how can you make your own solar cells for solar panels?
i see these things all over the internet on how to make ‘home made solar panels’ but all of them require you to buy the solar cells and nothing tells you how to make your own. So how can you make your own solar cells?
Firstly, to address the link pointed out by bwise; that’s hardly what constitutes what we mean by a "solar panel" is it? sure that can be a solar cell, but I’d like to see anyone build an array of these and get 175W of energy and compare the size difference between what we mean when we say "Solar Panel".
Ok, to the asker, i a not sure what you are referring to when you refer to these online "guides"; but if there is anyone one out there that has a a process of building solar panels from materials made in the home, not only is he going to become a billionaire but also I want a share of it 
So, just to give you an understanding of what a solar "cell" is made up of and the complexity of the process in producing it, you will understand that to make a solar panel, you NEED to BUY the cells indeed.
Solar panels are made up of "solar cells", for sake of completeness. The solar cells on the other hand are made up of semiconductor technology, which is basically the stuff that runs our world today, commonly known as "chips" or computer chips. These "chips" that are in almost EVERY single electronic device that exists today can be made with different parameters to exhibit and/or exploit its various properties. Having said this, if you have a slight knowledge of electronics you will know what LEDs are. LED is an acronym for Light Emitting Diode. This is a device which when a voltage is applied, emits light as its name suggests and uses very little power. These are made with tiny chips enclosed in translucent housing so the light can be seen.
The solar panel works on the reverse principle. A solar cell has many LED like structures engineered to work in the reverse process. When the light hits these "cells" the electrons are energised by the photons (a light component) and they are mobilised producing current; i.e. electricity.
Now silicon, a semiconductor material is made from sand. (YES sand, like that of the stuff found on the beach It’s heated up to to a molten state, purified…etc etc… and then cut to circular discs called wafers, doped with boron or another depending on the required parameters, the stencil being applied and stuff…. all this being taken place in a multi million dollar semiconductor facility with clean rooms and where all the personnel working there are covered head to toe in white suits and masks whose breath might even be dangerous for the products being developed….
So, as you can see this is a very very very complicated and expensive process hence for anyone who has a much cheaper alternative, that is why I would want to be a part of it as it would be an electronic revolution.
So in conclusion, I would say from what I know and have conveyed the home production of conventional solar cells by us enthusiasts is pretty much impossible. Though, I would appreciate it if you could if you could give me a few of the links that you are referring to that sparked this question. I think it will be an interesting read at worst.
Hope this helped.
Found this video demonstrating the process of making home made solar cells. I do not think this method would be very practical for an off the grid home system.
References :
http://www.solarmidnightoilblog.com/solar-application-videos/437-home-experiment-with-solar-technology/
Comment by bwise — June 1, 2010 @ 9:50 pm
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1 Tsb Baking Soda
Lemon Zest
1 large egg
1 Tsb Canola Oil
Preheat oven to 350. Mix ingredients in large bowl. Bake in non-stick pan for 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Staple to rooftop and connect 18-gauge wire between solar cell and 110 volt outlet.
References :
Comment by colonelSmuckers — June 1, 2010 @ 10:38 pm
Firstly, to address the link pointed out by bwise; that’s hardly what constitutes what we mean by a "solar panel" is it? sure that can be a solar cell, but I’d like to see anyone build an array of these and get 175W of energy and compare the size difference between what we mean when we say "Solar Panel".
Ok, to the asker, i a not sure what you are referring to when you refer to these online "guides"; but if there is anyone one out there that has a a process of building solar panels from materials made in the home, not only is he going to become a billionaire but also I want a share of it
So, just to give you an understanding of what a solar "cell" is made up of and the complexity of the process in producing it, you will understand that to make a solar panel, you NEED to BUY the cells indeed.
Solar panels are made up of "solar cells", for sake of completeness. The solar cells on the other hand are made up of semiconductor technology, which is basically the stuff that runs our world today, commonly known as "chips" or computer chips. These "chips" that are in almost EVERY single electronic device that exists today can be made with different parameters to exhibit and/or exploit its various properties. Having said this, if you have a slight knowledge of electronics you will know what LEDs are. LED is an acronym for Light Emitting Diode. This is a device which when a voltage is applied, emits light as its name suggests and uses very little power. These are made with tiny chips enclosed in translucent housing so the light can be seen.
The solar panel works on the reverse principle. A solar cell has many LED like structures engineered to work in the reverse process. When the light hits these "cells" the electrons are energised by the photons (a light component) and they are mobilised producing current; i.e. electricity.
Now silicon, a semiconductor material is made from sand. (YES sand, like that of the stuff found on the beach
It’s heated up to to a molten state, purified…etc etc… and then cut to circular discs called wafers, doped with boron or another depending on the required parameters, the stencil being applied and stuff…. all this being taken place in a multi million dollar semiconductor facility with clean rooms and where all the personnel working there are covered head to toe in white suits and masks whose breath might even be dangerous for the products being developed….
So, as you can see this is a very very very complicated and expensive process hence for anyone who has a much cheaper alternative, that is why I would want to be a part of it as it would be an electronic revolution.
So in conclusion, I would say from what I know and have conveyed the home production of conventional solar cells by us enthusiasts is pretty much impossible. Though, I would appreciate it if you could if you could give me a few of the links that you are referring to that sparked this question. I think it will be an interesting read at worst.
Hope this helped.
References :
Comment by نور العيني فلسطيني — June 1, 2010 @ 10:50 pm
I don’t have an idea but would surely refer you to a website where you would surely find information on solar cells and many more alternative energy questions.
References :
http://www.energymap.dk
Comment by Priya — June 1, 2010 @ 11:40 pm
You can read review on the top 3 DIY guides that teach
how to build solar panels, here:
http://recomended-prods.com/green/earth4energy-review/
Do yourself a favor and invest on good DIY book that include
Video, and save a lot of money and frustration.
Good Luck!
References :
Comment by Green N — June 2, 2010 @ 12:15 am
By the way, I have good news for you. With the rising cost of electrical bills, there are many different ways for alternative homemade energy so that you can provide your own electricity. The 2 ways that I highly recommend is through DIY solar energy and wind energy. Such renewable sources are economical and environmentally friendly to tap on.
For the DIY solar energy, you can easily install a solar panel to obtain the energy to power your household needs. And such homemade energy solution is not difficult to build. In fact, you can find the materials in any hardware store down the streets. They are inexpensive also; you can easily buy them for less than $200.
An alternative homemade energy that you can consider during cloudy days is the wind energy. During days like this, your DIY solar energy would not be able to provide you with much energy. And you can consider building your very own windmills in your backyard. And the cost of building a windmill is even cheaper than the solar panels. And with the right guide, you can easily build both and get started with generating your own electricity.
Such DIY solar energy and windmills are easy ways for you to tap on the natural resources. In fact, you can play your part in saving mother Earth by not using too much coal energy. Such homemade energy is the best method for you to save money.
In fact, if you are good at generating homemade energy with DIY solar energy and windmills, you can even generate extra energy which will flow back into the grid. And your electrical company is actually obliged to pay you for generating extra energy for them!
Now you can build your own home-made wind generator or solar powered panels following a simple step-by-step guide with everyday materials and save hundreds of dollars on monthly power bills and help the environment.
For More Information Visit:
http://offto.net/diysolar
References :
"DIY Solar & Wind Energy For Your Home - Save Money, Save Environment!"
http://offto.net/diysolar
Comment by KHAIRUL — June 2, 2010 @ 12:27 am