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How to repair solar cells? Answered

What soldering techniques are best? What is the best base (surface) to work on? Can the fine metallic fins be soldered? If pieces are connected in parallel is it okay for them to touch each other?



Best Answer 8 years ago

These Instructables might help you out:<br />https://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-high-powered-solar-panel-from-broken-solar-/<br />https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-MAKE-PV-Solar-Panels/<br />

I have been making solar cells out of broken solar cells AND :

(1) the real state they ocuppy vs. their power output is a joke.
(2) The time you will have to spend soldering tiny pieces in order to make what would be a whole cell is ridiculous.
(3) tabbing wire would be wasted by making the paths that will connect the solar cells in parallel or series, since u got lots of cells.

If u have cells of same size and want more voltage, connect them in series.
If u have cells of same size and want more current, connect them in parallel.

if u don't have cells of the same size, It is a pain to find out how current of one skews the current of the whole array.

I recommend making composite cells, out of the small ones by connecting in parallel or series as needed in order to take them into the range of an original cell. Then this composite cell will be able to be treated as just another cell. (Problem again, is the real-state tabbing wire and time consumption).Hope this was helpful.