Home made solar panels can both be informative and interesting for kids and adults alike. With more and more interest being generated about solar energy, schools, clubs and even

families are stressing on the need of more science experiments and activities to promote solar energy. As a result home made solar panels are becoming a very popular choice for a lot of these experiments and the children are leaning a lot out of them.

Making a solar panel at home can be a lot of fun. Rather than building a toy car or helicopter, you and your kids can get together and try making equipment which will actually produce electricity. There are a lot of ways in which home made solar panels can be produced, but if you are trying it at home, stick to the simpler options and you will be able to get the best results out of them. Home made solar panels from oxidized copper strips and salt water are the most popular ones and a lot of people base their activities around that. You too can check out the experiment and do it at home as it barely takes time and is very easy to complete.

The home made solar cell panels do not always generate a lot of electricity that can light up or heat your home. If you want to do so, you will need to build much larger solar panels at home and that will consume a lot of your time and energy. However, it isn’t an impossible task and many people have done it. The materials needed for building a solar panel are quite easily available at departmental and hardware stores and once you get them all together, building home made solar cell panels become a simple task. Take help from an expert if you are not very sure of the procedures. Alternatively, you could also look up the various e-tutorials that are available aplenty on the internet.

So no matter what the purpose, building home made solar panels always prove to generate a lot of interest and enthusiasm. Whether you do it with your children, parents, friends or alone, you always end up having a lot of fun. The results are for you to see and you sure do end up feeling very good about being able to create electricity! So give this experiment a try and you will surely find yourself an immensely fun thing to do, while learning a lot out of it too

Learn How to Build Solar Panels

Many people would like to take advantage of the free energy provided by the sun, both to save money and to help the environment. However, once they start evaluating the cost of installing the system, they realize that it is going to run several thousand dollars and it will take a long time to pay for itself in terms of energy savings.

Fortunately, it is not that difficult to make your own solar panels. It does not require specialized equipment or professional skills to provide solar energy for your home. It is especially beneficial for isolated cabins or campsites, or to provide power for a backyard shed or even tree house.

You will need to purchase the solar cells to go into your panel. Hardware stores carry them, but you can usually get a better price online. Most cells are 3″ x 6″ and produce 0.5 volts apiece. Standard panels generate 18 volts, so each panel will need 36 cells.

Lay out your desired configuration and take careful measurements. Then construct a wooden box to hold the cells. Use wood that has been treated to repel water, and you may even want to apply a weather proofing, such as deck treatment, to the exterior of the box.

Use a silicone glue to attach the cells to the frame. Be sure to use an adequate amount of glue to allow for normal shrinking and expansion once the panel is put into use. Let the glue dry for the recommended time and make sure that it is thoroughly set before proceeding to the next step.

The cells should have small tabs on them. You solder these tabs to join the cells together. Next, you will need to attach a diode to control power flow.

You will need to cover the cells to protect them. Your cover should be clear, to allow sunlight to reach the cells, and tough enough to resist hail stones and other potential hazards. Do not glue the cover in place, because you will need to remove it from time to time. Instead, drill screw holes through the cover and into the wood frame and screw it into place.

Once you have placed the panel in the sun, you can use a voltmeter to check output. If it all checks out, it is time to install your panel. Most panels are placed on the roof, but if you are planning to use the panel to provide portable power to an RV or tent, you may want to leave it free standing. If you have multiple panels, you will need to join them together next. Connect the panel or panels to a battery, and you are ready to let the sun start providing your electricity.

After installation, check periodically to make sure that your panels are still producing the proper amount of energy. If output declines, especially if the decline is slow and steady, you may need to clean your panel covers. The more sunlight the cells receive, the better the output. Layers of dust or debris can reduce output. In most environments, it is enough to wash the panels every few months. However, if you live in an area with a high dust content or large bird population, you may need to clean them more often. If you purchased units that are sealed, you can just hose them off. Since most homemade types are not water-tight, you will need to manually clean them.