Solar Energy – Build Your Own Solar Cell – Guide

 

 

Solar Energy – Overview to DIY Systems

 

 

 

Solar energy panels are already considered very cost effective because they provide a renewable source of energy. There are now a lot of DIY, or do it yourself solar panel kits available from some hardware stores or on the internet and lots of books available on the subject to help you build your own solar panels and solar energy system. 

Solar energy information is also available on this web site in which this post is published.

Solar energy materials can be ordered and delivered right to your doorstep in just a few days. You can even finish the entire project in just a matter of hours. You can get a lot of financial benefits by building your own solar system and maintaining the material properly. Expect solar energy panels to last for up to 3 decades if well-maintained.

Solar Energy – Seeking Resource

You need to look for the right resources first. You can actually build your own solar panels for around $100 or less by finding the best and most affordable sources. You can start looking for green companies. These companies offer some of the best prices and high quality materials to encourage people to choose environmentally friendly options in acquiring solar energy. You can also look for private sellers and online companies on the internet. Make sure you read the company background and objectives so that you can fully understand the processes and types.

 

Solar Energy – How to Build Your Own Simple Solar Cell

 

Starting Out

First, get some thin copper sheet and then cut pieces into 2 rectangular sheets. Each should be about the size of a stove burner. Take one piece of the copper sheet and use sandpaper to take off any presence of corrosion. Wash the copper sheeting using water, soap and either a sponge or a towel. You should not allow oil from your hands to get on the copper. Towel the copper until dry. Make sure that you do not touch it directly. Use tongs to position the copper on the stove burner or hot plate. Turn the burner to maximum heat. Watch the copper very well. You will observe that the colors change as the copper starts to oxidize, and gently transform to black. Let the copper stay on the burner for about 40 minutes or up to the time that a thick coat of oxidized black material appears.

Be sure that you do not leave the copper unattended while it’s cooking.

Turn the heat off on the burner and let the copper cool in the air. This process should take only around 20 to 30 minutes. Once cooled take this piece and wash it in plain water carefully using your hands. This will ensure that you get the majority of the black pieces off. Do not attempt to take off all the coating or scrub vigorously. The objective is to remove the regions that can easily be taken off.

Do not damage the copper below the oxidized layer.  The red layer of cuprous oxide should remain on the metal. This is needed to build the solar energy cell. 

Solar Energy Cell – More on the Process

Cut the top part off a plastic bottle, forming a makeshift bucket. Get the cooked copper sheet plus the uncooked sheet and bend them first to fit the bottle shape and place both pieces inside the plastic bottle making sure that no part of the two sheets stays in contact with each other.

Using a voltmeter link an alligator-clip lead to each copper plate.

It is important that you clip one of the available alligator leads to the top of each sheet and connect these to a meter. The positive terminal of the meter must link to the uncooked sheet. The negative terminal must link to the cooked sheet. Dissolve two tablespoons of salt into a few cups of water then pour this into the plastic bottle, allowing the water level to rise about 1 inch from the top of the sheet. Put the bottle out in the sun and observe the meter. The meter should rise consistently to about 50 micro-amps. Place the bottle in the shade and allow the meter to go down below ten.

Finally, you have created your own solar energy cell.

This process can also be used on a bigger scale to build larger solar energy cells for some of your needs.