The following video is short and basically shows about how simple a solar cooker can get. For those of you starting out with home solar panels and projects, this is a great one to show how effective the sun’s power is.

Download the free Aluminum Solar Cooker Plan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENwEO6ekUds

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The energy that comes from the sun is free.  Free solar panels, on the other hand, are hard to find.

You might be at a loss as to where to start looking for free solar panels.  Keep an eye out for solar panels that are being used to power traffic lighting and construction signage.  See if you can find contact information for the suppliers in the phone directory or on the panels themselves.  These businesses may have damaged solar panels taking up space in their garage.  They might be happy to let someone take them off their hands for little or no money.  Visiting in person is more effective than trying to convince someone over the phone.  Be very friendly because you never know which contact has the potential to become a continuous source of useful free stuff.  Bring a meter with you .  You should buy (or borrow) a meter that can measure the volts and amps.  You want to avoid wasting you time, gas and possibly money on a solar panel that does not generate any electricity.

Solar cells are easily damaged, but they can be used to build less than perfect looking solar panels.  If you can’t find a source of free damaged solar cells, look to some of the bigger retailers for cheap grab bags of damaged cells.   These kits can be useful for practicing the basic skills that you need to build you own solar panels.

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The technology required to build a solar cell is beyond the reach of the average homeowner.  The technology required to connect solar cells and house them in a durable solar panel is much simpler.  Durability is the most important criterion for solar panel materials.  Some types of solar cells are quite delicate, especially first generation silicon cells.  If the backing material or frame of your homemade solar panel warps too much, you could end up with broken cells.  Ideally, you should mount cells on your frame in a way that allows for some frame distortion without putting strain on the connections or cells.  Most instructions recommend a 1/4 gap between cells.  Lumber and plywood may be the cheapest materials and they are easy to work with.  If you choose to use wood, it is absolutely vital that you carefully apply a weather seal finish to all surfaces.  Aluminum sheets and framing materials are more durable, but also more expensive.  You may also find yourself shopping for some new tools if you go that route.   Keep your eyes peeled for local deals on materials and decide how to make solar panels based on what deals are available.  For small solar panel projects, you might want to check out architectural salvagers for good quality glass.  It is sometimes more practical to design a panel after you know the dimensions of your used glass.  Plexi-glass is an option worth considering, but you will lose some efficiency over the years as it gets scratched and dull from weathering.  On the flip side, plexi-glass makes more sense if you are placing the panels in a location where glass is at risk of breakage.

Regardless of which transparent covering you choose, they have to be weather tight or they may fog up.  Condensed water vapor inside your solar panel will greatly reduce its efficiency and it could potentially corrode connectors and other hardware.  Flexible sealing compounds are essential.

Photo Credit: GreenForAll.org

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I just had an idea. I think it should be possible to buy used lighting fixtures and retrofit solar power and LED light to them to make your own outdoor solar garden lights. I am not sure that it would save you any money. That would depend on several factors not the least of which is personal taste. If function is more important than aesthetics, you might do well to watch out for sales on basic plastic lights at Walmart. If you want some kind of Victorian wrought iron thing, you might save money by purchasing used lights from an architectural salvage company and retrofitting your solar.

If you decide to shop for off the shelf bargains, make sure they are designed to charge sufficiently. I was very interested in these things when they first started appearing in hardware stores and gardening supply stores. I was, however, very disappointed when I read on the box that they only provided light for a few hours. Market competition and consumer demands have resulted in some pretty good out of the box products in recent years, but the duds are still lining the shelves all over the country.

Many of these product are designed with a small solar panel mounted on a standalone light fixture. I personally prefer the designs that have a separate solar panel connected to one or more lights via 20 foot extensions. Low voltage direct current would be inefficient with longer cords. Having a panel that is separate from your light fixtures allows you to place the solar panel in a spot where it gets lots of sun.

The basic components of a low voltage solar landscape light are a solar panel, a battery, a light sensitive switch and an LED bulb. Housing these components in a rugged, weatherproof assembly is vitally important. If it is done right the first time, you could have years of maintenance free lighting.

Photo Credit: thingamejig

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The first step in planning your solar panel project is to determine the desired output in terms of voltage and current. A basic understanding of the principles of electricity are required for this. Each individual solar cell will produce around 0.5 volts. If you wanted to use your panel for something as basic as charging a 12 volt battery, you would need a panel that puts out 18 volts in full sunlight. That means your panel should contain 36 photovoltaic cells connected in series.

A typical arrangement would be 4 cells wide by 9 cells long. The standard practice is to connect PV cells in series within a panel and to create parallel connections of several panels to increase the wattage of the system.

A very important tip that I have only seen from a few sources is to attach the cells to the back of your panel using only a spot of silicon adhesive on the middle of the cell. The materials of your panel will expand and contract slightly as temperatures fluctuate. If you fasten the cells incorrectly they might break.

Another important tip is to test each panel and each connection as you progress with the project. It would be very frustrating to completely assemble a solar panel only to find that it doesn’t work and that you have no way of telling which of the dozens of cells and dozens of connections is at fault. This brings up another important point. Buy more solar cells than you think you need for your first project. Solar cells are delicate and you will probably break a few.

You can use a variety of building materials for the structural parts of the solar panel. Be sure to check out your local used building material outlets before you shell out for new materials. If you opt for lumber and plywood, be sure to seal all sides of every piece to make your panel as weatherproof as possible. The solar cells should last for decades, but a poorly constructed wooden frame will not. Metal materials are more durable, but you may find yourself buying specialized tools and hardware that will add to the cost.

Deciding between glass and plexi-glass is complicated. The plastic material is not as prone to accidental breakage but it may cloud slightly over time reducing your panel’s efficiency. If you are confident that your panels are not at risk from tree branches, hail, or baseballs, you might want to go with glass.

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Photo Credit: basykes

Used solar panels are a little bit like used cars with one very big difference.  The rate of depreciation is a big unknown with solar panels whereas depreciation is the major consideration with used cars.  Some of the earliest solar panels still function with a measurable but small drop in efficiency. If you have an unlimited area for your panels, efficiency is not a factor.  The measurement that you need to compare is dollars per watt.

If you are shopping in person for a used car, you will most certainly check to see if it runs.  The same is true for solar cells and it is pretty simple.  You bring a meter with you.  If the panels put out some volts and amps when in full sun, you are good to go.  Educate yourself about your meter and the expected currents from solar panels beforehand.  Frying an Amp Meter will surely ruin your day of solar panel shopping.  If there is no electricity generated, you should probably walk away.  You cannot predict how much time and effort it would take to repair them or if it is even possible.  An exception to this is burned-out bypass diodes.  If you can identify this problem as the reason for a solar panel malfunction you may be able to pick up some bargains from people who think that the panels are irreparable.  It is a common problem and it is not expensive to fix. Condensation under the glass is something that you want to avoid.

Panels do not degrade in storage.  Some types of used solar panels may have a plastic substrate that has turned brown after years of exposure to sunlight.  While this makes them look less attractive to buyers, it is not a reason to walk away.  If they generate watts when you test them in the sun, you should still include them in your comparison shopping.  Remember to compare dollars per watt generated.

If you test a panel and you are surprised by how much electricity you get, be aware that the nominal rating is lower than actual output in full sun.

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My second piece of advice is that FREE is the cheapest that you can get.  Free solar panels are often used and/or damaged.  They may or may not meet your needs.

The sticker price is only part of the cost equation. You have to compare efficiencies as well. A cheap panel with a much lower efficiency than a more expensive one may take decades to pay for itself.

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