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Guide To Solar Panel Wiring Solar panel wiring means connecting two or more solar panels together. Why would you want to wire several panels together? Wiring is helpful in cases when the existing solar panel gives an insufficient voltage to charge a battery, when it gives an insufficient current to power some appliances, or when it gives insufficient voltage and current. Instead of disposing of the smaller panel that you already have and trying to find a larger one that would perfectly meet your needs, you can simply wire your existing small solar panel with other small panels. Solar panel wiring will let you achieve any voltage and current that you need to have in your solar-powered system. Connecting the panels together is not too complicated, and it can be learned and implemented by any DIY-inclined person to create the solar-powered systems that they need. Click Here for the Most Comprehensive Guide to Solar Panel Wiring There are 3 types of easy-to-learn wiring configurations: 1. Series wiring. 2. Parallel wiring. 3. Series/parallel wiring. To better understand different wiring configurations, let's note that any DC (DC - direct electric current flowing steadily in one direction) generating device (a battery or a solar panel) has a negative and a positive terminal. In such devices, the current will flow from the negative (black) terminal to the positive (red) terminal. Series Circuit To wire any solar panels in series, you need to connect the positive (red) terminal of one panel to the negative (black) terminal of the other panel. With series solar panel wiring, the Voltage (Volts) is additive, while the Current (Amps) stays the same. If we are connecting 2 solar panels (each unit rated 20 Volts at 5 Amps) in series, then this solar array will have the total system voltage of 40 Volts (20+20), and the total current of 5 Amps (unchanged). Parallel Circuit To wire any solar panel in parallel, you need to connect the positive (red) terminal of one panel to the positive (red) terminal of the other panel, and negative (black) terminal of one panel to the negative (black) terminal of the other panel. With parallel solar panel wiring, the Voltage (Volts) stays the same, while the Current (Amps) is additive. If we are connecting 2 solar panels (each unit rated 20 Volts at 5 Amps) in parallel, then this solar array will have the total system voltage of 20 Volts (unchanged), and the total current of 10 Amps (5+5). Series/Parallel Circuit To wire any solar panels in series/parallel, first you need to connect the panels in series sets, and then connect each of these sets in parallel. This type of wiring is useful if, for instance, you wish to boost the solar array's charging capacity to 100 Amps, but you also need to keep the array at 80 Volts. The individual sets of series circuits (4 panels at 20 Volt each) would give the desired voltage (80 Volts), while wiring five such sets in parallel circuits would give the required current (100 Amps). Solar panel wiring is not as complex as it may first seem. Learning how to connect solar panels together will help you to get any voltage or current that you need to have in your system, in order to power any appliances that you wish to operate, to charge a battery, etc. Want to know the secrets of wiring up your solar panels? Then I strongly recommend that you check out the guide from Earth4Energy. It's the best step-by-step guide that will show you exactly how to build and install your own solar panel system. Click here to learn more How I built an electricity producing Solar Panel It was easy. You can do it too Several years ago I bought some remote property in Arizona. I am an astronomer and wanted a place to practice my hobby far away from the sky- wrecking light pollution found near cities of any real size. I found a great piece of property. The problem is, it's so remote that there is no electric service available. That's not really a problem. No electricity equals no light pollution. However, it would be nice to have at least a little electricity, since so much of life in the 21st century is dependant on it. I built a wind turbine to provide some power on the remote property. It works great, when the wind blows. However, I wanted more power, and more dependable power. The wind seems to blow all the time on my property, except when I really need it too. I do get well over 300 sunny days a year on the property though, so solar power seems like the obvious choice to supplement the wind turbine. Solar panels are very expensive though. So I decided to try my hand at building my own. I used common tools and inexpensive and easy to acquire materials to produce a solar panel that rivals commercial panels in power production, but completely blows them away in price. Read on for step by step instructions on how I did it. Let me state up front that I probably won't be able to help you out much if you decide to build your own solar panel(s). This web site has become insanely popular, often taxing the bandwidth limits of the server. I get dozens of requests for help each day. I simply don't have time to answer the majority of them. Most of the questions and requests I get are the same ones over and over again. I have crated a FAQ to handle these repetitive questions. Please read it before emailing me. Simple questions, not covered by the FAQ,which only require a quick and simple answer may get replies if time permits. However, there is no way I can help you out with complex issues, teach you electronics theory, help you locate parts, build a charge controller for you, or custom design a system for you. There just aren't enough hours in the day. Sorry. So what is a solar panel anyway? It is basically a box that holds an array of solar cells. Solar cells are the things that do the actual work of turning sunlight into electricity. However, it takes a lot of cells to make a meaningful amount of power, and they are very fragile, so the individual cells are assembled into panels. The panels hold enough cells to make a useful amount of power and protect the cells from the elements. It doesn't sound too complicated. I was convinced I could do it myself. I started out the way I start every project, by Googling for information on home- built solar panels. I was shocked at how few I found. The fact that very few people were building their own panels led me to think it must be harder to do than I thought. The project got shelved for a while, but I never stopped thinking about it. After a while, I came to some conclusions: The main stumbling block to building solar panels is acquiring solar cells at a reasonable price. New solar cells are very expensive, and can even sometimes be hard to find in quantity at any price. Blemished and damaged solar cells are available on Ebay and other places at a fraction of the cost of new perfect cells. These second rate solar cells could probably be used to make a solar panel that would work just fine. I bo ug ht a co upl e of bri ck s of 3 X 6 mono-crystalline solar cells. It takes a total of 36 of these type solar cells wired in series to make a panel. Each cell produces about 1/2 Volt. 36 in series would give about 18 volts which would be good for charging 12 volt batteries. (Yes, you really need that high a Voltage to effectively charge 12 Volt batteries) This type of solar cell is as thin as paper and as brittle and fragile as glass. They are very easily damaged. The seller of these solar cells dips stacks of 18 in wax to stabilize them and make it easier to ship them without damaging them. The wax is quite a pain to remove though. If you can, find cells for sale that aren't dipped in wax. Keep in mind though that they may suffer some more damage in shipping. Notice that these cells have metal tabs on them. You want cells with tabs on them. You are already going to have to do a lot of soldering to build a panel from tabbed solar cells. If you buy cells without tabs, it will at least double the amount of soldering you have to do. So pay extra for tabbed cells. The Renewable Energy Handbook I als o bo ug ht a co upl e The Home Owner's of Guide to Renewable lot Energy s of cel ls that weren't dipped in wax from another Ebay seller. These cells came packed in a plastic box. They rattled around in the box and got a little chipped up on the edges and corners. Minor chips don't really matter too much. They won't reduce the cell's output enough to worry about. These are all blemished and factory seconds anyway. The main reason solar cells get rejected is for chips. So what's another chip or two? All together I Got Sun? Go Solar bought enough cells to make 2 panels. I knew I'd probably break or otherwise ruin at least a few during construction, so I bought extras. There are lots of other sizes of solar cells besides 3 X 6 inches available. You could use larger or smaller cells for your panel. Just keep a few things in mind. Cells of the same type all produce the same voltage no matter what size they are. So the same number of cells is always needed. Solar Water Heating: A Larger cells produce more current (Amps) and Comprehensive Guide smaller cells produce less current. The total power your panel can produce is determined by Amps X Volts. So using bigger cells produces more power, but the panel will be large and heavy. Using smaller cells keeps the panel small and light, but won't produce as much power. Also, mixing cell sizes is not a good idea. This is because the current your panel can produce will be limited by the smallest cell in the group and the larger cells won't work to their full potential. The cells I settled on are 3 X 6 inches in size and are rated at roughly 3 amps. I will wire 36 of them in series to Photovoltaics: Design get a little over 18 volts. The result should be a panel and Installation Manual capable of delivering almost 60 Watts of power in bright sunlight. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it sure beats no power at all, which is what I had on my property before. And that is 60 Watts all day when the sun is shining. That power will go into charging batteries which will primarily be used for powering lights and small appliances for only a few hours after dark. Once I go to bed, my power requirements drop to almost nothing. So 60 Watts is actually quite a lot of useful power, especially when I also have my wind turbine adding to the power production when the wind is blowing. After you buy your solar cells, put them away in a safe The New Complete place where they won't get dropped, played with by the Book of Self- kids, or eaten by the dog until you are ready to install Sufficiency them in the panel. These cells are very fragile. Rough treatment and excessive handling will turn your expensive solar cells into little, blue, shiny shards that aren't useful for an yth ing . A sol ar The Self-sufficient Life pa and How to Live It nel is re all If you found the y information on this jus web site useful, t a please consider shallow box. So I started out by building myself a shallow making a small box. I made the box shallow so the sides wouldn't shade donation to help the solar cells when the sun comes at an angle from the defray our hosting sides. It is made of 3/8 inch thick plywood with 3/4 X 3/4 and bandwidth pieces of wood around the edges. The pieces are glued costs. and screwed in place. This panel will hold 36 3 X 6 inch solar cells. I decided to make 2 sub-panels of 18 cells each just so make it easier to assemble later. So there is a center divider across the middle of the box. Each sub- panel will fit into one well in the main panel. Your donations help keep this web site free. Thank you. He re is Search my sor t of ba New 1800mAh Solar ck Panel USB Charger of f... $0.01 the en vel op 120W SOLAR e PANEL 120 WATT SOLAR PANEL... sk $289.99 etc h showing the overall dimensions of the solar panel. All dimensions are in inches (sorry you fans of the metric system). The side pieces are 3/4 by 3/4 and go all the Solar Panel USB way around the edges of the plywood substrate. also a Battery Travel Charge... piece goes across the center to divide the panel into two $17.95 sub-panels. This is just the way I chose to do it. There is nothing critical about these dimensions, or even the overall design. Feel free to deviate in your own design. These dimensions are included here for those people who 2WattFlexible Solar Panel,solar Charg... always clamor for me to include dimensions on my $0.99 projects. I always encourage people to experiment and eBay View All innovate on their own, rather than blindly follow the way I (or anyone else) does things. You may well come up with a better design. He re is a clo se- up sh ow ing on e hal f of the ma in panel. This well will hold one 18 cell sub-panel. Notice the little holes drilled in the edges of the well. This will be the bottom of the panel (it is upside down in the photo, sorry). These are vent holes to keep the air pressure inside the panel equalized with the outside, and to let moisture escape. These holes must be on the bottom of the panel or rain and dew will run inside. There must also be vent holes in the center divider between the two sub panels. Update: After using the panel for a while, I now recommend that the vent holes be increased to at least 1/4 inch in diameter. Also, to keep dust and critters out of the panel, stuff a little fiberglass insulation in the holes in the bottom rail of the panel. The insulation is not needed in the holes in the center divider. Ne Click on a lady xt I to learn how cut to meet her. tw o pie ce s of ma so nit e pe g- bo ard to fit inside the wells. These pieces of peg-board will be the substrates that each sub-panel will be built on. They were cut to be a loose fit in the wells. You don't have to use peg-board for this. I just happened to have some on hand. Just about any thin, rigid and non- conducting material should work. To pr ote ct the sol ar cel ls fro m the we ath er, the panel will have a plexiglass front. Here two pieces of scrap plexiglass have been cut to fit the front of the panel. I didn't have one piece big enough to do the whole thing. Glass could also be used for this, but glass is fragile. Hail stones and flying debris that would shatter glass will just bounce off the plexi. Now you can start to see what the finished panel will look like. Oo ps! Thi s ph oto sh ow sa clo se- up of wh er Cobra CPI 2575 2500 e Watt 12 Volt DC to 120 the two halves of the plexiglass cover meet over the Volt AC Power Inverter center divider. I drilled and countersunk holes all around the edges of both pieces of plexiglass so I could screw them onto the face of the panel with 1 inch drywall screws. Be careful working close to the edge of the plexi. If you get to aggressive it will break, as happened here. I just glued the broken piece back in and drilled another hole a short distance away. Ne xt I Northern Industrial ga High Wattage ve Solar Panels - all 15 Watt the wo od en pa rts of the panel several coats of paint to protect them from moisture and the weather. The box was painted inside and out. The type of paint and color was scientifically chosen by shaking all the paint cans I had laying around in my garage and choosing the one that felt like it had enough left in it to do the whole job. Wagan Solar ePanel 12V Power Supply Th e pe g- bo ar d pie ce s we re Sunforce 7 Amp als Charge Controller o pai nte d. They got several coats on both sides. Be sure to paint them on both sides or they will curl when exposed to moisture. Curling could damage the solar cells that will be glued to them. Now that I had the structure of the panel finished, it was Sunforce 5 Watt time to get the solar cells ready Solar Battery Trickle Charger Search 1000 Watt- 2000 Watt Peak Surge DC AC... $89.99 As I sai d NEW TARGUS MODILE POWER ab INVERTER-90 W... ov $5.00 e, get tin Wagan EL2405 100- g Watt Smart AC USB the In... $3.75 wa x off the Duracell 100W Power cel Inverter DC to AC... ls is a real pain. After some trial and error, I came up with $9.95 eBay View All a way that works fairly well. Still, I would recommend buying from someone who doesn't dip their cells in wax. The first step is a bath in hot water to melt the wax and separate the cells from each other. Don't let the water boil or the bubbles will jostle the cells against each other violently. Also, boiling water may be hot enough to loosen the electrical connections on the cells. I also recommend putting the brick of cells in the water cold, and then slowly heating it up to just below boiling temperature to avoid harsh thermal shocks to the cells. Plastic tongs and spatulas come in handy for teasing the cells apart once the wax melts. Try not to pull too hard on the metal tabs or they may rip off. I found that out the hard way while trying to separate the cells. Good thing I bought extras. Thi s ph oto sh ow s the co mp let e set up I us ed. My girlfriend asked what I was cooking. Imagine her surprise when I said solar cells. The initial hot water bath for melting the wax is in the right-rear. On the left-front is a bath of hot soapy water. On the right-front is a bath of hot clean water. All the pots are at just below boiling temperature. The sequence I used was to melt the bricks apart in the hot water bath on the right-rear. I'd tease the cells apart and transfer them one at a time to the soapy water bath on the left-front to remove any wax on the cell. Then the cell would be given a rinse in the hot clean water on the right-front. The cells would then be set out to dry on a towel. You should change the water frequently in the soapy and rinse water baths. Don't pour the water down the sink though, because the wax will solidify in your drains and clog them up. Dump the water outside. This process removed almost all the wax from the cells. There is still a very light film on some of the cells, but it doesn't seem to interfere with soldering or the working of the cells. A solvent bath would probably remove the rest of the wax, but that would be dangerous and stinky since the only solvents I could think of that would cut wax are either flamable, toxic or smelly, or all three. He re ar e so me se pa rat ed an d cle an ed sol ar cells drying on a towel. Once separated from their wax stabilized brick form, they are amazingly fragile and difficult to handle and store. I would recommend leaving them as bricks until you are ready to install them in your panel. That way you won't wreck them before you get to use them. So build the panel first. Now it's time to start installing them in the panel I sta rte d out by dr aw ing a gri d pat ter n on each of the two pieces of pegboard, lightly in pencil, so I would know where each of the 18 cells on them would be located. Then I laid out the cells on that grid pattern upside-down so I could solder them together. All 18 cells on each half panel need to be soldered together in series, then both half panels need to be connected in series to get the desired voltage. Soldering the cells together was tricky at first, but I got the hang of it fairly quickly. Start out with just two cells upside-down. Lay the solder tabs of one cell across the solder points on the back of the other cell. I made sure the spacing between the cells matched the grid pattern. I us ed a lo w- W att ag e sol de rin g iro n and fine rosen-core solder. I also used a rosen pen on the solder points on the back of the cells before soldering. Use a real light touch with the soldering iron. The cells are thin and delicate. If you push too hard, you will break the cells. I got careless a couple of times and scrapped a couple of cells. UP DA TE 04/ 01/ 10 A lot of pe opl e wri te me co nfused about how to solder the solar cells together. When a hundred people all ask the same question, it's obvious I am not being clear in this area. A lot of people look at the photos and assume I am soldering the cells in parallel instead of in series. I have created this crude sketch to hopefully clear things up. This is a side view of the solar cells soldered together. The negative tabs from the top of one cell are soldered to the positive pads on the bottom of the next. This connects the cells in series, and adds their voltages. I do this until I have a string of 6 cells. 3 strings of 6 make a half panel. I hope that helps. I re pe ate d the ab ov e ste ps an d sol de red solar cells together until I had a string of six cells. I soldered tabs from scrapped cells to the solder points on the back of the last cell in the string of six. Then I repeated the whole process two more times to get three strings of six cells for a total of 18 for this half of the panel. The three strings of cells need to be wired in series. So the middle string needs to be rotated 180 degrees with respect to the other two. I got the strings oriented the way I wanted them (still upside-down) on top of the pegboard panel before the next step of gluing the cells in place. Gl uin g the cel ls in pla ce pr ov ed to be a littl e tricky. I placed a small blob of clear silicone caulk in the center of each cell in a six cell string. Then I flipped the string over and set in place on the pencil line grid I had laid out earlier. I pressed lightly in the center of each cell to get it to stick to the pegboard panel. Flipping the floppy string of cells is tricky. Another set of hands may be useful in during this step. Don't use too much glue, and don't glue the cells anywhere but at their centers. The cells and the panel they are mounted on will expand, contract, flex and warp with changes in temperature and humidity. If you glue the cells too tightly to the substrate, they will crack in time. gluing them at only one point in the center allows the cells to float freely on top of the substrate. Both can expand and flex more or less independently, and the delicate solar cells won't crack. Ne xt tim eI will do it diff er ent ly. I will sol de r tabs onto the backs of all the solar cells. Then I will glue all the cells down in their proper places. Then I will solder the tabs together. It seems like the obvious way to go to me now, but I had to do it the hard way once to figure it out. Here is one half panel, finally finished. He re I us ed co pp er br aid to int erc on nect first and second strings of cells. You could use solar cell tabbing material or even regular wire. I just happened to have the braid on hand. There is another similar interconnection between the second and third strings at the opposite end of the board. I used blobs of silicone caulk to anchor the braid and prevent it from flopping around. He re I am tes tin g firs t hal f pa nel out sid e in the sun. In weak sun through clouds the half panel is producing 9.31 Volts. YAHOO! It works! Now all I had to do is build another one just like it. Once I had two half panels complete, I could install them in their places in the main panel frame and wire them together. Ea ch of the hal f pa nel s dr op pe d rig ht int o their places in the main panel frame. I used four small screws (like the silver one in the photo) to anchor each of the half panels in place. Wi res to co nn ect the tw o hal f pa nel s tog ether were run through the vent holes in the central divider. Again, blobs of silicone caulk were used to anchor the wire in place and prevent it from flopping around. Ea ch sol ar pa nel in a sol ar po we r sy ste m needs a blocking diode in series with it to prevent the panel from discharging your batteries at night or during cloudy weather. I used a Schottky diode with a 3.3 Amp current rating. Schottky diodes have a much lower forward voltage drop than ordinary rectifier diodes, so less power is wasted. Every Watt counts. I got a package of 25 31DQ03 Schottky diodes on Ebay for only a few bucks. So I have enough left-overs for lots more solar panels My original plan was to mount the diode inline with the positive wire outside the panel. After looking at the spec- sheet for the diode though, I decided to mount it inside since the forward voltage drop gets lower as the temperature rises. It will be warmer inside the panel and the diode will work more efficiently. More silicone caulk was used to anchor the diode and wires. I dril led a hol e in the ba ck of the pa nel ne ar the top for the wires to exit. I put a knot in the wires for strain relief, and anchored them in place with yet more of the silicone caulk. It is important to let all the silicone caulk cure well before screwing the plexiglass covers in place. I have found through past experience that the fumes from the caulk may leave a film on the inside of the plexiglass and the cells if it isn't allowed to thoroughly cure in the open air before screwing on the cover. An d stil l mo re sili co ne ca ulk wa s us ed to seal the outside of the panel where the wires exit. I ad de da pol ari ze d tw o- pin jon es plu g to the end of the panel wires. A mating female plug will be wired into the charge controller I use with my home-built wind turbine so the solar panel can supplement it's power production and battery charging capacity. UP D AT E: 10/ 12/ 09 I'v e be en get tin ga lot of emails from people giving me grief for using a male plug on the solar panel. They say that power sources should always have female pugs on them to prevent short circuits. I understand their point. However, the reason I used the male plug on the solar panel is because there is a much greater danger of a short circuit on the cable going to the charge controller and battery bank. The solar panel can only supply 3 Amps to a short circuit at most. The battery bank though could pump hundreds or possibly thousands of Amps through a short circuit. That is enough energy to do serious damage. So I put the female end on the cable to the charge controller. Still, I agree that it is dangerous to have a male plug on the solar panel. On a recent trip to Radio Shack I found this sort of plug. It only cost a few bucks and will solve the potential short circuit problem. When unplugged, neither end can short out. He re is the co mp let ed pa nel wit h the ple xig las s covers screwed into place. It isn't sealed shut yet at this point. I wanted to wait until after testing it because was worried that I might have to get back inside it if there were problems. Sure enough, a tab popped off one of the cells. Maybe it was due to thermal stresses or shock from handling. Who knows? I opened up the panel and replaced that one cell. I haven't had any more trouble since. I will probably seal the panel with either a bead of silicone caulk, or aluminum AC duct tape wrapped around the edges. He re I am tes tin g the Vo lta ge out put of the co mpleted panel in bright winter sunlight. My meter says 18.88 Volts with no load. That's exactly what I was aiming for. He re I am tes tin g the cur re nt ca pa cit y of the panel, again in bright winter sunlight. My meter says 3.05 Amps short circuit current. That is right about what the cells are rated for. So the panel is working very well. So how much did all this cost to build? Well, I saved all the receipts for everything I bought related to this project. Also, my workshop is well stocked with all sorts of building supplies and hardware. I also have a lot of useful scrap pieces of wood, wire and all sorts of miscellaneous stuff (some would say junk) laying around the shop. So I had a lot of stuff on hand already. Your mileage may vary. Part Origin Cost Solar Cells Ebay $74.00* Misc. Lumber Homecenter Store $20.62 Plexiglass Scrap Pile $0.00 Screws & Misc. Hardware Already on hand $0.00 Silicone Caulk Homecenter Store $3.95 Wire Already on hand $0.00 Diode Ebay $0.20± Jones Plug Newark Electronics $6.08 Paint Already on hand $0.00 Total $104.85 Not too bad. That's a fraction of what a commercially made solar panel with a comparable power output would cost, and it was easy. I already have plans to build more panels to add to the capacity of my system. I'll post more here as the project evolves. Stay tuned * I actually bought 4 lots of 18 solar cells. This price represents only the two lots that went into building this panel. Also, the price of factory second solar cells on Ebay has gone up quite a lot recently as oil prices have skyrocketed. ± This price represents 1 out of a lot of 25 diodes I bought on Ebay for $5.00. UPDATE 07/18/08 On ce ag ain I sta ye d on my re mo te pr op ert y during my recent vacation in Arizona. This time I had both my home-built wind turbine and my home-built solar panel with me. Working together, they provided plenty of power for my (admittedly minimal) electricity needs. He re is a clo se- up of the sol ar pa nel in act ion . I have to move it several times each day to keep it pointed at the sun, but that isn't really a big hardship. Maybe someday I will build a tracking system to automatically keep it aimed at the sun. UP DA TE 10/ 12/ 09 He re is a clo se- up of the sol ar panel after having the edges sealed with aluminum tape. This is not the cheap duct tape. This is the thin metal tape with an adhesive backing. I applied it all the way around the edges of the panel and across the center seam. I burnished it down well to make a good seal. I was careful to punch out the vent holes so they wouldn't be blocked. The tape seems to be quite weather-proof, and the panel seems to be thoroughly sealed and protected. Only time will tell how well it works. However, since my panels are only outdoors when I am staying on my remote property, and are not exposed to the weather all the time, I suspect it will hold up well for a long time. Th e Al um inu m tap e giv es the pa nel a wh ole new look. It looks like the frame is made of metal, rather than wood. To my eye, it looks a lot more professional. I ha ve als o co mp let ed a se co nd sol ar pa nel. This is a smaller 15 Watt panel. It folds up for easier storage and transportation. Click the photo to learn more about it. [Back to Mike's Homepage] [Email me] Other places to visit: [Mike's telescope workshop] [Mike's home-built jet engine page] [Mike's Home-Built Wind Turbine page] [Mike's gold prospecting page] © Copyright 2008-2009 Michael Davis, All rights reserved. How To Build a Solar Panel Step-by-Step The most abundant source of fuel in our entire solar system is the sun. Knowing how to build a solar panel for your home or business will let you tap into a power supply which will, scientists predict, still be going strong 4 billion years from now. If that doesn't sound like a permanent solution to soaring energy bills and dwindling fossil fuel supplies, there isn't one! The first thing factor to consider in learning how to build a solar panel is whether you live in the northern or southern hemisphere. In the northern hemisphere, for example, solar panels for homes should face south in order to capture the maximum amount of sunlight each day. If the roof of the structure on which you'll be installing your solar panels doesn't face south (or north in the southern hemisphere), you can simply attach your solar panels to poles that have been installed in a location which does. Learning how to build your own solar panel, as long as you have the basic carpentry skills, is actually quite simple. Begin by gathering your tools and parts. If the parts aren"t available at your home improvement store, you won't have any trouble finding them on eBay! Tools Parts Saw for cutting Plywood sheeting plywood Plexiglass Soldering iron gun Tin wire Paint brush Solder Rosin flux pen Silicon caulk Wire cutters UV-ray protective varnish Screwdriver Solar Cells (microcrystal cells cost around $2 a Caulking gun piece) Volt meter Plexiglass cutters Drill When purchasing your solar cells, figure that 80 of them will normally produce 100 watts of electrical power. You"ll use your volt meter to test the solar cells individually, making a record of the voltage each produces. If you wanted to charge an 18 volt battery, for instance, you"d need a panel with 36 solar cells producing .5 volts each Determine how much power you need from each of the solar panels you're going to build, and remember that you'll need more solar cells in areas which don't get a lot of direct sun. Then cut your plywood to the dimensions large enough to fit the number of solar cells which will be on each panel. While the most common shape of solar panels for homes is rectangular, one of the advantages of deciding to build your own solar panel is that you can cut it in whatever shape you desire to fit where a rectangular panel won't go. Once all your plywood has been cut, use your paintbrush to apply the UV-ray protective varnish. While you're waiting for the varnish to dry, start working on the solar cells. Begin by using your Rosin flux pen to apply flux to the bus strips on your solar cells. This will ensure that when you solder your tab ribbons to your solar cells, they will adhere completely, and your wiring will be connected correctly. Then you"ll connect the solar cells to each other. Here"s a great video explaining the voltage testing, flux application and wiring processes you"ll do as you build your own solar panel: Click Here For Your Solar Panel Installation Kit When all the cells for you solar panel have been connected, using as little silicon as you can, affix them securely to your plywood panel. You"ll have two unattached wires hanging from the connected solar cells, requiring that you drill two holes in the plywood and feed the wires through them. Then seal any gaps around the holes with silicon. Next you"ll make a "frame" for the panel, because you need to cover the solar cells with Plexiglas. Adhere the frame to the plywood with more silicon and wood screws, ensuring that it"s waterproof. Then secure the Plexiglas to the frame, first with silicon and then with screws. Be sure, however, to drill the screw holes into the Plexiglas before attaching it to the frame. Otherwise it could crack. Inspect every inch of your solar panel for gaps which could allow moisture to penetrate it. If you find any, no matter how small, seal them with your silicon. Keep in mind, however, that even as tightly as you"ve sealed it, moisture can still accumulate in the panel's interior. So the last thing you'll do is drill a small hole close to the bottom of the panel but away from all the wiring. This will allow air in to the panel to keep moisture from building up. By placing the hole at the bottom of the panel, you'll also keep rain from collecting inside!
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Moran: Political careers can hinge on snow removal
Snow of 'historic proportions' has kept Oswego busyStory | Feb 4, 2015 | 10:40 AMThe recent blizzard, and the snow that keeps falling around the area, has been a challenge to many towns, including Oswego. The recent blizzard, and the snow that keeps falling around the area, has been a challenge to many towns, including Oswego....
Variables made Sunday's storm hard to predict
Fox Valley digs out after Super Bowl blizzard
Patriots, Seahawks fans in Chicago brave blizzard to reach team bars
Sunday's blizzard ranks among Chicago's top 10Column | Feb 1, 2015 | 6:53 PMChicago's good winter has taken a bad turn. Through Saturday, seasonal snowfall had been subpar, and the city's biggest snow was just 4 inches, on Jan. 4-5. All that changed as light snow began Saturday evening and steadily intensified into a full-scale...
The Chicago Blizzard of 1967
Super Bowl Blizzard blankets Lake County
Ask Tom: What weather conditions create a blizzard?Column | Feb 1, 2015 | 5:16 PMDear Tom, What weather conditions create a blizzard? — Fran Lott, Chicago Dear Fran, The National Weather Service defines a blizzard as an intense winter storm containing sustained winds of 35 mph or higher and sufficient falling and/or...
'Frozen' show goes on despite blizzard
Man who shoveled snow from Boston Marathon finish line identified

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Israel's High Court calls for tips to be taxed, but takes no action
At the request of the attorney general and National Insurance Institute, the court considered changing the system under which tips in Israel go largely untaxed, but ultimately deferred the issue to lawmakers.
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The High Court of Justice has called on lawmakers to change the status quo whereby the majority of the tips given to waiters in Israel go unreported to the tax authorities.
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