anyone know how to make solar panels

please tell me how to make solar panels

Qcks2 years ago
It kinda depends on what your exact goal is, but there's a few different ways to make a solar cell.

This is a basic setup for a basic solar cell and it's a good walk through for the basic process.

After you watch the vid, there's ways that you can change the basic idea.
For instance, if you use polyaniline, instead of indium-tin-oxide, you can drop the price of making the solar cell by alot.
Wiki Polyaniline if you're not familar with it as a material. it's interesting, and can be made in small quantities with materials from the hardware store.
After that... I will say that the bottom panel can be opaque, which might open up some materials as options for future developement by DIYers (*cough* aluminum foil or aluminated mylar *cough*).

Indium-tin-oxide is expensive, and using a less expensive substrate to produce the solar cell drops cost by alot.

After dropping the cost, i'd focus on increasing efficiency.

The best idea i've seen involving increased efficiency involves consideration that the thin layers of material are still 3 dimensional, even though we, on a large scale, only think of them as two dimension (that is, people who design solar panels think of the solar collector as a plane having only x and y coordinates, and the not as a cubed object.).

Prisms, crystal structure, and composite materials are all facets that can come into play, when you start looking at on this level.

I'm kind a saving up so i can buy some Bizmuth... i'm pretty sure some of it's electronic characteristics can greatly increase solar panel efficiency.
tyu #1!2 years ago
I know how to make a solar's easy
V-Man7376 years ago
The homemade cuprous oxide solar cell is terribly inefficient. The website I looked at came to this conclusion: "The cell produces 50 microamps at 0.25 volts. This is 0.0000125 watts (12.5 microwatts). Don't expect to light light bulbs or charge batteries with this device. It can be used as a light detector or light meter, but it would take acres of them to power your house." I can't find any other way to actually produce a solar cell, let alone think of a way to make one more efficient.
odds6 years ago
looks harder than its worth but still a good brain twister
Kiteman7 years ago
I'm fairly sure there's something on SciToys....
Blasted educational connection, slow as cold tar

Damn it, I can see the link but it won't open!

Google scitoys solar to find it.
Yes, they have an electrochemical photovoltaic cell based on cuprous oxide. I'm working on a similar but distinct one, which hopefully will work.
I'm looking forward to it.
Didn't work, I'll keep trying, then give up ;-)
I did do a video of the wet chemistry copper oxide cell if anyone is interested. two penny solar cell
I know, I know! this!
i hope this works!!
check out all of scitoys its cool! CEREAL!!!
tyleestuff7 years ago
Yes are you trying to make a solar panel from scratch (is this even possible?) or to build one from broken pieces/individual cells. There is already an instructable on how to do the latter. Search solar I think.
I'm working on how to make a solar cell, not a practical one, but a cell all the same, it should be done in a couple of days.
magiver (author)  Tool Using Animal7 years ago
I'm guessing LasVegas can help you with this.
magiver (author)  Weissensteinburg7 years ago
LasVegas...the member here...who knows something about everything...
magiver (author)  Weissensteinburg7 years ago
NachoMahma7 years ago
. Are you wanting to put together an array of photovoltaic cells or make your own PV cell? . I'm not sure how to do either one, but it might help someone who does.
magiver (author)  NachoMahma7 years ago
yes i guess