How to make your own solar panels

If you have a nice home in the countryside, and you don’t want to invest in an electric boiler, you might think about making your own solar panels. Well, it is not that hard, and by following the next instructions, you will be able to make your own solar panels.

First, you won’t need a large scale panel, but the principles are the same. You don’t need to make a 2 square-feet panel, just to see that it is not working and to start over again. As long as it is an experiment, try to build a small one, and if it works, you can think about building some bigger ones. You can connect them one with the other, so you can think about building a new panel whenever you need some extra energy.

The “standard” panel for a family with three members has two square meters indeed, and it has the capacity to heat a reservoir of 120 liters of water. For your first panel, you need to build a panel of 40x40 centimeters, which is capable of heating 10 liters of water.

Materials

For such a small panel, you need:

- 3 meters of cooper pipe

- a device to cut the cooper pipe

- insulating materials

- metal boards and a metal cutter

- black paint

- a ruler

- a gas bottle and a lamp

- wood planks for the box

- a glass

Step 1:

You must make the serpentine from the cooper pipe. Cut 6 pieces of 40 centimeters, and pieces of 5 centimeters as the connecting parts. As we are talking about a small panel, you must make the serpentine, to keep the water in the installation for as long as possible.

Step 2:

You must make the wooden plank, where the insulating material is mounted. You can use mineral wool, but other cheaper insulating materials are just as good.

Step 3: the absorbing plank is mounted. The absorbing plank can be a piece of galvanized metal board, as the paint will stick to it easily. You need this type of material as the temperature in the box will be huge, and it is important for the paint to resist.

Step 4:

Place the serpentine in its place and paint the panel black, than let it dry. Cut the glass considering the dimensions of the frame, and fix it on the frame at the end, you must seal the device with insulating tape.

The reservoir must be connected in the inferior side of the pane. It is important for the reservoir to be isolated. You can cover it with a winter coat, but you can also isolate the pipes with aluminum foil.

Of course, you also need to test the device. You can try it in May, as the 25 Degrees Celsius temperature is great. The temperature inside the box must reach 45 degrees. If you have this temperature in the box, it means that the device is solid, and you can fill it with water. Because of the density and temperature difference, the water will be hot, being ready to be used. The temperature of the water must be about 43 degrees Celsius, and it is perfect for a shower. The panel must be inclined at 30 degrees

Maybe you won’t obtain huge performances with this kind of panel, but for the basic needs during the spring and summer months, it is perfect.

Hints and advices

Don’t use the serpentine for the big panels with free water circulation without a pump. 10 meters of hot pipes will warm the water fast.

Don’t use hoses to transport the water from the reservoir to the panel and the other way, as they could be affected by the high temperatures. A pipe with insulation and rust protection is perfect.

The insulation of the panel and of the reservoir are important. You can even seal it with some silicone or mastic. The reservoir needs an “emergency” drain. The hot water is dilated, so you need a hole at the superior side of the reservoir.

This is a simple panel that will only allow you to heat water. In case you need a solar panel that produces electric energy, the situation is a little more complicated. You will have to start by searching the internet about information on solar energy. You can find many people that have already built such devices, and you can post your questions of the specialized blogs and forums, as you will surely find many of those. You can buy the solar cells from the internet, as you can’t make those by yourself. However, installing those cells on the panel is simple, and you will have to start by drawing a sketch.

You don’t need technical knowledge. The cheapest solar cells are those of 150x80 mm, and they are pretty effective, especially if you are building a panel for the first time. A cell produces about 0.5 V, so you need about 30 cells to produce a tension of 15 V. this is the tension you need to charge an auto battery, for example, so if is enough for your first solar panel also.

For a device of this kind, you will need a support of 1000 mm / 500 mm, but the dimensions of the support might vary considering the dimensions of the cells also. You can use plastic or glass as a support, and a frame that is made of wood. The plastic has the disadvantage of being expensive, and it is not straight, as it is flexible.

It is important to measure all the dimensions of the panels accurately. If you can’t draw a sketch, you can easily find sketches on the internet, but choose the ones made by amateurs. The major producers also have some sketches on their sites, but if you want to make your own solar panels using those sketches, you will probably need to use expensive materials.