How to Make Your Own Solar Panel Or Solar Cell at home?

How to make a simple DIY solar Panel or cells Project for kids? Here in this post, you can learn two simple methods to make an experimental solar cell, for the purpose of impressing your kids. Or you can use this cell as a photodetector. Solar cell manufacturing is a very expensive process, that's why even a small solar installation costs around $1500-$2000. However, you can make a simple solar cell by following some simple instructions as listed below. A solar cell is made up of a semiconductor. They are used to convert the energy from the world's largest renewable energy source, the Sun! Solar radiations carry an enormous amount of energy. It is possible to harness energy from sunlight by using solar cells or solar panels. There are similar devices used to harness other forms of energy from the sun. Solar heaters and parabolic concentrators are used to harness infrared radiations from the sun. A solar cell actually converts the energy of a photon to electricity. Here we are going to make a simple solar cell by using easily available materials. Let's make diy solar panel project.

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Method-1 DIY solar Panel at home by using Cuprous Oxide

[caption id="attachment_711" align="alignright" width="244"] Jeda Villa Bali Solar by Bart Speelman, on Flickr[/caption]

 

In the first method, we use a copper plate to construct a DIY solar Panel

other than silicon-based semiconductors. Materials needed,

 

1. Copper plate

2. Burner

3. Alligator clips

4. Copper wires

5. Bottle or jar

6. Saltwater

7. Multimeter

 

Steps

 

1. Take a square sheet of copper about 5-8 inch width.

 

2. Wash your hands thoroughly and dry them.

 

3. Remove all the foreign particles from the copper sheet (example:grease)

 

4. Remove the top oxide layer by using sand paper or emery cloth from both sides.

 

5. Now you have a copper sheet with bright and shiny red sides.

 

6. Now we have to create a cuprous oxide layer on the copper plate.

 

7. Place the plate directly over the burner (highest settings)

 

8. Wait until a thick black layer of "cupric oxide" to form on the

top surface. It may take up to 30-50 mins.

 

9. After the heat treatment remove the black layer of cupric oxide

from the copper plate. Usually, it will flake off if you allowed the

plate to cool naturally. Due to the difference in cooling rates of

cupric oxide and copper, it will be very easy to remove the top black

layer.

 

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9. Under the black layer of cupric oxide, you will find another layer

of cuprous oxide which is photosensitive.

 

10. Cut another piece of copper sheet and bend both pieces gently.

Arrange those both pieces in a bottle or jar without touching one

another. When arranging the plates be careful to place the cuprous

oxide layer face outwards in the jar.

 

11. Attach two alligator clip leads to both the copper plates.

 

12. Connect the lead from cuprous oxide to negative terminal of the

meter and copper plate to positive terminal.

 

13. Then carefully pour a little salt water into the jar by leaving an

inch of the plate above the salt water.

 

You are done! A simple solar cell is ready. The meter will read up to 50 microamps in the sunshine.

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Method-2 Make a Solar cell Using Transistors

 

Now we are going to learn "how to make a silicon solar cell" using

transistors. We know that a solar cell is a P-N junction semiconductor. It is possible to build such a solar cell using

transistors. It's easy to cut open a power transistor like the 2N3055 to expose the NPN silicon material inside to make a solar cell. When exposed to sunlight, or household lights, it conducts electricity. The N-type and P-type materials work like a solar cell.

 

1. Buy power transistors from electronic shop

 

2. Break the body of the transistor and remove the silicon plate

    without damaging the leads.

 

3. Yes! it will work as a solar cell.

 

4. Connect the similar leads of two or more transistors.

 

5. Check the output of the solar cell using a multimeter in bright sunlight.

 

Remember that both the solar cells cannot harness energy from the

sunlight to turn on even an LED. These solar cells cannot be used to generate much more electricity. But can be used as a photo-detector for school experiments.