DIY Solar Panels World » Solar Power Systems

“Who Else Wants to Build DIY Solar Panels?”

admin — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 22:00:24 +0000

If you’re interested in making DIY solar panels, this may be the most important place you discovered. Here’s why…

For every curiosity you have in your mind, there will almost certainly be a resource available to satisfy it.

Whether you want to build a solar panel by connecting individual photovoltaic (PV) cells or buy it retail… whether you are a do-it-yourself, homemade guy or a swear-by-a-brand person, we have mini-resources prepared for you.

Otherwise just write to us to request for it…and we’ll get it up just for you.

In the future, we’ll broaden our scope to include bits and pieces of other types of renewable energy generator like wind turbines.

For starters, you can browse the following pages to get up to speed with the DIY solar power world. Tell me what you think:

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How To Choose Suitable Batteries For Your Solar Panels

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:59:37 +0000

Solar panel batteries are very important for both off-grid and grid-tie solar panel systems (as backup power). Choosing the correct type of battery is crucial. It determines whether your solar power generator can supply you with electricity without interruption.

Some batteries require maintenance. If they are not cared for, their chemical properties can be affected. This leads to premature failure. Other batteries do not require maintenance, but may not be suitable for solar applications. Before buying batteries, you have to consider each model’s characteristics and see if it fits your intended use.

Let’s consider 3 types of rechargeable batteries we commonly see in the market: Lead-Acid batteries, Alkaline Batteries and Sealed Gel-Cell Batteries.

There are pros and cons to each type of battery, so let’s look deeper.

Flooded Lead-Acid Battery

This type of battery was used since homeowners began to install solar panels on their roofs. They have the longest proven track record. (Thus you can consider them to be pretty reliable.)

In fact, most off-grid solar power systems use this type of battery. This is because they have the longest lifespan and are the cheapest among different types of batteries (in terms of cost per amp-hour).

However these batteries require regular maintenance. You have to water it regularly, equalize the charge and clean the terminals frequently.

Flooded lead-acid batteries commonly used for photovoltaic systems include 6V golf cart batteries, 6V L-16 batteries and 2V industrial cells.

Absorbed Glass Mat Sealed Lead Acid Battery (AGM)

Sealed lead acid batteries gained popularity as their price came down. Unlike flooded lead-acid batteries, they do not require as much maintenance. They are ideal for grid-tied PV systems that use rechargeable batteries as backup.

AGMs are completely sealed. Therefore there is no danger of spilling and they do not need frequent watering or charge equalizing. It is designed such that no corrosive fumes are emitted. Its electrolyte also does not stratify.

During storage (or transportation), an AGM’s self-discharge rate is less than 2%. Thus they are popular with any setups that do not require frequent battery use.

AGMs are highly resistant to any forms of vibration, thus they are ideally suited for mobile solar power systems installed on vehicles and boats.

These batteries used to be very expensive. As such, they were only installed on commercial systems where maintenance was impractical or near impossible.

Today, AGMs are only slightly more expensive than other battery types. Thus many homeowners are willing to sacrifice some money for the sake of convenience.

Gelled Electrolyte Sealed Lead Acid

Gelled lead acid batteries are quite similar to AGMs in terms of its advantages. There is one important distinction, though. Gelled electrolyte is very viscous. Therefore recombination of gases generated while charging takes place at a very slow pace.

This means you can only charge them slowly…much slower than AGMs and flooded lead acid cells. If they are charged quickly, gas bubbles form on the metal plates. This reduces electrolyte contact. As a result, the battery’s capacity is temporarily limited until the bubbles find its way to the top of the electrolyte.

For off-grid solar power systems, this characteristic is not helpful. During the day when solar panels generate electricity, you have to store as much power as possible. If the charging rate is low, a lot of power is wasted. Therefore such batteries are more suited for grid-tied systems where the majority of electrical current is channeled back to the grid.

Deep Cycle or Shallow Cycle?

The battery is an important component of your solar power system. Thus its performance and longevity is of utmost importance.

For solar applications deep cycle batteries are used. Compared to shallow cycle batteries, deep cycle batteries can be repeatedly discharged to 80% of its depth of discharge (DOD) and can be recharged from this state without damage.

Commonly batteries used in automotives and lighting belongs to the shallow cycle type. These are not suitable for a PV system. The lead plates in these batteries are thin and have a large surface area. Even though it can provide a high current in a short time, these batteries cannot be discharged deeply without damage. At least deep discharge cycles can shorten their lifespan quickly.

Deep cycle batteries have thicker lead plates and less surface area in contact with the electrolyte. As such, these batteries produce less current than a shallow cycle battery. However deep cycle batteries can sustain its current over a long period of time (unlike shallow cycle batteries), which is ideal for solar power applications.

Deep cycling puts a toll on your battery’s lifespan. This applies to deep cycle batteries too. Therefore if you want batteries to last longer, use deep cycle batteries and shallow cycle them (as much as possible).

Storing Your Batteries

Place your battery bank indoor where it is warm. Batteries work best when they are about 25 degree Celsius. If batteries are cold, chemical reactions slow down. Therefore less current flows out of the batteries. You may have experienced trouble starting your car in cold weather. But when the battery warms up, its performance improves dramatically.

On the other hand, batteries cannot be exposed to high temperatures too. At 43 degree Celsius, rechargeable batteries can be damaged and their lifespan shortened drastically.

When buying batteries, you must remember there is no perfect system. Energy is lost to heat (or other forms) as it flows from one component to another. When electricity flows into your batteries, some of it is lost.

Therefore you have to factor this into your decision and get more batteries to compensate for power loss. As a rule of thumb, you should have 10 to 15% more power storage (batteries) than what you need.

Maintenance

Batteries need maintenance. Make sure you keep the electrolyte at full level, as much as possible. If not, you must at least keep it above the minimum level. Otherwise the plates may get exposed to air. When refilling, use distilled water.

Water is lost as gassing occurs. This is a process of splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. It occurs during charging when the chemical reaction cannot keep up with the energy input.

In flooded lead acid cells, some gassing is useful. It introduce movements in the electrolyte and prevents stratification. Denser acid tends to stay at the bottom and they are stirred as gassing occurs.

As a result of gassing, an acid mist is formed and this is highly corrosive. Therefore you have to check the metallic connectors for signs of corrosion or damage from time to time. Clean the top of your batteries regularly with baking soda and water. Baking soda, being alkaline, will neutralize the acid on the battery and connector surface.

Other than refilling and wiping your batteries, you must also equalize them every 2 to 3 months. (This should be done in a well-ventilated place.) During this process, increased gassing occurs and this cause the water level to drop.

To equalize your battery, simply overcharge it under a controlled voltage for a period of time. While doing so, your battery must be closely monitored. You must keep measuring the specific gravity values of the electrolyte. It increases as you equalize the battery. When there is no change in specific gravity reading for 30 minutes, the equalization process is completed.

Used Or New?

When buying batteries, it is tempting to spend less money by purchasing pre-owned stock. This is understandable. After all batteries are not cheap. And expensive batteries don’t mean they are good or suitable.

The issue with used batteries is you won’t immediately know how they were used and maintained. If you send them for load testing, you can find out their remaining lifespan. Otherwise they can turn out to be the most expensive batteries in the market.

When you find out facts and use simple logic to your decision making process, you will find batteries that can last for ages without failing.

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Build Amazing Home Solar Power Systems Used by Families Who Don’t Want to Pay For Their Utilities

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:00:17 +0000

Do you need home solar power systems that can at least take part of your household consumption “off the grid”? If you do, you’re in for a treat. I recently discovered a detailed plan that can allow you to do this easily.

Home Solar Power Systems

This article will paint a thirty thousand foot view of this plan and then discuss how we can implement it. Then I’ll let you in on further resources that will help you with solar energy calculations, construction and installation.

Building a home solar power system involves a few major steps:

(1) Determining the household energy requirement. This influences the number of solar cells needed to produce the required electrical energy.

Most households will not want to take their homes completely off-grid. After calculations, the majority of families seem to prefer their solar panels to bear roughly 75% of their total energy consumption.

Why do they not want their house to be totally off-grid and be 100% powered by green, renewable energy? Because there will be periods when the light intensity is insufficient. It’s during these times when we’ll need to tap into the grid again.

(2) Constructing the solar panel. The photovoltaic cells are responsible for converting solar energy into electrical energy. It is also a major cost driver. Therefore the solar panel is the most important piece of the puzzle.

If you’re on a budget, you’re able to construct a solar panel by joining broken solar cells together. If you have money to burn, buying ready-made, commercial solar panels can also be an option. These come with long warranty periods (like 25 years and beyond) and are framed in high quality aluminum.

(3) The inverter. This component converts direct current (DC) generated by the solar panels into alternating current (AC) that’s usable by your household appliances. After that, this is channeled to the power distribution box via a synchronizer so that electricity from the grid and electricity from the solar panels can be combined before each appliance in your home uses them.

(4) Installation. Obviously, we need to choose a location where there is as little shade as possible throughout the day. This is usually the roof. With proper guidance from more experienced hobbyists or a guidebook, you can fix the solar panels to your roof (or anywhere else) exactly like the professionals do.

To put all these together, you’ll need a proven plan that tells you exactly what to do — from the broad structure down to the last bolt and nut.

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How To Build An Outdoor Portable Solar Panel System

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:00:16 +0000

A portable solar panel system is an extremely useful source of power to have when you go on a road trip. You can also bring it on board your boat to generate some power at your deck.

Most portable solar power systems depend on 12-volt batteries. In our project, we’ll want everything, including the solar panels to be packed into a box.

Here is a list of things you’ll need:

1. 4 pieces of 15-watt solar panels
2. Charge controller
3. 12-volt deep cycle sealed rechargeable batteries
4. A wooden box or a briefcase
5. 4-gauge cables

Briefcase Portable Solar Power System

The first thing to work on is the container. You can either use a wooden box, a cooler box or a luggage.

Personally I prefer using an old luggage because it is easy to carry around. It also has wheels for you to drag it across a distance without using too much physical strength.

You’ll need to figure out a way to attach the batteries to the base of the container. If you are using a wooden box or a cooler box, you can simply strap it to the base using pieces of plastic strap and screws.

If you are using a luggage, you may have to use some epoxy to fix the batteries to the casing since they are usually quite thin.

Other than batteries, you will have to secure the charge controller properly. After this is done, you can connect the cables to their respective terminals.

Then pull a rubber or plastic sheet over the batteries and charge controller to prevent metallic objects from touching the terminals.

Alternatively you can get rubber sleeves to cover the terminals.

For the solar panels, you have the option of using rollable flexible solar panels. They may generate less power than the usual panels, but they are light. This makes it easy to pack a few more panels into any box.

Other than power output, you have to make sure your solar panels can fit into your casing. You may also want to attach all the panels together using small hinges or tape so the cables won’t be stressed and damaged whenever you handle them (when taking them out of the box or putting them back).

When attached together, solar panels tend to knock into one another as you handle them. Therefore you may want to put small rubber spacers between them to reduce the impact.

Finally, you need to allocate a space inside the luggage for the PV panels. If possible, make use of rubber or high-density sponge as padding to hold the panels snugly inside the box.

Such materials can also protect the solar panels from damage if you accidentally drop the portable solar panel system.

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How To Cool Your Solar Panels And Increase Its Efficiency By Using An Evaporative Cooler

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:00:22 +0000

One of the ways you can immediately improve solar efficiency is to cool your solar panels. Other than keeping it at least 6 inches away from your roof, you can also use evaporative cooling.

Before we discuss about how to do this, let’s take a look at some other ways you can improve your PV panel’s efficiency for completeness sake.

How Else To Improve Your Solar Panel Efficiency?

Many solar panels fare around 11 to 15 percent in efficiency. Better PV panels perform at an average of 16+%. With better performance, you won’t have to spend more money on PV panels. If you are using a grid-tied system, you can also offset more of your utility bills every month.

The most obvious way to improve efficiency is to change your PV panels. There are many manufacturers with different PV panel models that perform at different efficiencies.

By choosing a good PV panel, you can make sure your solar power system pumps out the required amount of electricity every season of the year. However this is not an option for those of us who have already installed arrays of solar panels on our roof.

Another way to improve solar panel efficiency is to make sure they are installed in the correct orientation. All solar panels in our country (and other parts of the globe in the northern hemisphere) have to face southward.

If this is not possible, you have to make adjustments to compensate for it. Also, the pitch and tilt of your solar panel can affect how much sunlight falls on it throughout the day.

If you have a solar tracker, it can optimize the amount of sunshine you receive on your solar panels. These devices make the PV panels face the sun squarely through the day. For small solar power systems, the improvement in electricity production may not justify the cost of a solar tracker.

If you engaged a solar professional to install your PV panels, your PV panels would already be well sited and orientated. If not, a review of your solar panel orientation can help you improve energy production.

Another way to get more electricity from your solar panels is by knowing your current shade condition. This changes, so it’ll be good for you to do an annual review. Your neighbor may have planted tall trees to use as a hedge. Or your favorite deciduous tree may have grown taller and has more branches now.

If shading occurs, the particular PV panel that is shaded may contribute to higher internal resistance for the whole system. This affect the array’s power output considerably.

Finally, in order to achieve better efficiency, you can reduce your solar panel temperature. One of the ways you can do this is through evaporative cooling.

Evaporative Cooling Methods

Evaporative cooling was used since ancient days. Egyptians hung wet mats at their doors and windows to cool the wind blowing into their homes. Throughout history, humans have attempted different ways to utilize evaporative cooling.

Today, those years of trial and error has culminated into 3 main ways of using evaporative cooling – direct evaporative cooling, indirect evaporative cooling and indirect/direct evaporative cooling.

Direct evaporative cooling involves moving warm, dry air across water. When water evaporates, the resultant energy in the air remains the same. However warm, dry air has now become cool, damp air.

Indirect evaporative cooling involves a heat exchanger so the humidity level of the air remains unchanged. Inside the heat exchanger, heat flows from the warm air to the cool air flowing inside coils of metallic tubing.

With indirect/direct methods, air is pre-cooled as it goes through a heat exchanger. Then it is cooled even more as it undergoes direct evaporative cooling. The resulting humidity in the air will not be as high as with direct evaporative cooling.

Keeping Solar Panels Cool

To cool solar panels, we will be using direct evaporative cooling. This involves the following components and materials:

1. Air blower
2. Cooler pads

If you blow cool air across your solar panels, you can take a lot of heat away. This is good. Because when solar cells are cooled, they produce more electricity.

The air blower should be installed at the bottom of the solar panel. Cooled air must be blown upwards (along the surface of your PV panels) so as to facilitate the escape of hot air as it rises.

At the air intake end, you must keep the cooler pad moist all the time. Therefore you’ll have to run a pipe to your roof and provide a consistent drip over the material.

As warm dry air moves through the damp pads, it becomes cool and wet. As it gets blown toward the surface of the PV panel, it absorbs heat and cools the solar panel. To make your solar panels cooler, blow more cool air against it so the rate of heat loss becomes greater.

Another way evaporative cooling can take place is by using a misting fan. With high pressure, water can turn into a fine mist as it goes through a very small hole. The same effect can be achieved (with far less energy) by using a simple atomizer. Small fans installed at the edge of your solar panels can transport water mist to its surface.

As tiny droplets of water evaporate, they absorb heat from the air and cool it. Since the surface area of a water mist is very large, water evaporates rapidly and lots of heat is quickly absorbed.

Evaporative cooling is most effective in hot, dry climates where water evaporates readily. During ideal conditions, evaporative cooling can bring down the air temperature by as much as about 20 degree Celsius.

A Few Considerations

In order not to block sunlight from reaching the solar cells (however little that may be), it is good to design your system to cool the underside of your PV panels, if possible. If you are using mist to cool your solar panels, droplets of water at the surface of the glass may reflect light away, reducing its effectiveness.

Water mist can be created using a piezoelectric transducer. However this would probably take up more energy than by using a simple atomizer.

With cooler solar panels, your PV panels can generate even more electricity during summer. However during winter, your cooling system gets less effective. And in order to avoid burst pipes, you must drain all water from the system.

Finally, it’ll be useful to know how much more electricity you are getting by using your PV panel cooler. This can be done by recording the power output before and after you switch on your cooling system.

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Homemade Solar Panels

admin — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:00:12 +0000

In recent years, constructing homemade solar panels has become the talk of the DIY community. For the first time in history, do-it-yourself hobbyists are able to construct their own solar panels to generate electricity for their garden lights or automatic gate openers. More experienced hobbyists readily build grid-tied solar power systems that can supply most of their household electricity consumption.

In many people’s mind, homemade solar panels are often perceived as cheap, fragile or makeshift. This is understandable. Without big brand names behind our handicraft, do-it-yourself solar panels are often misunderstood as temporary setups that may break before the week is over.

What people fail to notice is that photovoltaic cells found inside our solar panels are actually reliable units of solar generators manufactured by corporations that adopt world-class production processes.

The DIY hobbyist simply puts different components together so they form a system that generates enough electrical power to run electrical appliances. The reliability of the system lies largely on the photovoltaic cells.

Although it requires a little knowledge on how to use simple tools and constructing simple electrical circuits, building a homemade solar panel is really one of the simplest DIY projects around.

To build a DIY solar panel, the hobbyist builds a shallow, wooden box that provides structural support to house all the necessary components. He then place the solar cells onto a substrate made of masonite or acrylic before attaching it to the base of the shallow box. After that, he prepares a piece of glass or plexiglass to cover up the box. This provides protection from outdoor elements that can harm the components. If necessary, an inverter is used to convert direct current into alternating current so household appliances can use the electricity.

Those of us who aspire to build a simple homemade solar panel can do so within a weekend even if we have no prior experience making one. This is provided we have basic DIY skills to fabricate simple parts as described above to house the components in.

There are, however, a few pitfalls that can cause our homemade solar panel project to come to a screeching halt. Therefore it is useful to get advice and supervision from other hobbyists who are more experienced. Alternatively, you can also get a reliable guide to show you the steps and pitfalls to building homemade solar panels.

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