabs should be oriented to the same | | | | connect to an AC adapter or a battery holder. |
| direction and they should go from the top of the | | | | You need to repeat the process with the positive |
| cell to the bottom of the next one. | | | | tabs and other piece of insulated wire. Finally you |
| After you have done that, you should solder the | | | | can put the plastic cover on top, and two wires |
| tabs together. To do so, you need to peel back | | | | should be coming out from the panel. |
| the tab of each cell, and then you should wet the | | | | As you can see, you can make your own solar |
| end of the tab with soldering iron. Next you need | | | | panel in a little time and before you can notice, it |
| to be fast and pressure the bottom of the cell | | | | will be ready to be used. |