How To Build Solar Panel

In this final part of the “How To Build Solar Panel” series, we’ll impart the finishing touches that make your solar panel project a winner. You’ll discover how to push your solar panel system up one notch so you’ll have a world-class DIY solar panel.

Here, I’m assuming that resources like money, time and skills are not lacking. What we’re trying to push for is a solar panel that will make you proud.

The Solar Panel Frame

The best material to use for the solar panel frame is aluminum. This is a material that will not rust easily and it’s able to carry away additional heat that may be trapped inside the solar panel. This is particularly important since heat can diminish the efficiency of the photovoltaic cells.

Diodes

The diodes you should be using are the Schottky types. These diodes have a much lower forward voltage drop so less power is wasted. And when the temperature gets higher the forward voltage drops further.

Solar Panel Cover

If budget allows and there is no hail at your area, the best cover that your solar panel can have is made of non-reflective glass. Solar panels covered with non-reflective glass can enjoy significantly higher efficiency because greater proportions of sunlight reach the solar cells.

Battery

If you intend to power outdoor equipment like sprinklers and gate openers, your battery will need to be sheltered from the rain and dew. Unfortunately it may be impractical to house these indoors as we’ll then need very long wires that may also be a safety hazard if it’s left lying around.

You can put the battery (or batteries) into a waterproofed electronics housing and seal up the opening (for the wires). In this way rain or dew will not cause short circuit to the battery.

By implementing all of the above tips to your solar panel project, you can surely make for yourself a world-class DIY solar panel project.

Continue Reading:

1. About
2. How To Build Solar Panel (Part 1 of 3)
3. How To Build Solar Panel (Part 2 of 3)

What you need is a tricycle made with aluminum frame. This will ensure the weight of the tricycle is light enough. Otherwise we may need an extra solar panel for more power. And this is not going to be cheap…

Here is a list of things you’ll need for this project:

1. A tricycle
2. Solar panels, mounts and aluminum frame
3. Battery pack
4. Charge controller
5. Motor

To make your job simpler, you can buy an electric tricycle motor kit to convert your ordinary tricycle into an electric tricycle.

The kit includes a brushless high-powered DC motor, a battery pack and a cruise controller (motor controller). After converting your tricycle, you can start installing the solar panels onto your 3-wheeled vehicle.

The type of tricycle motor I like requires an input of 48 volts. Therefore I’ll have to find a solar panel that allows me to charge a battery pack that can drive this motor.

A good candidate will be a solar panel with 16% efficiency, made using high quality polycrystalline cells. The solar panel frame has to be covered with tempered glass so it won’t break easily.

Ideally, the solar panel has to produce a maximum of 80 watts at 70 volts. (Open circuit voltage will probably reach around 83 volts.) The current output I’ll look at is around 1.2 to 1.5 amperes, with short-circuit current of 1.3 to 1.6 amperes.

However you have to choose a solar panel that fits your needs. First start by choosing the motor, then the battery pack and finally the solar panel.

After you have chosen all the required parts, you can proceed to fix the frame that supports your solar panels. You must attach the frame onto your tricycle before you mount the PV panels. This is because PV panels are heavy. It’ll probably weigh more than 12 kg and this will hinder you as you work on the frame.

Your battery pack will likely be integrated with a charge controller. Therefore you only need to get the correct type of plug to transfer energy from your solar panel to the battery pack.

Otherwise you may need to get a separate charge controller. This will help to regulate the input voltage at the battery pack. Many controllers are able to stop the charging current once the batteries are fully charged. This prevents battery damage.

Once the cables are connected properly, test your tricycle by riding it for a short distance. When you’re all set, use cable ties to fasten loose cables to the frame for safety and good organization.

Note:

A tricycle cannot depend solely on solar power. At times, a passing cloud will reduce the sunlight intensity. This diminishes the power output from the solar panels and you’ll get less acceleration than expected.

It is better to use a battery pack to drive the DC motor as the solar panel puts energy into it. This makes a solar powered tricycle more usable.

Continue Reading:

1. How To Build A Solar Panel Charge Controller
2. Making A DIY Solar Powered Reading Lamp
3. How To Make A Solar Powered Lawn Mower

For this DIY project, we’ll use super bright LEDs. These are semiconductors and they last for a long time. They also take up very little power, so it’s most ideal for solar applications.

Super-bright LED

Super bright LEDs come in many different colors and packaging. They are now very commonly used on public installations (like traffic lights), vehicles and boats. Many handheld flashlights also use them.

At your yard, you can use LEDs to light up a pathway, showcase your favorite bonsai or illuminate plants to build a feeling of warmth. You can also shine light on water features or into ponds.

The parts you’ll need to buy are as follows:

1. A 12-volt solar panel. The solar panel’s main job is to charge the battery. A 5 to 10-watt panel should be sufficient.

2. Super-bright LED lamps. The datasheet of each LED lamp will indicate its current rating. Generally the higher the current, the brighter will be.

3. Cables. For small power applications like this, any type of cable will be fine. Generally those cables are rated for 120VAC lasts pretty long and can be easily buried under the soil. You may want to consider them.

12-volt Rechargeable Battery

4. Rechargeable battery. Buy gel-type, maintenance-free batteries. They are quite affordable and are hassle-free.

You must add up the total current drawn by the LED lamps in order to decide the size of your battery. For most people, anything from 4 to 10 Ampere-hour is more than sufficient.

5. Battery casing. These are useful to store your battery for proper organization and to prevent short circuit.

Charge Controller

6. 12-volt charge controller. Get a small, affordable charge controller that fits your battery rating. This will be more than sufficient.

As in all solar projects, you have to locate a place to mount your solar panel. Since a 12-volt solar panel is pretty small, you can always mount it on a post (if you have one) or the corner of a roof.

If you are adventurous enough, you can even put it on top of a tree. It’s up to your imagination and personal preference.

If you want to place your charge controller and battery near the solar panels, remember to fix them up, wire them properly and test them before coming down from the roof (or wherever you installed your solar panels).

You can also place the battery and charge controller outdoors. But remember to use a weatherproof container that prevents dew and precipitation from entering. Preferably, it should be an aluminum box so heat can escape. This prevents any possibility of overheating.

Start laying the cables to where you want the yard lights to be.

Next, mount your yard lights at your desired location and connect the wires to its terminals.

Now you’re all set to enjoy your completed yard lights.

Continue Reading:

1. Sizing Your Solar Energy Panels – Part 3
2. Making A DIY Solar Powered Reading Lamp
3. How To Power An Electric Fence Charger Using Solar Energy

Small 6-volt Solar Panel

One of the easiest solar DIY projects to build is a reading lamp.

It requires very little technical skills to build this and you can involve your children in the whole process.

Since it takes less than two hours to put this project together, you can also reap the rewards of your labor very quickly.

Here are some components you have to buy before you begin:

1. Small 6-volt solar panel
2. Battery clip for 4 AA-size rechargeable batteries
3. 4 AA-size rechargeable batteries
4. Charge controller circuit (for 6 volts)
5. Project box
6. Low-powered white LEDs
7. Connecting wires
8. Single pole single throw (SPST) switch

You may want to buy a project box to fit all these components into, or you can make your own. The choice is yours. You can even stick the solar panel to the window and pull the wires over to where your study is…

…that’s provided you’re ok with some mess.

First, you have to cut an opening for the solar panel. Then you can fix the PV panel at its position using screws, super glue or epoxy.

Next, you have to drill holes on the other side of the project box for LEDs to go through. The number of LEDs depend on how bright you want your reading lamp to be. I’ll use 12 LEDs arranged in a 4 rows by 3 columns fashion. You can have more if you want.

You need to leave some space to paste the charge controller circuit on the same side of the project box as the LEDs. (I’ll use a little silicon caulk to do this.)

After the LEDs are glued into position, you can bend their legs (leads) and solder them according to the circuitry you designed.

It’ll be good to put a thin piece of sponge or rubber over the LED array to prevent short circuit.

Finally, solder the connecting wires between the battery clip connectors and the charge controller, between the charge controller and the solar panel, and between the LEDs and the battery. (Remember to solder the SPST switch between the LEDs and batteries.)

Note: Here are typical characteristics of a reading lamp you may want to incorporate into your design…

- It operates for at most 2 to 3 hours everyday at night.

- They are only required to illuminate up to (max) 3 feet in distance and covers an area of about 5 square feet.

- They must be light so they can be easily moved to the window for charging.

Continue Reading:

1. 10 DIY Solar Projects You Can Build In Your Backyard This Weekend
2. Lighting Up Your Yard or Garden Using Solar Energy
3. How to Make a Solar Powered Tricycle