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IntroductionUnleash the power of free and cheap solar energy and get your family off the grid with these 14 solar-themed Instructables. Learn how to make your own solar panels forless, build a solar over, solar powered phone charger and much much more!

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Laura KhalilEditor, Instructables.com

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Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Author and Copyright Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Disclaimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Home Made Solar Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Intro:   Home Made Solar Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 1:   The Initial Intention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 2:   Start Of The Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Step 3:   Building Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Step 4:   Vaporing Out Of The Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Step 5:   Junction Box At The Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Step 6:   The Inverter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Step 7:   Figure Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Step 8:   In Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Step 9:   Future Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Free, green, solar dehydrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Intro:   Free, green, solar dehydrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Step 1:   Remove bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Step 2:   Frame pieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Step 3:   Assemble frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Step 4:   Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Step 5:   Attach screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Step 6:   Modify cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Step 7:   Place frame in container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Step 8:   Dehydrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

SOLAR OVEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Intro:   SOLAR OVEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Step 1:   Parts and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Step 2:   Your first cuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Step 3:   Paint it and stick it... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Step 4:   Keep a lid on things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Step 5:   Staying within the lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Step 6:   Window with a view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Step 7:   Lets get cooking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Portable Solar Generator on a bike trailer for Burning Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Intro:   Portable Solar Generator on a bike trailer for Burning Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Step 1:   Stuff you need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Step 2:   The trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Step 3:   Elecrtrical Componets and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

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Step 4:   Well its pretty much done... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Solar Food Dehydrator (Dryer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Intro:   Solar Food Dehydrator (Dryer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Step 1:   Learn the Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Step 2:   Find Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Step 3:   Size Pieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Step 4:   Assemble Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Step 5:   Additional Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Step 6:   Dehydration Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

S.P.R.E.E. (Solar Photovoltaic Renewable Electron Encapsulator), a Compact, Durable, and Portable Solar Energy Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Intro:   S.P.R.E.E. (Solar Photovoltaic Renewable Electron Encapsulator), a Compact, Durable, and Portable Solar Energy Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Step 1:   Gather Components for S.P.R.E.E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Step 2:   Construct a Box For S.P.R.E.E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Step 3:   Wire S.P.R.E.E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Step 4:   Energize S.P.R.E.E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Step 5:   Utilize S.P.R.E.E. then Rejoice in Clean Renewable Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

DIY Solar Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Intro:   DIY Solar Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Step 1:   Get the solar cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Step 2:   Check power and ground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Step 3:   Use conductive pen if needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Step 4:   Cell with conductive pen line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Step 5:   Linking the cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Step 6:   Example measurement for 2-cell link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Step 7:   Example measurements from a 6-cell link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Step 8:   Silicon coating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Step 9:   Solar Jelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Step 10:   Hope this helped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

How I built a folding 15 Watt Solar Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Intro:   How I built a folding 15 Watt Solar Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Step 1:   Getting the Solar Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Step 2:   Building the Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Step 3:   Gluing Down the Solar Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Step 4:   Wiring the Solar Cells Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Step 5:   Adding the Blocking Diodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Step 6:   Wiring the Two Halves Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

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Step 7:   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Almost Free Solar Hot Air Collector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Intro:   Almost Free Solar Hot Air Collector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Step 1:   Dumpster Diving Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Step 2:   Prepare The Fixture Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Step 3:   Painting the Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Step 4:   Cutting the Vent Holes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Step 5:   Intalling the Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Step 6:   Solar Panel and Micro Fan (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Step 7:   The Next Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

How to MAKE PV Solar Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Intro:   How to MAKE PV Solar Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Step 1:   Supplies and Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Step 2:   How to use "broken" cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Step 3:   Preparing Broken Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Step 4:   "Broken" or "crystalline" Cell Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Step 5:   Preparing Glass (Amorphous) Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Step 6:   Preparing Copper Indium Selenide cells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Step 7:   Applications for small solar panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Step 8:   Getting more practical power from your panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

How I built a Solar iPhone Charger for under $50. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Intro:   How I built a Solar iPhone Charger for under $50. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Step 1:   Tools and Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Step 2:   The Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Step 3:   The Simple Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Step 4:   Connect the Circuit to the Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Step 5:   Test the Charger! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Step 6:   Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Make a high powered solar panel from broken solar cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Intro:   Make a high powered solar panel from broken solar cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Step 1:   Tools needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Step 2:   Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Step 3:   Getting started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Step 4:   Wiring the cells in series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Step 5:   You're Done . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Solar phone charging system featuring sun tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Intro:   Solar phone charging system featuring sun tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

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File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Step 1:   Let the theory begin (too boring? Jump to next step then) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Step 2:   Tracking circuit design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Step 3:   Harvest the solar energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Step 4:   Putting all together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

DIY Solar USB Charger - Altoids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Intro:   DIY Solar USB Charger - Altoids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Step 1:   What You Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Step 2:   DC to USB Converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Step 3:   Choose Some Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Step 4:   Choose Your Solar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Step 5:   Wire Up The Solar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Step 6:   Connect The Battery Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Step 7:   Prepare the Charger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Step 8:   Solder The Charger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Step 9:   Cut Your Tin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Step 10:   Glue Everything In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Step 11:   Enjoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Home built solar power system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Intro:   Home built solar power system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Step 1:   The Original setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Step 2:   The first battery and electronics system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Step 3:   Adding a 15 watt solar panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Step 4:   A new battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Step 5:   The BIG panel!!!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Step 6:   Upgrading the charge controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Step 7:   Upgrading the Alt-E power board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Step 8:   The finished system (for now) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Step 9:   Adding another battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Step 10:   Outdoor lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Step 11:   A lighting controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Step 12:   Update: The complete system diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Step 13:   Using my power!!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Author and Copyright NoticesInstructable: Home Made Solar PanelAuthor: Home Build Solar SystemLicense: Attribution-NonCommercial (by-nc)

Instructable: Free, green, solar dehydratorAuthor: lwilkyLicense: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)

Instructable: SOLAR OVENAuthor: sdbigguyLicense: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)

Instructable: Portable Solar Generator on a bike trailer for Burning ManAuthor: veggiecycleLicense: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)

Instructable: Solar Food Dehydrator (Dryer)Author: PermacultureLicense: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)

Instructable: S.P.R.E.E. (Solar Photovoltaic Renewable Electron Encapsulator), a Compact, Durable, and Portable Solar Energy GeneratorAuthor: charlitronLicense: Public Domain (pd)

Instructable: DIY Solar PanelAuthor: giladlotanLicense: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)

Instructable: How I built a folding 15 Watt Solar PanelAuthor: mdavis19License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)

Instructable: Almost Free Solar Hot Air CollectorAuthor: ecosteveLicense: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)

Instructable: How to MAKE PV Solar PanelsAuthor: VIRONLicense: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)

Instructable: How I built a Solar iPhone Charger for under $50.Author: akbrennanLicense: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)

Instructable: Make a high powered solar panel from broken solar cellsAuthor: mattfeliceLicense: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)

Instructable: Solar phone charging system featuring sun trackingAuthor: h2osteamLicense: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)

Instructable: DIY Solar USB Charger - AltoidsAuthor: JoshuaZimmermanLicense: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)

Instructable: Home built solar power systemAuthor: MacOSJoeyLicense: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)

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DisclaimerAll do-it-yourself activities involve risk, and your safety is your own responsibility, including proper use of equipment and safety gear, and determining whether you haveadequate skill and experience. Some of the resources used for these projects are dangerous unless used properly and with adequate precautions, including safety gear.Some illustrative photos do not depict safety precautions or equipment, in order to show the project steps more clearly. The projects are not intended for use by children.

Many projects on Instructables are user-submitted, and appearance of a project in this format does not indicate it has been checked for safety or functionality. Use of theinstructions and suggestions is at your own risk. Instructables, Inc. disclaims all responsibility for any resulting damage, injury, or expense. It is your responsibility to makesure that your activities comply with all applicable laws.

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Home Made Solar Panelby Home Build Solar System on November 1, 2009

Intro:  Home Made Solar PanelWhy pay lots of money (or any money) for a program that shows you how you can make your own solar panel as you can get this for free?

Visit Home Build Solar System on http://home.kpn.nl/maas5455/ and experience how also you can make not only solar panels but also how to make the whole systemfor half the price of panels you buy in the shop for free.Those systems are mostly made from materials you can buy locally in your DIY shop and materials which are easy to get online.

Its time to harvest the sun and get your electricity for free.

See you at http://home.kpn.nl/maas5455/ .

Step 1: The Initial IntentionI could see that my electricity bill was increasing year after year, just because the modern day appliances cant be turned off any more and before I noticed I had manyappliances in the house which are on standby day in day out. This all not only harm the environment but also my bank account as I am using electricity for nothing. Not tosolve this problem (as this is how appliances are made and I cant change this) I started to look into renewable energy to compensate my unneeded losses and to takesome pain away from my bank account. Wind energy was no option due to the area Im living in, hydro electricity is no option as I live in a flat country with next to no riversso solar power was the best solution. Than the price of solar systems appear to be horrendous, far too much that the system ever would produce in its estimated 20 yearlifespan. So I tried to get governmental grants for this project but grants for those kinds of systems where limited and did I miss out. But I still wanted a solar system but Ididnt wanted to pay the high price, so I decided to build the panels myself. Yes you see this right, I wanted to build my own solar system and I can tell you now itspossible and well with materials bought local in DIY shops and easy to obtain parts from the Internet. No Im not a technical wonder and I dont have lots of experienceworking with electricity, I just looked around and taught myself how solar panels are made, how other might have done it and made out of this a workable plan of how Icould do it.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 2: Start Of The ChallengeAfter I did my homework I found out that there was a solar cell manufacturer just a few hours away from my house who could supply me with the needed cells (otherwise Icould buy those online as theyre easy to obtain from other sites). With information I collected from various sources I made a wiring diagram and did I got ordinary glassfrom a local supplier. Tools I needed came from my local DIY store and I was ready to start. See the needed materials list below witch not only states all the neededmaterials but also the price I paid for it and the shop I bought them from. The material list is for one panel only and the list of the total system is for 2 panels, one inverterand production meter. Installation material like wire, junction boxes, screws and holding brackets I didnt had to buy as those I still had in the shed or made my self.

Step 3: Building ProcessI soldered the solar cells according to the wiring diagram in series as this added the voltage of each cell together to achieve the desired (and highest) output. I made a 28cell panel (4 strings of 7 cells) as this is fitting the best in my garden and would give me 28x0.5V=14V (theoretically). The amperage I didnt know yet as I bought B qualitycells to play around with (this saved me some expenses to mess around with).

When I finished soldering the cells, the cells where up side down (as I soldered the backside of the cells last) so could place on the back of each cell a little bid siliconeand glued the cells on a 4mm glass sheet (this sheet will eventually become the back of the panel).Now I left it all to dray and the silicone to vapor out (its really important to let the silicone vapor out real good as the vapors react with the solder on the cells).

Next I turned the glass sheet over and placed small tile crosses (they use to place tiles on a wall or on the ground to keep a standard distance between the tiles) inbetween the cells so that at a later stage of the building process the 2 plates of glass will form a stiffer construction. When they are in place I did put silicone sealant allaround the edge of the glass plate at a distance of about 3 cm from the edge (which I left empty for filling at a later stage).

Then I placed the other plate of glass on top of it so the cells are now sandwiched between 2 glass sheets of 4mm thick (yes I just made double glassing with solar cellimbedded, how easy can a plan be).

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 4: Vaporing Out Of The PanelAnd left it all to dry for a minimum of 24 hours, the longer the better due to the sealant vapors. Then there is still an open space between the 2 glass plates on the outeredge and I filled this with more sealant. Now I have 2 sealant seals, so if one sealant line leaks than there is the 2nd line as a backup. I leave this to dry for another 3days. When the sealant has dried fully, I took some aluminum profile (aluminum angle bar) to make a frame to protect the glass and to make the panel stronger.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 5: Junction Box At The BackAt the back of the panel I made a junction box with a terminal block. At one site of the block the + and from the panel is going in and at the out side will go the wire goingto the inverter. In the junction box is also an diode in between the + from the panel to the + going to the inverter, this will prevent electric current to flow to the panel whenthe panel is not producing any electricity (like at night).

Step 6: The InverterI contacted the local solar panel shop for a suitable inverter as this one needs to be small (remember that I only make a small amount of electricity with this panel). In theshop was a small inverter laying around which could not be sold, and I could have this for free as it would otherwise be in the shop for a few more year. The inverter is anOK-4 one, starting at 24V to 50V and a max of 100W. So this learned me that just one panel would not be enough as this would give me only 14V, so I needed a 2nd oneand also hooked up in series so I would get 28V which is enough to get the inverter going. The 14V appeared to be enough but you could see that this was not a strongcurrent so guess what, I made a 3rd panel and now the production is nice and steady. I know that this inverter can go to a max of 100W and my 3 panels give more(135Wp) but this maximum my panels give will be chocked back by the inverter. What ever the inverter gets more than he can handle is burned off as heat. Yes I knowwhat youre thinking; Im wasting electricity right at the course. Thats true, but only at the middle of the day for a few hours when the sun is at its strongest and optimumangle to the panels and most of the day (actually most days) this is not the case. Now I start producing right a way when the sun comes up till its going down, just thanksto the fact that this inverter is able to work at a low voltage. I gain more by producing in total at the lower range (every day) than a few hours (at some days) at the toprange.

Step 7: Figure FactsAs that the OK-4 inverter hasnt got a build-in display to see how much output it gives I needed a separate production meter.A guess what, I was also not prepared to pay the full solar panel world price for this neither.I went to a local DIY store and bought an ELRO M12 Power Calculator, which is actually mend for calculating the usage of electrical appliances but works also fine tocalculate any solar production (this calculator is working both ways it can give and take electricity from the net).And this calculator plugs straight into the mains power supply with no difficult wiring (thats what we need).

Factory figures gave me that each cell gives 0.5V x 6A = 3Wp, but this in the perfect circumstances. For a whole panel this would mean 28 cells x 3Wp = 84Wp.But from previous gained knowledge I know that this is always given as an to optimistic figure and that around 20% less production will be achieved in real live.In this case this would mean a true expected production figure of 67Wp.

My panels are certainly not facing the optimum way, but this is for now also not the meaning (as silly as it sounds).The panels are placed at a 10 degree angle (instead 35) and not exactly facing South.But where they are placed is a temporary installation with the reason that I want to see how theyre behaving in real weather with cold temperatures, lots of rain and ablasting sun.A real setup will come in the near future.

Taking all of this in account the panels are producing 15V x 3A = 45Wp each.Concluding that the voltage of the cells are used to the maximum.The amperage can go higher, this can be done by changing the angle of the panels more into the sun, but is currently not possible due to their placing location.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 8: In ProductionIf I see that voltage wise the maximum output has been reached, I can say that the panels are working fine and do the give so far an average of 500Wh per week. Nowthe critics among us will say that this is nothing, but given that the panels have the potential to produce more as if I only change the facing/angle, the panels are smallerthan a standard panel plus it are only 3 panels they do fine. Plus my aim was to overcome the standby appliances in the house so you can say that I succeeded. Apartfrom the durability (this test is currently on going), I can say that a home made panel is working just as good as a panel bought in a shop.

Step 9: Future ThoughtsMy future plan is first testing the panels for their durability as so far I mainly focused on making the panels and do I not really know what they will do after being exposedto the weather for a long period of time.After this its time to make a sun tracker and make more panels but than bigger ones.Than the panels will give more output due to the size and will always be facing under the right angle to the sun for maximum output.And it speaks for it self that all gained knowledge will be published on the site for everyone to access.

And for the critic, yes youre right this is not free electricity as I had to pay for the parts but when I reached the breakeven point the costs are paid back and then thesystem will give me free energy by harvesting the sun.

To share my experiences Ive made a website where you can see for yourself how I did it, my production records to show how the system is behaving, and how you cando this yourself by means of text, photos and films.See this all at my site on http://home.kpn.nl/maas5455/

Why wait till tomorrow if you can start saving money today?

See you all at http://home.kpn.nl/maas5455/

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DIY Home Solar:Planning a SolarArray(Beginner'sGuide) by DIYSolar Jon

Solar Power(Article) byhowitgoes

Build a 60 WattSolar Panel bymdavis19

How I built afolding 15 WattSolar Panel bymdavis19

Solar PoweredGo Kart (video)byRenewableYou

Build a Qwik-Solar Step byStep byConserver

S.P.R.E.E.(SolarPhotovoltaicRenewableElectronEncapsulator), aCompact,Durable, andPortable SolarEnergyGenerator bycharlitron

How To Build ASolar Panel byhastyhost

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Free, green, solar dehydratorby lwilky on March 12, 2011

Intro:  Free, green, solar dehydratorWhy Dry: Preserve fresh fruit/vegetables/meat/fish/prepared food that is surplus to current needs, and increase calorie density (reduce weight for transporting,backpacking, camping).Why Solar/Green: Reduce carbon footprintWhy Free: Costco Kirkland Disney animal cracker container too nice to discard.Other leftovers used:- 30" of molding, mine was about 3/4" square- 7.5" x 18.5" piece of window screen- 4" diameter piece of window screen- glue, staples- (4) nuts and bolts, mine were 2"- scrap lumber, my pieces were 40" of 1/2"x3" and 5" of 1 1/4" x 1 1/4" recycled plastic.Tools used:- hand saw, scissors, utility knife, tape measure, hand drillSTEPS:

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 1: Remove bottom1 - Cut out bottom of animal cracker container.

Step 2: Frame pieces2 - Cut frame sides, my inside dimension was 6 5/8" square, I cut off corners so it would sit lower in the container.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 3: Assemble frame3 - Assemble frame, gluing seemed easier than nails or screws.

Step 4: Stand4 - Attach container to stand. Bottom of container should be elevated to allow free entry of dry air.

Step 5: Attach screen5 - Staple screen to frame. I placed some staples across frame joints to add mechanical hold to glue joints. Screen wraps all away around so top screen supports productand bottom screen keeps insects away.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 6: Modify cover6 - Ventilate cover with holes and screen.

Step 7: Place frame in container7 - Place screened frame in container.

Step 8: Dehydrate8 - Place food in screen.9 - Place dehydrator in sun.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

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Weekly Project:Go Green GBA--A Solar-Powered GameBoy Advance byPSdp

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

SOLAR OVENby sdbigguy on March 19, 2009

Author:sdbigguy    Green in SDI was born in the Chicago, Illinois and spent my formative years in a small community known as Wonder Lake. I moved to Greers Ferry. Arkansas while I wasin high school. I joined the Navy as a Photographer and retired after 20 years as a Petty Officer First Class Photographers Mate. I now live in the San Diego,California.

What are you doing to be GREEN?

Intro:  SOLAR OVENSOLAR OVEN that is quick, easy and FREE!!!

I am a packrat at heart and I am always looking at ways to make things from stuff and junk I have accumulated. I have been interested in trying to make a solar oven fora while.We got a shipment in today that had perishable items and the box was lined with 1 think Styrofoam sheets. When I opened one of the box I realized that I was already onthe way to making a solar oven. This is a very easy construct and with junk on hand the cost is ZERO. If you collect junk like I do you should be able to build this solaroven in less than an hour and still come up with good results.

Step 1: Parts and ToolsPARTS:

1 insulated cardboard box (BOX A)1 cardboard box (small enough to fit inside first box snuggly) (BOX B)1 cardboard box/cap to fit over BOX A (BOX C)1 piece of glass – this came from a free scanner that was obtained for free off of craigslist.Tape (shipping or duct tape)Black spray paintClear plastic bag (zipper bag or twist tie)Black or dark pot (small enough to fit within BOX B.)

TOOLS:

Craft knifeRuler (optional)Cutting board (optional)Pencil, pen or marker

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Step 2: Your first cutsI resealed the box with tape and then sliced one side off with my craft knife (BOX A). Once I had the side removed I was able to see how large the second box needed tobe. I found a box that would fit fine from side to side but it was a little to long. After a little cardboard surgery I was left with a modified box (BOX B).

Remember that anytime you use a knife or other sharp tool to practice responsible use... safety first!

Step 3: Paint it and stick it...I spay painted the inside of BOX B to help capture the heat from the sun. Slide BOX B inside of BOX A and there should be a tight fit and you end up with acardboard/Styrofoam/cardboard wall construction.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 4: Keep a lid on thingsI found a box that would fit over everything and form a lid (BOX C). After rummaging around in my PILE O STUFF & JUNK I came up with a piece of glass that fit inside ofBOX C. The glass is actually from an old scanner that was found on Craiglist for free.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 5: Staying within the linesI traced the outline of the glass, marked a line inside of that outline and used the craft knife to make a frame/window opening to hold the glass. I would recommendputting a cutting board under BOX C when cutting. If you share your house with someone and you have put cuts on countertops or slices in flooring you only have tomake that mistake once and you will never live it down.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 6: Window with a viewOnce the hole is cut, position the glass and then tape it into place. Put the lid on top of the rest of the build and everything should be ready to cook.

Step 7: Lets get cookingWhen it is time to prepare you meal try to find a dark container/pot/etc that will fit within the solar over. Put your ingredients in the pot and then put the pot into a clearplastic bag and seal the bag with either the zipper closure or a twist tie.

This will cook similar to a crock-pot and the best hours for cooking are usually around 10am to 3pm. Aim the oven at the sun and forget it. If you are able to monitor theoven you can reposition it through out the day and get a little extra temp out of it.

Get everything ready and load it in the morning and you should be ready to eat later that day.

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CERC GreenSolar Oven by3point2

Save Green byEddie B.

How to build aSOLAR BOTTLEBULB by liwanag

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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Portable Solar Generator on a bike trailer for Burning Manby veggiecycle on September 19, 2008

Intro:  Portable Solar Generator on a bike trailer for Burning ManAKA Solar panel On Wheels, aka Post Apocalyptic Power Wagon, aka Bike Dance Party USA, aka I should hook up a electric motor to this bike cuz the trailer is so damnheavy from the battery...

First let me start by saying this is not a plan on how to exactly build an Off Grid Solar System. Depending on what type of solar module or modules you use or what typeof charge controller and battery you use. The plan can come out completely different.This is more of an overview of a simple system I built with what I had available. But.. It does stand as a very good model for a simple Off Grid system that's got a little bitof umph behind it.I have ran off this trailer such things as a small refrigerator, a skill saw, several drop lights, a Sawzall with a drop light, ghetto blaster and 3 strings of xmas lights all night,electric tea pot, and the list goes on.So the story goes something like this. I was going to Burning Man with my work http://www.eesolar.com/ to build 9 solar arrays. First a 14k array for our camp to serve asa public charging station for electric art cars, camp batterys and, anything else under the sun (laptops, ipods, flash lights, vibrators, what ever). Then we built arrays topower 3 more camps and finally we fitted 5 major art installations with smaller solar arrays (1 to 2 k).I needed a way to run power tools to build the other arrays so I came up with the idea to retrofit this cheapy kid bike trailer that I got at a thrift store for 8 bucks with a 80watt solar module, 150 amp hour battery, charge controller and, 400 watt inverter.The idea is that I can attach my trailer to my bike with the solar junk and ride to other camps that don't have power and work on stuff. Now that I'm home I can ride mybike to anywhere there's a party happen'n and make the scene.

Step 1: Stuff you needFirst lets me say that this isn't really about how to build a solar bike trailer. That's why I am not getting into every little hole to be drilled and screw to be screwed. It morean illustration on how to set up a very simple Off Grid solar system and the components necessary. You should be able to take this simple plan and build it into almostanything (camping trailer, RV, apartment balcony, little cabin in the woods, ect.).My goal was to not buy anything new for this project. I found it all left over in my garage from other projects or at my work in the warehouse in some boxes of old parts. Iknow that most people don't have solar modules and and charge controllers laying around.. but I will try and give you some idea on how to spend as little $$ as possible. Ifigure if you bought this all new it could cost from $500 to $1000.

TRAILER Build one!!! (search "bike trailer" on this silly site), garage sales, Craigs List, thrift stores, ect.. The One I used is a cheap one. I took off the plastic body and cutit in half. Then I bolted it back on the frame and bolted scrap plywood over the wheels to serve as a strong platform.

SOLAR MODULE (aka Solar Panel) This one is a 17 volt 80 watt. I scrapped it from a downed freeway sign that had solar lighting. We are going to be using a Modulearound 17v because we are running a 12v battery. You can look for them used on Ebay or hunt for a new one online. I just searched and found new ones from $225 to$450 (google "solar panel 80 watt")

INVERTER This is a regular car inverter that you could plug into you cig. lighter outlet. It changes the 12 volt DC(like a car battery) into 120 volt AC (like your house) Thisone came from Home Chepot and is rated at 400 watts that's plenty for a system this size.

CHARGE CONTROLLER Now this is a can of worms. The charge controller protects the battery while it is charging. It keeps the right amount of juice coming in andsometimes even going out. The one I am using is a Trace C40 (read here for more about this CC) it is total over kill for this project. Trace also makes a really goodsmaller one that would have worked just fine the C12 (more about the C12) The C40 cost around $150 new and the C12 about half that. They are high quality pieces ofelectrical equipment and will last for years. You can buy a simple 12volt charge controller online for $20 to $30 that will work.

BATTERY You will need a 12 Volt deep cycle battery also call a marine battery. In theory you could use a 24 volt battery but you would need a 24v inverter and module.Or two 6 volts ..or.. or.. I'll save you the class on batterys.. that's what the interweb is for. I am using a sealed gel type battery for UPS systems it is 150 amp hours (thatpretty big 80 ish lbs.) I get them free from a buddy that builds UPS systems every once in a while.. that's why I'm using this battery. It retails around $350. I could use alighter battery like Li-Ion and it would weigh only 30 lbs but it would cost $2000.

MOUNTING HARDWARE The hardware I used was left over from residential solar installations. It is light weight and very strong. You can use a scrap of steel strut, ubrackets, nuts, bolts, and fender washers.

WIRE I used leftover scrapes of multi strand 10ga wire

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Image Notes1. Solar module... size that will fit on your trailer2. Bike trailer3. Inverter4. Charge controller5. Battery 12 volt deep cycle6. Mounting hardware7. 10GA wire

Step 2: The trailerLike I said earlier any trailer will do, just make sure its strong. I bolted the plywood on good by drilling holes in the steel frame. Then I used some old book shelf bracketsto hold the vertical plywood up. That's where I'm going to mount the electrical components. The solar module is mounted with really nice solar industry specific parts fromProSolar but you can use stuff in your garage or hardware store. I did a quick search and found some random PDF with pictures of steel strut and hardware see chapter15

The Battery is held on with an old nylon strap buckle. I think a bungy cord will do.

Image Notes1. Some books shelf brackets I found in the garage2. Scraps of plywood3. I cut off half of the dumb plastic trailer body and mounted plywood to the frame4. Solar module roof mount hardware.. you can fake that

Image Notes1. Nylon strap with buckle2. Strap

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Image Notes1. The front support bracket pretty much any piece of steel will do.

Step 3: Elecrtrical Componets and WiringI made up a really simple wiring diagram to show you how I wired this thing.

Image Notes1. 400 Watt DC inverter.2. These 2 wires bring the DC power from the solar module to the chargecontroller3. Trace C40 Charge Controller

Image Notes1. These 2 wires are coming from the solar module to the charge controller.2. There is two wires on each battery terminal. One that is bring power to thebattery from the solar module by the way of the charge controller. The wires thatare held on by the clips are taking power from the battery to the inverter.

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4. The 2 wires coming out of the bottom take the DC power to the batteryterminals. This charges the battery.5. The wires come from the battery terminals. They bring the 12 volt DC to bechanged by the inverter to 120 AC

Step 4: Well its pretty much done...Remember this was more of an illustration on how a simple off grid PV system works... not so much of a how to build the darn thing. I hope this got your "wheels turning"

Image Notes1. In this picture you can see why I left part of the trailer. It makes a great place tostow things like the tools you will run and the extension cord.

Image Notes1. Don't worry about it being a big sail. The battery weighs so much I neverwas going fast.

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Related Instructables

DIY Home Solar:Planning a SolarArray(Beginner'sGuide) by DIYSolar Jon

Non-PV SolarPower bybananafred Solar Lawn

Mower! by MarshHybrid solarpanel(photovoltaicand thermal) bycarlos1w

Solar Generatorby tk1314

Bike Trailer andCargo Bike byTimAnderson

HOW TO buildcheap VHS tapeWINDBELTgenerator(Photos) byMladen_solar

Building a microsolar generatorby RoDuS1488

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Solar Food Dehydrator (Dryer)by Permaculture on October 4, 2009

Intro:  Solar Food Dehydrator (Dryer)Dry your fruit, vegetables, and other goods with your own sun powered dehydrator. Electric Food Dehydrators can be expensive and consume unnecessary energy.

This solar dehydrator was made entirely of recovered materials. It was constructed with scrap ply wood, 2x4s from an old ladder, a house window, and other items whichcould be considered trash. It was created as a project at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa.

Why We Dry: Removal of moisture prevents bacteria from ruining your values fruits and vegetables. Drying is a form of preservation.

Step 1: Learn the DesignBecome familiar with the design to minimize mistakes...

There are vents underneath in the front which are hidden in this picture. The darker section is a piece of heat absorbent material, we used painted metal for this particulardehydrator, but other materials will do as long as they are dark. The food itself is placed on the shelf, which will be made out of a cloth screen. Other screen-like materialscan be used, but take chemical leeching into consideration to prevent contamination. The back piece of ply wood can be opened to remove the shelf and provideadditional ventilation.

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Step 2: Find MaterialsThin Ply Wood (Body)

4 2.5' Long 2" x 4"s

10 feet of 2" x 2" wood (Braces and drying shelf support)

A Window (20" x 23 1/8") or a suitable slab of clear plastic.

Screen (For covering vents)

Stretchable Cloth/Material. We used stalkings. (For drying rack)

2 Hinges

Screws

Staples

Thermometer

A Hook & String (To fasten the rear door)

Caulk (For perfectionists)

Step 3: Size PiecesHere is a checklist for the plywood pieces.

-1' x 23 1/4"' (Top)

- TWO 20" x 12" x 26 1/8" x 14 1/8" (Sides) This has a diagonal cut.

-26 1/8" x 23 1/16" (Bottom) This will be trimmed to fit legs and vents.

-14 1/8" x 23 1/16" (Back) This will be on hinges.

*Careful Cutting

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Step 4: Assemble FrameA. Cut 2" x 4" notches out on the bottom ply wood piece for legs. Cut out 2" x 4" slits for ventilation.

B. Construct base first as pictured.

C. Fasten side pieces of ply wood to legs.

D. Attach rear ply wood piece.

E. Screw 2" x 2" on top of side pieces to anchor the top piece. (This is more clear after viewing the second picture on this step)

*Drill then screw to prevent splitting

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Step 5: Additional Components

A. Size and Insert heat absorbent shelf (Approximately 23" x 20") . This rests on the top of the legs.

B. Construct drying screen by stretching and stapling material over a 14" x 22 1/2" frame constructed of 2" x 2" pieces.

C. Cut and attach support piece for drying screen.

D. Attach the window. Caulking the borders is recommended, but if the window is flush against the frame, then caulking is optional.

E. Cover vents with screen material to protect from insects.

F. Place thermometer inside, ideally close to the drying screen rack.

*Clean parts before adding them

Step 6: Dehydration TipsA. Dehydration will occur between 100 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Any lower and bacteria can grow, any higher and it will be cooking. In order to achieve this balancethe rear door may need to be left ajar.

B. Different fruits and vegetables have different optimum drying temperature ranges. Research what you are drying to find this out.

C. Remember to store your result in a dry place.

Thank you for reading our directions!

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S.P.R.E.E. (Solar Photovoltaic Renewable Electron Encapsulator), a Compact,Durable, and Portable Solar Energy Generatorby charlitron on July 30, 2008

Intro:  S.P.R.E.E. (Solar Photovoltaic Renewable Electron Encapsulator), a Compact, Durable, and Portable SolarEnergy GeneratorFor under $160 you can construct a S.P.R.E.E. to harness clean carbon-free solar electricity to power your portable electronic devices.

Project: S.P.R.E.E. (Solar Photovoltaic Renewable Electron Encapsulator), is an experiment in alternative energy and solar generated electricty.The impetus forconstruction was the desire to have my cellular phone and other small electronics run entirely from free* renewable solar energy.

The goal was to spend the least amount of money possible to design, construct, and maintain a portable, weather-proof, small-scale solar powered battery charger to re-charge any small electronics. Since I live in Southern California, with plenty of sun, the plan is to leave it charging on my balcony during the day, then charge my cellularphone at night. Note: Do not place on a balcony rail like I did, that was just for the picture.

My design was inspired from a do-it-yourself section I saw in Popular Science . The DIY section in Popular Science was a good start, but it lacked complete directions. Idid like how article listed how much and where to purchase components.

After reading that article, I searched other corners of the internet and developed my own design. I then researched the project, and gathered the parts for about $160,including taxes and shipping costs. I have friends that own an auto shop, RPM Brakes who let me use their multimeter, soldering iron, and they had plenty of extraconnectors around.

I have added several optional modifications in Step 5.

Image Notes1. Strong hinge created with speaker wire and screws. Holds the PV panelsecurely in place and allows placement at any angle.2. Multi-Angle Height Selector (M.A.H.S.)3. Never place on a unstable surface, like I did here.

Image Notes1. LED Photovoltaic Activity Indicator (LEDPAI)

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File Downloads

Spree.m4v (11 MB)[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'Spree.m4v']

Step 1: Gather Components for S.P.R.E.E.The components are very basic, involving a photovoltaic panel, a rechargeable battery, a charge controller, and the sun. You should not spend more that $160, unlessmoney is no object to you. Not the case for me.

5-watt, 12-volt photovoltaic panel, $36, eBay, Solar Cynergy: PV-SC005J171/4" mono plug (2), $1, allelectronics.com, SPHDC solar charge controller, $28, allelectronics.com, SCN-212-volt 12-AH rechargeable battery, $40, allelectronics.com, GC-121410-feet of 18-gauge wire, $3, allelectronics.com, WRB-18cigarette lighter "Y" adapter, $4, allelectronics.com, CLP-Y200-watt power inverter, $17, walmart.com, 001088173plastic box with split folding lids, $5, target medium binwood/hardware for mounting, $4, lowe's, 1x3x4, screws

This leaves about $22 for random parts, upgrades, accessories, shipping fees and taxes.

Necessary tools: Power drill and creativity.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 2: Construct a Box For S.P.R.E.E.I selected a plastic bin with a split opening lid worth $5 at Target. I picked it because it was cheap, durable, easy to modify, and relatively weather-proof. Drill plenty ofholes in it to provide airflow. I also drilled holes to add bungee cords to hold the battery secure. And, I drilled a hole for the mono jack to go into the box, leaving thecigarette socket outside of the box.

Be creative. Hollow out an old TV or CRT monitor and use that as your box. Or you can make it out of bamboo flooring scraps like they did in Popular Science .

Step 3: Wire S.P.R.E.E.The wiring is very simple and intuitive. Basically, the photovoltaic panel and the battery are connected to the charge controller.

The charge controller has a 12 volt output. This output is in the form of a 1/4 inch mono jack. The first step involves cutting off the cigarette lighter plug from the Y-adapterand soldering the mono plug to the cigarette lighter socket. (Since it was a Y adapter, and there was 2 sockets, I made 2 mono-plug-to cigarette-socket "connectors", oneas a backup) Make sure to test your connections.

Connect the photovoltaic panel to the charge controller. Insert the 1/4 inch mono jack into the 12 volt output of the charge controller. Check your connections again.

I drilled a hole in the plastic box top, and then attached 2 wooden boards to the top of the box. I then attached the photovoltaic panel to 1/2 inch square wooden dowels. Ithen created a hinge using speaker wire and screws, which holds the photovolatic panel secure yet allows tilt from 90 to 180 degrees. Then I drilled another hole andinserted the mono jack and left the 12 volt cigarette lighter outside of the housing, but made a holster for it by using a zip-tie.

More about modifications in step 5.

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Step 4: Energize S.P.R.E.E.After all connections have been made ,double check them and test them with a multimeter before connecting to the battery.

Connect the red wire to the positive (+) terminal of the battery, then connect the black wire to the negative (-) terminal of the battery.

Note: The photovoltaic panel will charge the battery even when the charge controller is OFF. The charge controller has to be in the ON position to power 12-volt cigarettelighter socket.

Step 5: Utilize S.P.R.E.E. then Rejoice in Clean Renewable EnergyPlace S.P.R.E.E. in the sunshine to charge the battery.

Adjust the photovoltaic panel at an angle roughly equal to your latitude for optimum electron encapsulation. Check out U.S. Gazetteer to find your latitude and check yourangle with a protractor.

At night, bring it inside, and plug your 12 volt electronics into the cigarette lighter socket to charge. OR, get an DC to AC inverter. It will use some of the electricity toconvert the energy, but you will be able to charge AC electronics. Although, it would be more efficient to use DC electronics with this small scale system.

Smile and know that you are using only clean carbon free energy when you talk on your cell phone, take photos with your digital camera, or play PSP.

I have added several inexpensive modifications my S.P.R.E.E.

1. M.A.H.S. (Multi-Angle Height Selector): I sawed up the remaining wood that used mount the photovoltaic panel into 4 different lengths. Then I drilled a hole througheach one and attached them all with twine. I also sawed a groove into them which makes the support more secure. Now, I can fan them out and select the right one,depending on where the sun is.

2. L.E.D.P.A.I. (LED Photovoltaic Activity Indicator): I purchased a green LED (with housing) from Radio Shack for $2. I drilled a hole in the top lid and wired the LED inparallet circut with the photovoltaic panel. Now, depending on how much or how little light the photovoltaic panel is receiving, the LED will respond by either glowing brightor becoming dim.

Be creative and be safe, don't zap yourself.

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Image Notes1. Strong hinge created with speaker wire and screws. Holds the PV panelsecurely in place and allows placement at any angle.2. Multi-Angle Height Selector (M.A.H.S.)3. Never place on a unstable surface, like I did here.

Image Notes1. LED Photovoltaic Activity Indicator (LEDPAI)

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DIY Solar Panelby giladlotan on December 14, 2006

Author:giladlotan    giladlotan.comWork at the FUSE (future of Social Experience) Microsoft Lab in Cambridge, MA. Alumni of the Interactive Telecommunications Program, New YorkUniversity.

Most recent web visualization: http://giladlotan.org/viz/iranelectionschool portfolio: http://giladlotan.comthoughts: http://giladlotan.com/blog

Intro:  DIY Solar PanelCreating a solar panel out of broken re-used solar cell pieces. I ordered a pack of these from http://siliconsolar.com (3$ for a bagful of them - you can order here ). Inaddition, you will need some conductive copper mesh (available at most art stores), glue gun + sticks, a multimeter and a conductive pen (or any sort of conductivebrush-on - I got my conductive silver pen here ). In this tutorial I will try to explain the best technique I found to connect these broken cells, in order to create your ownCHEAP solar panel.

Image Notes1. broken solar cells, available from http://siliconsolar.com2. conductive mesh - available at many hardware and art stores.

Step 1: Get the solar cellsthis is how the cells can look like when they arrive

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Step 2: Check power and groundWhen you look at the solar cell, make sure you check voltage between the positive side (the back side which is usually grey) and the negative side (which is the blackside, with all the lines on it) of each cell. You can simply use a multimeter by placing its leads on the cell itself. This step is crucial, otherwise you'll connect bad cells inthe middle of your link, causing the whole panel not to work.

Image Notes1. positive2. negative

Step 3: Use conductive pen if neededYou need to make sure that all the tiny little lines in the negative side of the cells are interconnected (a way to gather all the electrons from the surface). This step is notnecessary for all cells, only for the ones like in this picture, which don't have any connection between the lines on the surface. you can use the conductive pen to draw athin line which connects all of them. Once you do that, you will immediately see the voltage rising for that specific cell.

Image Notes1. These cells have no central conductive lead connecting between all the little leads on the negative surface of the cell. They need to be connected using theconductive pen preferrably.2. this cell has a connection already between the little conductive paths, so there's no need for the conductive pen here

Step 4: Cell with conductive pen linehere's an example of a cell with the conductive pen line on it, linking between the tiny conductive leads on the negative side of the solar cell.

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Step 5: Linking the cellsThis can get a bit tricky, but once you get the hang of it, can be done fast enough. First, some technical notes: In order to get higher voltage, you need to connect twocells in series. This means that the negative part of the first connects to the positive part of the second. As you continue to add more cells in series, you will get a highervoltage from side to side on your solar strip. This is all good, but if your cells are small-ish, they won't generate much amperage. So even if you have a high voltage, youprobably won't be able to give it any load (probably will hardly light an LED). In order to get higher amperage through the circuit, you need to connect cells in parallel(positive side to positive side, negative side to negative side). When you do this, make sure the positive and negative leads (copper mesh in this case) don't shortthemselves out.I found that the best way to connect between two cells was to use hot glue and some conductive mesh. The mesh is good since it allows light to come through it, and weall love glue guns. So all you need to do is glue the mesh onto the solar cell surface. Its always better to have a longer strip of mesh on the surface, with a big enoughshared surface space between the two. Always check with a multimeter that there is connectivity, and that there is voltage coming through. Its a bummer later to try andfigure out where the problem is.

Image Notes1. positive side of this cell (not seen - its the bottom) connected to the negative side of the cell to its' left. The negative side of this cell (top) is connected to thepositive side of the cell on its' right side.. and so on and so forth2. negative side of this solar cell, connected using a conductive mesh to the positive side of the cell to its' right3. linking cells in series

Step 6: Example measurement for 2-cell link

Step 7: Example measurements from a 6-cell linkThis solar array can light an LED when close to the window. (I know... doesn't help much)But it can definitely charge a battery... (instructable still in the making...)

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Step 8: Silicon coatingI highly recommend applying a silicon coating to your solar array. The cells are so fragile, and the links can easily detach or move out of place. A thin coat of silicon keepsit all in place... and also gives it a very cool effect!

Step 9: Solar JellyHere's what i made.A little Solar Jellyfish. I put a battery and servo motor inside. When there was enough light on it, the object moved its legs up and down just like a jellyfish (video comingvery soon...). And when it was dark, it lit up from inside and became a light display.A bit messy, but still a prototype.Next iteration coming up real soon.

project page

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Step 10: Hope this helpedPlease leave a comment if you have any questions, suggestions or ideas.

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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

How I built a folding 15 Watt Solar Panelby mdavis19 on July 30, 2010

Intro:  How I built a folding 15 Watt Solar PanelSeveral years ago I built a 60 Watt solar panel . It's a great panel. I still use it a lot. However, it is big, and heavy, and I don't always need 60 Watts of power. SometimesI just need a little power for a portable device or two. I'd like to be able to charge up my cell phone, or MP3 player without having to lug around the big solar panel. I'dalso like the panel to be more compact and easier to pack when I am traveling light. So I decided to build a 15 Watt Solar panel that folds up to be more compact. Somepeople may complain that it is too much effort, and doesn't save enough money to make it worth the trouble of building their own 15 Watt panel. For me though, it is allabout the joy of building. Anybody can buy a solar panel. How many people build their own? Plus it folds up, which most commercially made panels don't do.

I experimented with putting plexiglass covers over both halves of the panel, but in the end decided not to use them, so those steps are omitted from this Instructable. Youcan see the mistakes I made, and the omitted steps, and lots more about constructing this solar panel on my web site . See also my home-built wind turbine and home-built biomass gasifier alternative energy projects while you are at my web site.

Here is a video walk-around of the finished solar panel. This Instructable will explain how I built it.

Image Notes1. My home-built, folding, 15 Watt solar panel.

Step 1: Getting the Solar CellsThe 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 tofind 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 ratesolar cells can be used to make a solar panel that will work just fine.

My first solar panel used 3 X 6 inch monocrystalline silicon solar cells. They are highly efficient and produce a lot of current. But they are also big and delicate and difficultto work with. For this project I decided to use a different kind of solar cells. I used 40 thin-film Copper Indium di Selenide (CIS) solar cells. Each cell is actually a miniaturesolar panel 60mm x 60mm x 2mm thick, that will produce a little over 4.5 Volts and 80 mA in bright sunlight, that only comes out to about 0.375 Watts per cell, but 40 ofthem together produce the 15 Watts I was targeting. I would wire them together in groups of 4 cells in series to get about 18 Volts, and then wire the groups of 4 cells inparallel. I would divide the 40 cells into two groups of 20 and build a folding box to mount them in. I bought 40 of the (CIS) solar cells off of Ebay and got to work.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. The solar cells just as they arrived from Ebay. They were well packed andall of them arrived alive.

Image Notes1. The back of one of the solar cells.2. The tabs are already attached to these solar cells which is a great time-saverwhen it comes to assembly of the panel.3. The negative tab is pre-marked on all these solar cells. I used a magic markerto enlarge the mark and ran it onto the clear edge of the cell so I could see fromthe front which tab was negative.

Image Notes1. The front of one of the solar cells.2. The small mark I made that denotes the negative side of the solar cell.

Image Notes1. Testing one of the solar cells under my desk lamp.2. The solar cells will make even higher voltage in direct sunlight.

Step 2: Building the BoxI drew up a layout for 20 of the solar cells and rough dimensions of half of the folding solar panel. The other half would just be a mirror image of this. I did things a littledifferently when I actually wired the cells together, but I followed this initial plan fairly closely.

Now it was time to start building the panel. I used similar construction technique to what I used on my first solar panel , just scaled down to a smaller size and hinged inthe middle. I built two shallow wooden boxes 15 7/8 by 13 inches, using 1/4 inch thick plywood and 3/4 x 3/4 wood side rails.

I hinged the the two halves together. I didn't bother mortising out for the hinges. I just mounted them flat against the sides of the boxes.

The last photo shows the finished hinged box opened up. I painted the box my usual white color that seems to be becoming the signature color for all my alternativeenergy projects.

Image Notes1. A rough sketch of the layout and interconnections of the solar cells and thedimensions of one half of the folding solar panel.

Image Notes1. One half of the folding solar panel box.

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Image Notes1. Brass hinges mounted flush to the surface of the boxes (I was too lazy tomortise them).

Image Notes1. The completed folding solar panel box

Step 3: Gluing Down the Solar CellsI marked out the position for each of the 20 solar cells in each half of the panel in pencil.

I then cut the tape holding down the tabs on the back of each of the cells, and folded the tabs up and over to the top side of the cell. I also marked the negative side of thecell better so I could see it from the front of the cell. Then I began gluing them down on the spots I had marked out earlier. I used a small blob of silicone caulk in thecenter of each cell and pressed it in place.

After all the cells on one half were glued down, I waited a few hours for the silicone to set up before starting to wire the cells together. I wanted to complete and debugone half, just in case I ran into problems, before doing the other half.

Image Notes1. I marked out the position of each cell in pencil.

Image Notes1. A blob of silicone glue holds down each solar cell.2. The solar cell tabs were bent up before gluing down the cells.

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Image Notes1. All the cells on one half of the solar panel are glued down. Time to start wiringthem together.

Step 4: Wiring the Solar Cells TogetherOnce the silicone had set up and the cells were firmly stuck down, I started soldering the tabs together. The tabs on adjoining cells were sticking up like is seen in the firstphoto.

I used my fine needle-nose pliers to grab the tabs that needed to be joined, and rolled them together on the tips of the pliers. Then I flattened the resulting little roll of foildown to prevent it from unrolling. The tabs are made of thin metal foil. So be careful since it isn't hard to damage them or rip them off the cells.

Finally I used my soldering iron and a little solder to finish each joint. Be quick. Don't let your soldering iron linger on the tabs, or they may unsolder from the cells.

Once I was done soldering all the cells together, I had 5 strings of 4 cells wired in series. Now I had to connect the 5 strings together in parallel. I used some copper braidI had on hand to wire together all the positive sides of the cell strings. I used small blobs of silicone to hold the braid in place.

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Step 5: Adding the Blocking DiodesI then soldered the anode of a 31DQ03 Schottky diode to the positive rail. This diode acts as a blocking diode, preventing the solar panel from discharging my batterybank at night or when shaded. Each half of the panel gets a blocking diode since the two halves will be wired in parallel. I bought a bunch of these diodes cheap on Ebay, and have been using them for a while now in my solar panels .

Next I installed the wires that leave the panel. I ran them out through a hole drilled in the hinge side of the panel. I soldered the red wire to the cathode of the diode andthe black wire to the negative rail. I tied a knot in the wires for strain relief, and used blobs of silicone caulk to secure everything in place.

The other half of the panel is a mirror image of the first. I joined the wires for the two halves together outside the panel.

Once you have all the solar cells glued down and wired together, the solar panel is essentially finished. I experimented with adding plexiglass covers to both halves of thepanel to protect the solar cells. However, I found that heat built up inside the panel, and the heat reduced the performance of the solar cells. Since these solar cells aremuch more robust than the ones I used to make my 60 Watt solar panel , I decided to omit the plexiglass. You can see the mistakes I made, and the omitted steps, andlots more about constructing this solar panel on my web site .

Image Notes1. The anode of the blocking diode is soldered to the positive bus wire.

Image Notes1. A red wire is soldered to the cathode of the diode. A black wire is soldered tothe negative bus wire. A knot was tied in the wires to provide strain relief. Thewires exit through a hole in the hinge side of the box. Blobs of silicone holdeverything in place.

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Image Notes1. The two sides are mirror images of each other.

Step 6: Wiring the Two Halves TogetherThe wires from both halves of the panel were joined together using butt splices and connected to a quick-disconnect plug. The connector I used on the panel. It is apolarized quick-disconnect plug available at Radio Shack and other places.

I actually bought several of these plugs. The other end of the plugs connect to various different things. I can switch what the panel is connected to just by changing plugs.One of the more useful things I connect to this solar panel is a car cigarette lighter type plug (not shown) that I can plug small chargers like for my cell phone or MP3player into.

I also have a long cable made from an extension cord that allows me to have the solar panel in a sunny spot, but use the power somewhere far away in the shade.

Image Notes1. Polarized quick-disconnect plug.2. The wires from the two halves of the solar panel are joined with butt splices.

Image Notes1. The polarized connector I used on the folding solar panel.

Step 7: I completed the solar panel just in time to take it with me on vacation to my remote off-grid property in Arizona. My property has previously served as a testing ground formy home-built wind turbine, and my 60 Watt home-built solar panel. A photo below shows the solar panel unfolded and laid out on the hood of my truck to catch the sun.

I wanted to test the solar panel extensively. I wired it into my charge controller to supplement the power being produced by the wind turbine and larger solar panel. I alsowired the panel to a 12V cigarette lighter type plug and tested it powering various small appliances like my car cell phone charger and the charger for my MP3 player. Thepanel worked 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 ofbuilding 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 $30.00*Misc. Lumber Already on hand $0.00Hinges Homecenter Store $3.49Silicone Caulk Homecenter Store $3.95

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Wire Already on hand $0.00Diodes Ebay $0.40±Quick disconnect plug Radio Shack $5.50Paint Already on hand $0.00

Total $43.34

* The price of solar cells on Ebay has gone up quite a bit since I bought these cells.± This price represents 2 out of a lot of 25 diodes I bought on Ebay for $5.00.

Not too bad. That's a bit cheaper than what a commercially made 15 Watt solar panel from someplace like Harbor Freight would cost, ($70 as of this writing). However,my panel folds up to save space. The Harbor Freight panels don't, and they are nearly as big as my 60 Watt solar panel. I have plans to further experiment with these CIScells, and build more panels to add to the capacity of my system. I'll post more here as the project evolves. Stay tuned.

You can see the mistakes I made, and the omitted steps, and lots more about constructing this solar panel on my web site . See also my home-built wind turbine andhome-built biomass gasifier alternative energy projects while you are at my web site.

Here is a video walk-around of the finished solar panel.

Image Notes1. This old flat panel monitor box is just the perfect size for storing and transportingthe folding solar panel.2. Catching some rays.

Image Notes1. Only mad dogs and Englishmen and solar panels go out in the midday sun.

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Almost Free Solar Hot Air Collectorby ecosteve on April 28, 2010

Intro:  Almost Free Solar Hot Air CollectorI hate throwing anything out untill I have exhausted my mind, searched the web or visited Instructables for other potential uses. I have not found and hot air collectorsmade from light fixtures so here you go.

Electric Car Conversion;

http://goeving.blogspot.com/

YouTube Solar Hot Air Collectors;

http://www.youtube.com/user/EcoGreenGroup

Making a solar hot air collector out of free used 2 x 4 metal light fixtures, free old glass and free black paint to reduce our carbon body tape outline, reduce our untilitybills and save money.

We are building and installing 14 of these hot air collectors on our south wall of our 140 year old house in Ontario, Canada. During sunny days in the winter these willcompletely heat our house for about 6 hours. After we make these, we will join them together venting the cold air from the bottom of the rooms and exhaust the top ventsto the top of rooms. The fans will help increase the air flow to these rooms. The next collectors that we make will also be insulated and have a metal baffle inside to helpconcentrate the heat. The collectors then will be connected to the house and flexable dryerduct inside the house will vent heat to various rooms . Check out our You tube home page for more info.

• Free Heat.• No Fuel Needed.• Renewable.• Cost effective.• Green.• Recycled.

Image Notes1. Free 12 volt computer fan and hot air exhaust2. Free 12 volt solar panel3. Cold air return vent hole4. Free black paint to attract the sun5. Free glass6. Not free caulking, but free black tape to help seal glass joints7. Free black tape to help protect the glass around the edges.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 1: Dumpster Diving TimeMaterials needed• Old light fixture (Restore).• Aluminum Tape.• Flat black paint (Restore).• Glass cut to fixture size.• Silicone caulking and gun.• Latex or nitrile gloves.• Protective gloves for handling glass and cutting metal.• Hammer and Screwdriver.• Metal scissors.• Thermometer.• Drywall screws and drill with a Phillips bit.• Glass cutter and marker (If cutting own glass).

Step 2: Prepare The Fixture FramePrepare the Fixture Frame• Remove old light tubes.• Remove fixture sockets.• Remove ballast.• Screw overlapping corners of frame together with drywall screws.• Seal the corners and any small cracks of the fixture with silicone caulking.• Cover up all large holes with aluminum tape.• Let silicone dry overnight before painting it flat black.

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Step 3: Painting the FramesPainting the Frames• Wear clothes that you can get paint on.• Wear protective gloves.• Put some newspaper down so you don’t get the paint on anything else.• Clean the fixtures with soap and water and let dry.• Paint fixtures front, back, sides and let dry overnight.

Step 4: Cutting the Vent HolesCutting the Vent Holes• Use a hammer and a screwdriver to strike the “punch outs” at the center of each end.• Cut holes square, a little larger with the metal scissors and if installing a small fan to help exit the hot air at the top mark before making hole bigger. you will want tomake it a little smaller to allow mounting with the drywall screws (dry wall screws will cut their own threads into the light fixture) Wear gloves to protect you hands.• Tape the cut openings after so there is no sharp edges.

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Step 5: Intalling the GlassIntalling the Glass• Put silicone on the frame edges so the glass will stick.• Then install the glass.• If installing multiple panes of glass caulk the seam running across the collector.• Let the silicone dry overnight.

Step 6: Solar Panel and Micro Fan (Optional)Solar Panel and Micro Fan(Optional)• Screw the micro fan carefully to the top back hole of the hot air collector with drywall screws.• Remember to make sure the fan’s direction is correct and exhausting the hot air.• Lay the hot air collector down.• Put a good amount of silicone on the back of the solar panel and put it on one of the top corners.• Attach the solar panel to micro fan and let the silicone dry overnight.How it works• The fan pushes hot air out and replaces it with cool air.• In effect the fan heats up a room faster.• The upper and lower holes will be ducted to the house.• If there is enough sun to make heat, then there is enough to make electricity for the fan.

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Step 7: The Next StepThe Next Step

• Make more hot air collectors and mount them on the house to offset the heating bills. Possibly insulate the collector to reduce loss of heat through the side and back.

• Reduce the fossil fuels we use.

Testing• I placed the completed collector in a place where the sun shines for most of the day.• I placed a thermometer near the top hole of the collector.• I recorded readings every hour.• The reading of 53°C on the meter is the collector inside temperature as you can see the thermometer gauge inside.• On test day the maximum outside temperature for April 19, 2010 was 15°C.• The difference gave us a range of 20°C to 50.9°C free heat.• 10:00 am 46°C / 114.8°F• 11:00 am 58.5°C / 137.3°F• 12:00 pm 63.1°C /145.58 °F• 1:00 pm 65.9°C / 150.62°F• 2:00 pm 62.4°C / 144.32°F• 3:00 pm 54.3°C / 129.74°F• 4:00 pm 35.0°C / 95°F

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How to MAKE PV Solar Panelsby VIRON on August 12, 2007

Author:VIRONI'm a figment of my own imagination.----To Win the war on TerraMeans to END the WORLD.How about a nice game of Chess?----I'm chilling,but forgive mefor sometimes believingI invented everything.

Intro:  How to MAKE PV Solar PanelsThis is not "How to make PV Solar Cells".It is possible to home-make Copper Oxide and other kinds of materialsbut that is a whole nother story which I may do in the future.

I may be a little bit ambitious to try to show you how I made PVSolarpanels out of various types of cells I collected and how andwhere I obtained them rather inexpensively, and some of the differencesin the various kinds, but most of all, how to work with them to getfree electricity under the light of the sun and other sources of light.

In essence, this involves ways to connect cells, which may producemore or less than one volt, and not only try to increase power outputbut also decrease the load, that is, efficiently conserve the energywhether it is meager or significant.For example, even the weakest solar panels can run watches,calculators, radios, charge batteries, and if a computer werespecifically designed to, it would be as solar-powerable as a calculator.

Here are some pictures of Solar Panels which I have constructed.

Step 1: Supplies and SourcesWhat you may be able to use to build a useful solar panel:

"Broken" solar cells. They are very cheap and they work, they arejust randomly shaped. They are usually crystalline silicon ones,which ALWAYS (ha!) look broken even when they are not.

Surplus solar cells. Amorphous silicon printed on glass (check) areexcellent, usually producing more than a volt, and much sturdierthan the thin ones that break in bulk quantities. If these break, wecan fix them, usually.

Indium Copper Selenide Cells. These are "new" and are convenientlysold as glass tiles with easy to solder tabs.

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Any of the above, sold as cells prepared for assembly into panels;in other words, complete and solder - ready or with wires and tabs.(I will explain how to prepare inferior quality cells in this instructable.)

Miscellaneous items:Wire Glue - There is already another instructable for using wire glueon Broken solar cells. (link)

Brass extrusions, bracket |_| shaped - Convenient for connecting to glass cells.

SolderSoldering Iron - low wattageSmall flat-head screwdriverThin (around 20 AWG or less) stranded copper wire

Lamp cord or Speaker WireAlligator clips

Deep Picture Frames or Shadow Boxes (Enclosure)-look for imported frames at the El Cheapo store and pray a machine made them

Acrylic/Lexan/Plexiglas/Etc clear polymer sheetsRouter or Dremel to cut out the middle of one out of three sheetsRTV (Silicone Glue) - or :High Temperature Hot Melt Glue (Caution-you don't want the sun to melt it!)

Rectifier Diode such as 1N4001 or 1N4004

Voltage doubler or multiplier circuits (you can make) to increase voltage output.-examples: ICL7660, MAX1044, MAX232, etc.

Wide Sticky TapeDouble Sticky Foam Tape

Rechargeable Nickel BatteriesGel Cells or Car Battery (you got one, might as well use it until it's useless)-Li Ion not recommended because they are harder to charge

Analog volt meter (only because it doesn't need batteries like a digital one)

AC Inverter - if you are charging a powerful battery and would occasionallyrun some mains-powered appliance. Some UPS's can be easily modified tobe inverters, if they can be turned on after a power failure.

Sources:Broken Solar Cells:Herbach and RademanSilicon SolarElectronic Goldmine

Glass (Amorphous) Solar Cells:Electronic GoldmineNote:Other links here may also supply Glass Solar Cells

Indium Copper Selenide Cells:All ElectronicsEdmund ScientificElectronic Goldmine

Other sources:Cheap weather damaged solar powered outdoor night lights-(common failures are circuit corrosion and defective batteries, not the solar cells)Defective solar calculators, solar charged flashlights, etc.

Perhaps a little off topic:For a reasonably good deal on Complete and Useful Solar Panels I recommend"Solar Car Battery Chargers" that are about 1 or 2 watts and between $20 and $30,whenever an opportunity to get some arises. But those are what I am trying to showhow to Make an approximate equivalent of.

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Step 2: How to use "broken" cellsThey are the crystalline ones that Always look broken, but if they really are,then they have not been fully prepared for use. It is an extra challenge tosolder wires onto them but this is how I do it:

Look for the wide line on the pieces, and sort out ones that only havethin lines. The thin line ones might be useful with Wire Glue but aretoo hard to solder.

Then sort the pieces with wide lines by how big they are. They will all beabout 0.55 volts but the larger pieces make more current than the smallerpieces and it's nice to have a panel with consistent current, especiallythe one you make with the biggest pieces.

Let's save the big pieces until we learn to do the small pieces.

Strip apart a short length of stranded wire and put the now loose strandsin a small box just so you can find them and so they don't wander into anotherproject and cause a short circuit.ACTUALLY another option may be to use wire-wrap wire instead of bare strands,if you don't mind stripping the end of each piece.

The broken cells have a very thin conductive layer on the blue side anda very rough thicker one on the other. It will be more challenging to solderonto them than on perfect cells but this is how.First the blue side...

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Step 3: Preparing Broken CellsIf you can solder onto the cells then they are higher quality than the ones I haveso you can skip these preparing steps:

On the blue side, scratch the thick line with a very small flat screwdriver with just a little forceso that the cell doesn't break, and the line should turn from white to shiny unless it's alreadyshiny and ready to solder. Try to make a little shiny circle. We will solder there.Make the flat edge of the screwdriver completely touch the scratched area so it rubs wide.Mostly push back and forth so that the rubbing removes the thin oxidation.After scratching the line, turn the cell and scratch the circle back and forth again.Maybe turn it once more and scratch it once more.

Now flip the cell over and notice the rough stuff on the back. If there appears to betwo different roughnesses or shades of grey, we are going to scratch in two places.Again, turn the cell and scratch it in one or two little circles by pushing the edge of thescrewdriver up and down to remove the coating that solder won't stick to.

Now back to the blue side. Try to get a solderball to stick.If it does not stick, and rosin gunks up the area, scrape it off and try again,and if it seems hopeless, scrape another part of the wide line on the cell.I did not have the problem because of practice.

Now try to put a bump of solder in the two places scratched on the bottom ofthe cell. I was only able to get one bump to stick. There are areas on thebottom where solder just won't stick. But if neither spot sticks, try scraping therosin off the spots and soldering again, or carefully scratching another spot.If you have a bump on the blue side, it's good but you can't lay the cell flat now.The spot that worked was rougher and thicker than the one that didn't, andthat means there's a lot more silver there, and more likely it will solder.

Now that you have two solder bumps, you can attach two thin wires,either strands from stranded wire, or thin wire-wrap wire.What about thicker wire? It can pull the lines off the cell and then you canforget about soldering it. Put it in the "wire glue" bin.

Now that there are two wires on the cell, test it with a meter. The Blue sideof the cell will make up to 0.55 Negative volts, so connect the meter PLUSto the wire on the silver-gray bottom of the cell. My cell isn't getting muchlight but the meter needle is indicating that it is making electricity.

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Step 4: "Broken" or "crystalline" Cell PanelsIn the last step I mentioned that the Blue side is Negative andthe silver side is Positive.

Now all you have to do is solder your cells in Series to getmore voltage. To do that you only need one more wire foreach additional cell you add.Remember each cell makes up to half a volt, so considera 12 volt panel to have 24 or more cells. A few extra is good.One reason for that is a diode lowers the voltage just a little bit,and another is that it's nice to have 12 volts for charging batterieswhen it's not the sunniest time of day. A diode is used when thepanel charges batteries, so the batteries don't give any powerback to the panel in the dark. That would be a waste of free power.

Because the cells are so fragile, it would be good to install themin a deep picture frame (shadow box) with double stick foam tapeor RTV glue. Be careful, this is permanent. You could make itless permanent with hot-melt glue also.

At this point you don't need to think that the cells are "already broken",and you will have a well working panel. You could hide the shard-shapeswith fluorescent lighting diffraction plastic over the framed panel if you like.Perhaps you've seen a shard-cell panel just like that being sold before.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 5: Preparing Glass (Amorphous) CellsI received a surplus glass cell with instructions on how to use copper meshto make a connection to the glass cell. The glass cell was pre-scratched inthe area where the mesh and wires were supposed to go. But... even withthe copper mesh, it didn't stick. It was doable, but hard to do, and not verystrong. All the wires pulled off. Some of you may have had success withusing copper mesh soldered to scratched areas of glass cells, but there is aneasier way.

Perhaps you have a broken / damaged glass cell. You may still be able to use it,unless the damage has made the glass transparent, in which case there is severedamage to the photovoltaic part of the cell.

One interesting thing about the glass cells. Looking at them, you see lines, justas you may on "broken" or "crystalline" cells, but those lines are not current-collecting conductors. They are gaps between areas of the glass cell that eachmake about half a volt. So, glass cells can be expected to have 2 lines for everyvolt of output. And they can make 6 or 9 or 12 or 20 volts.

So, we want to connect the wires to places with the most amount of lines between themto get the highest voltage. And out the wires on the silver side, of course.

Scratch the silver (probably aluminum) near the edges and test the voltage and polarity,for your information. I usually use a red wire for Plus and a black or green for Negative.

Easy connection method:You need two brass extrusions, carefully cut with a dremel (safety goggles!),and wires soldered on this side of the extrusions ---> CThe extrusion must have enough space inside it for the glass cell to fit.The extrusion is then crushed a little (before putting it on the glass)so that it will bite the glass with some pressure and make contact with the scratched edge.

Slide the crushed extrusion onto the glass. If it's too crushed it won't go on, so pryit open. If it's not crushed enough it falls off, so crush it more. When it bites, andthere is voltage in the light across the two extrusions, put stickytape orjust a little plastic cement over the extrusion to help it stay there.

The Glass cell is now ready to use.The long one shown is actually two 9-volt ones on one glass, and is the onethat I put extruded contacts on because the copper mesh wouldn't stick..

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Step 6: Preparing Copper Indium Selenide cells.These are rather well prepared already.They have easy to solder tabs, and are marked which end is Negative with adash of a black marker.The ones I got, I mounted in frames and in an acrylic polymer sheet sandwich.Three in series ... in parallel with three more in series ... makes nice 12 volts.

I have been advised that these cells undergo some kind of reaction if first exposed tofull sun with no load for about 15 minutes, and that the result is good. I'm told that theresult generates more output than if they are not treated this way. Just FYI. I didn'tnotice the difference between the panel that had pre-sunned cells and another thatdidn't.

The cells are glass tiles that appear to be made similar to the Amorphous glass,but they are more efficient, and produce around 4.5 volts and 100ma each in full sun,approximately. As they say, your mileage may vary. I have no advice for brokenCIS cells.

It is very easy to connect CIS cells together. Peel back the tabs a little, which point toeach other under the cell, and start to peel back the stickytape that holds it on,just enough so that you can solder them in series.And watch the polarity! I goofed it up a couple of times.No damage done, but I had to do it over.When soldering, wet the ends of the tabs with solder, then press down quicklywith a popsickle stick or something to flatten them against the bottom of the cells.The cells go together nicely like tiles.With moderate carefulness, you don't need to worry much about ruining them yourself,just don't leave them alone with curious people until your panel is done and safe insidea solid frame. I've fastened them with both RTV Silicone and double-sticky-foam-tape.I prefer the Silicone glued result, with the cell tiles grouted against the glass from behind.(No silicone between the cells and the frame glass)DSFT (foam tape) is more likely to (it has, in fact) let go of a couple of the cells.

As mentioned before, although I don't know if it's necessary for CIS cells, use a diodewhen charging batteries with the panels.

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Step 7: Applications for small solar panelsThe solar panels I made and pictured generate around 1 or 2 watts generally.

These are the applications I use them for:

Charging batteries.In the blackout of 2003, those batteries ran our blackout party,which included black lights, fans (it was a hot day), radio, small TV, and low voltage lights.And an AC inverter.(I go to the rechargeable battery recycle bins with a meter and if they are not really deadthen I borrow them until they are. I didn't buy any of these batteries.)

Solar night lights - nowadays a very common thing where I live.

Solar powered fans - although my solar panels run computer fans directly when it's hot,(The sun makes it hot, and the sun runs the fans!)I notice that solar charged battery powered fans are MUCH MORE POWERFUL.

Solar Flashlights

Solar powered radios - including my ham radio shack.

ABOUT SOLAR POWERED COMPUTERSI guess people don't leave their laptops in the sun...My approach to designing a solar powered computer,(and my definition of computer is a processor with memoryand a keyboard and a screen that runs not-necessarily-an-operating-system)is to use very high resistance CMOS chips which use very little electricity,just like watches and calculators... a computer is also a calculator with lotsof memory, and CMOS memory is a common thing!At night time, the computer has not used up all it's solar power so it useswhat is stored in the rechargeable battery.There is simply no demand for the solar powered computers,nor any obstacle to solar powering a PDA or a laptop with similarly sized panels.

DUTY CYCLES:In simple theory, if you get eight hours of sun and need one hour of power,you can get by with one eighth the solar power by saving it up in batteries.Also, if LED lights should run all night, it's easy to collect more than enoughsolar power during the day in batteries with the right sized panel.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 8: Getting more practical power from your panelIt is very easy to get a few solar cells and put them together into a panel,but sometimes it gets expensive to get enough cells to make a useful voltage.

If you obtained one or two large cells, you may have a whole watt or two,but only a volt or less, and that's sad. Not too many things run on less thana volt.

Perhaps you got enough big broken cells to make 6 volts , but wouldn't it benice to have 12 volts? Then maybe you could keep a battery charged andoccasionally run an inverter on it.

In the last step I mentioned how time could be used to save up power foranother time when it will be used. And a small panel can make enoughpower over a long time to run a big load for a short time.

In this step I am talking about matching the voltage of the panel, whateverit may be, to the voltage that you find useful. Or generally, matchingsupply and demand in a satisfying practical way.

It may be possible to design a 2 volt circuit for a 2 volt panel, but unnecessary.

It is possible, although as far as I know, using obsolete Germanium transistors,to get any voltage out of a big half-volt cell, and I don't know a modern way,so I'll leave that idea alone.

But there are many voltage doubler or multiplier circuits that work at slightlyhigher voltages, and I see that I've made a few panels around 6 volts whichI'd like to get 12 out of. There is a voltage doubler chip still available calledICL7660 or MAX1044 that is very convenient to use. So I will use it as an example,since I'd rather have around a watt at 12 volts than at 6 volts.

There is something else I did that was very obvious in the picture for step 1,where I had 3 "broken cell" panels around 6 volts and put them in series to getaround 18 volts... and since the cells were large that array has a lot of current.

But if I use just one 6 volt panel and want 12 volts, I use the voltage doublerand get twice the voltage in exchange for half the current. AC transformersdo the same thing... almost the same power goes out as goes in, but at amore useful voltage. Some circuits that do this are called "DC to DC converters".

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Related Instructables

Hybrid solarpanel(photovoltaicand thermal) bycarlos1w

S.P.R.E.E.(SolarPhotovoltaicRenewableElectronEncapsulator), aCompact,Durable, andPortable SolarEnergyGenerator bycharlitron

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DIY Home Solar:Planning a SolarArray(Beginner'sGuide) by DIYSolar Jon

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

How I built a Solar iPhone Charger for under $50.by akbrennan on September 21, 2009

Author:akbrennan    Personal BlogMy name is Brennan and I'm a Computer Engineering undergraduate at Colorado State University.

I'm very tech oriented, but I am a serious outdoors kid. The combination of the two has developed a passion for Renewable Energy in uses for chargingmodern technology. I live in Alaska.

Intro:  How I built a Solar iPhone Charger for under $50.To see my personal site with these tutorials and news, please visit http://www.BrennanZelener.com

**DISCLAIMER**

I am not responsible for any damage that you may cause to your iPhone or any device that you use with this charger. I can not stress the importance of checking yourcircuits with a multimeter enough, and I can assure you that I've done so at every step in this build process. Your phone is a very expensive device. Treat it like one!

Intro and Design:

Over the past month or so, I've been working on designs for a stationary solar iPhone charger. By stationary I mean a charger that will be kept in a fairly permanentplace. I bring mine with me if I'm going to be camping or staying somewhere for a while, but it's really not meant to be portable.

This isn't only a solar iPhone charger. You can use it with any device that will charge via USB. I just happen to use it to charge my iPhone. Also, this design doesn'tinclude a battery in the circuit - which means that you'll have to charge your iPhone when the sun is out and shining. I know it's a serious inconvenience, but adding abattery makes the circuit much more complex - and is a bit more costly. I'll be following up this design with an update on how to add a battery conveniently into thiscircuit.

The idea behind this panel is that it's simple (and cheap!). You don't have to have any prior circuit knowledge,or familiarity with electronics. I'm really just stepping out ofthe novice stage as far as soldering is concerned, so this is a great beginner project for just about anyone!

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 1: Tools and MaterialsAs I say in the title, I built this charger for just a bit less than $50. That doesn't include the cost for tools and a few of the materials that were salvaged, but if you spendenough time on eBay you should be able to build yours for the same amount, if not less.

Let's take a look at what was used to build the panel.

Tools:

Soldering Iron w/ Solder and FluxNeedle Nose PliersWire Cutters/StripperMultiMeter (IMPORTANT)Materials and Prices:

Part/Material ------------------------------------- Source ----------------- Cost

10 Watt Solar Panel ----------------------------- eBay -------------------$41.45 w/ shipping7805 5Volt Regulator ---------------------- RadioShack ------------- $1.59iPhone/iPod Cable ------------------------------ eBay ------------------ $1.20USB Extension Cable -------------------------- eBay ------------------ $3.00 w/ shippingRed/Black small-guage wire --------------- On Hand --------------- FreeElectrical Tape --------------------------------- On Hand --------------- FreeSmall Zip Tie ----------------------------------- On Hand --------------- Free

Step 2: The PanelThis Solar Panel is a 10W panel made by LaVie Solar. You can check out their website, but your cheapest bet is to use eBay. Their eBay user ID is lavie-inc. I snagged apretty great deal at $41.45. The panel has a really sturdy build quality. It has an aluminum frame, and seems to be entirely weatherized. I wouldn't have too much of aproblem leaving it in the rain. Also, All of the wiring has been done for us which saves a LOT of time. They even put a blocking diode into the connection on the back, sowe don't have to worry about that in our circuit.

The panel has an output rating of 21.6 Volts (Open Circuit) and .62Amps (Short Circuit). These are optimal ratings, but when I tested my panel in direct sunlight, that'salmost exactly what I got.

As far as efficiency goes, this is not the ideal panel to be using as a direct USB charger. We'll be loosing a lot of energy as heat when we regulate the 20V output down to5V to match USB standard. However, using a larger panel means that there will be more current flowing even when there's not a lot of sun. I've even seen my iPhonecharging when the solar panel is in the shade!

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 3: The Simple CircuitAfter gathering all of the materials, I sat down and got to work.

I cut 2 pieces of Black wire and 2 pieces of Red Wire. The lengths were around 5-6 inches. Then, I cut a little bit less than an inch off both ends of each wire.

With my black and red wires ready, I cut my USB extension cable in half and stripped the cut half of the female end to expose all of the individual wires. There are 4 wiresin all USB cables- Green, White, Red, and Black. The Green and White wires are for data, so those are not needed. I snipped the Green and White wires, along with all ofshielding and fiber - leaving only the Red and Black wires coming out about an inch and a half from the USB cable. I stripped a little bit less than an inch off the Red andBlack wires on my USB extension.

Since the 5V regulator only has one Ground pin, I used the two black wires that I cut initially- to make the soldering a little bit easier. I took both of my black wires, alongwith the black wire coming from my USB extension, and twisted them all together carefully and securely. I put some solder on that connection to make sure that all of thewires stayed together. Then, to keep things safe, I covered the 3-way connection with electrical tape.

Once all of the wiring was prepped, it was time to put the 5V regulator into the equation. Soldering wires onto the tiny pins from the 5V regulator can be a task. I used asmall Zip Tie to hold my wires to the 5V regulator to make things much easier. It really helped - I was able to do pretty clean solder jobs on each of the pins. Since neitherof the red wires were connected to anything, it didn't matter which ones I soldered to which pins. Just make sure you know that if your 5V regulator is laying flat, the inputpin is on the bottom, and the output pin is on the top!. I also bent the pins in opposite directions to keep everything separate.

The fantastic part about this charger is that we're already done with our circuit. Once I was done soldering to my 5V regulator, I connected the Red wire from the Outputpin on the regulator - to the Red wire coming from my USB extension cable. Now, I only had 2 wire ends left. A Red wire connecting to the input pin on my 5V regulator,and a Black wire connecting to the regulator's Ground Pin and my USB extension cable.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 4: Connect the Circuit to the PanelSince the LaVie Solar Panel has a pretty simple connection panel, pinching the Black and Red wires to the right screws on the panel was easy!

Step 5: Test the Charger!I used my MultiMeter to measure my Input voltage that was going into my 5.00V regulator. about 20V @ 0.50A Good!. Then, I measured the output voltage coming frommy Regulator. The reading was 5.00V @ 0.50A Perfect!. Those readings meant that everything was working correctly. Watch out, that 5V regulator gets hot whenelectrons are flowing through it!

Fully convinced that everything was working as it should be, I covered all of my open wires with electrical tape, took a deep breath, and plugged my iPhone in.

IT'S CHARGING!

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 6: ConclusionIn future designs, I'll definitely be adding a battery so that you can charge your devices at a more convenient time. I'd also like to make a more portable version of thischarger. With all of the new solar technology, flexible panels are bound to cheapen up sometime!

If you have any questions, please leave them in a comment.

Thanks!

Brennan

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Related Instructables

Cheap solarpowered iPhonecharger bypauleway

Create A SolariPhone and USBCharger (video)by hastyhost

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Solar AltoidsiPhone/ iPodCharger byJoshuaZimmerman

How tomake a SolarUSB charger!(simple!) bydabomb1022

Unlimited USBexternal batterypack (Photos) bylamoe

Altoids USBBattery/Solarcharger foriPhone and iPodby haikuordie

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Make a high powered solar panel from broken solar cellsby mattfelice on March 13, 2008

Intro:  Make a high powered solar panel from broken solar cellsIn this instructable, I will give you a practical guide to building a large solar panel from broken solar cells.

Image Notes1. 35 watt panel 38 1/2 volt cells wired in series. 19 volts 1.85 amps.2. Hot glue gun3. Stove

Step 1: Tools neededTo start making solar panels from broken solar cells you need a few things.1. 15-25 watt soldering iron2. Light duty 60/40 electronics rosin core solder (radio shack $5.00 for a roll). You can use a silver solder, but I think its too expensive, and the difference in resistance isminimal. So I just use regular old electronics solder.3. Multimeter4. Pencil eraser5. Solar tabbing pre tinned ribbing (ebay 100 feet is like $20 bucks)6. A good flat sturdy working surface ( I use a piece of glass, but whatever you have will do)

Image Notes1. 60/40 rosin light core solder2. 25 watt soldering iron3. A small batch of random polycrystalline solar cells

Image Notes1. Solar tabbing2. cell busbar tinned and ready for tabbing3. Many burn marks in old table

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 2: OverviewFirst get some solar sells.Solar Cell Grab BagElectronics goldmine Solar cells EbayThats just a few examples of where you can get solar cells, but it gives you a start.

First lest discuss parallel and series wiring

Parallel wiring increases amperage and voltage stays the same. Each cell in a parallel circuit is wired positive to positive and negative to negative.

Series wiring (mostly what you will use for solar cells} increases voltage and amperage stay the same. Each cell in a series circuit is wired positive to negative, theremaining positive and negative are you leads. You'll notice batteries in flashlights installed in series.

Now that you have your batch of solar cells we can get started!First separate the cells in approximate similar sizes.Remember if your wiring a group of cells together in series, the smallest cell in the circuit will dictate your panels amperage. Regardless of the size of your cells, each willproduce about .5 volts. The bigger the cell typically the more ampreage you will get. So you wouldn't want five 6" cells with one 1" cell in series, because you would loosethe amperage of the bigger cells and only output the amperage of the 1" cell. Basically try to keep the cells around the same size.

Most solar cells ( poly and mono crystalline) the positive side is the back of the cell and the negative is the front of the cell.

Step 3: Getting startedNow that you have your batch of solar cells you must determine if each cell has tabbing on the busbar. If if does continue to the next step.

If your cell has no tabbing you must first use a pencil eraser to clean the surface of the busbar. Use a gentle hand as poly and monocrystalline cells are extremely fragile.Rubbing too hard will break the cell. Some of the dark spots on the busbar will hinder the solder from sticking so try to get these off. Don't go crazy if you can't, as long asa descent amount of solder sticks you are OK. The more you use the eraser the better.

Next you must tin your soldering iron with a nice blob of solder, and wait a few seconds until it stops smoking(some of the rosin burns off), then run it down the busbar.Don't beat yourself if you can't get every spot to stick as long as you can get a few spots you're good.

Now cut a piece of tabbing and use your soldering iron to melt the tabbing into the tinned busbar. Don't press down too hard let the soldering iron do the job. Thats why Isuggest using a 25 watt minimum soldering iron so that you don't feel the need to press down on the cell so much.

Now that you tinned and tabbed your first cell continue and do the rest.

Now you must solder a lead to the back of the cell. Most polycrystalline cells have a dark area on the back, this is where you solder to. MonoCrystalline cells usually havesmall squares where you need to solder to. Just like before start by tinning your soldering iron with a good blob of solder and apply it to the underside of the cell directlyunder the busbar (makes it easier to line up the cells later). Then cut a small 1.5 inch of tabbing and melt it into the solder.

now that you have your leads soldered to the cell you are ready to move on to the next step.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. no tabbing on busbar

Image Notes1. Busbar, this is where you need to intall solar tabbing wire, but first use erasor toclean busbar.

Image Notes1. Solar tabbing2. cell busbar tinned and ready for tabbing3. Many burn marks in old table

Image Notes1. Done!

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 4: Wiring the cells in seriesNow we can start wiring the cells in series. Using the tab we soldered to the back of each cell will now be used to connect to the front of the next cell.

Line them up and melt the tabbing from the underside tab on one cell to the top of the next cell. Keep doing this and you can get as many volts as you want. Remember ifyou don't plan on using a charge controller you will need to install a reverse flow diode on the positive side to prevent the batteries from draining during the night. You canget them at radioshack, or ebay or where ever you choose.

Thats basically all there is to it. Then all you have to do is make an enclosure of your liking, seal it all up and you have yourself a solar panel. I used a piece of paintedplywood some pine peices for a frame and a piece of plexyglass all sealed together with silicone.

Image Notes1. Positioned and ready to be soldered together

Image Notes1. soldered together in series (top - to bottom +)

Step 5: You're DonePut that bad boy in the sun and have pride when you tell people you made it yourself for pennies on the dollar.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. 35 watt panel 38 1/2 volt cells wired in series. 19 volts 1.85 amps.2. Hot glue gun3. Stove

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Solar Ni-cad orNi-mh batterycharger. byitsthatsguy

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Solar phone charging system featuring sun trackingby h2osteam on July 6, 2011

Intro:  Solar phone charging system featuring sun tracking

Solar power has become quite a star in green power generation recently. Especially here in Sydney, with the help of government policies, more and more buildings havesolar power system on their rooftop.

As makers ourselves, making a small solar phone charger is becoming a fashion. There are many great entries in instructables about solar charger with portability inmind. They are great if you spend a lot of time outdoors.Well people, I’m proudly present this instructable to you so that you can make your very own solar powered phone charging system with sun tracking.Why tracking?The sun moves 15 degrees every hour, angle of the incident solar rays directly affect the power output of the solar cell. A solar tracking gives 60% more power from thesame solar cell.

Your will needA solar cell – at least 6V, 1 WattA motor with gearboxA circuit board2x LM393 comparator IC, can be any similar comparatorA L293D H bridge motor driver ICA IRF9450 MOSFET, or any similar P channel MOSFET5k, 100k, 10k resistorsA 50k potentiometerAn IRF540 or similar N-MOSFETOne phototransistors (Darlington IR)2 photocells or 2 photodiodesBattery holderSome 1N4004 diodesWiresSome sort of housing – I used my iPod touch caseAnd some batteries, I use NiMH here, you can also use Li-ion but the circuit may need to change

Tools:Soldering ironHot glue gun and hot glueDrill could be useful too

Image Notes1. solar charging system2. boost convertor

File Downloads

Solar_charger.brd (73 KB)[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'Solar_charger.brd']

Solar_charger.sch (808 KB)[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'Solar_charger.sch']

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 1: Let the theory begin (too boring? Jump to next step then)Solar cell is a current source; its output current varies with solar intensity. Therefore we can just charge a NiMH pack without additional circuit to limit the current. Toharvest maximum amount of ‘juice‘out of the solar cell, we should pick a battery pack that matches the voltage output of the cell at its maximum power point.We will need a diode to prevent current flow into the solar cell, which may contribute a 0.7 to 1V drop. And normally solar cell’s voltage is marked using the open circuitvoltage. you may need to lower a 10% or so to get to the VMP.If you are getting a 6V solar cell, then it is best to charge 3 NiMH in series. I have used an 8V solar cell, and I have 4 batteries charging in series, so about 2V each cell.

Step 2: Tracking circuit design

For this circuit to work the pair of photocells or photodiodes has to act as eyes, giving lm393 comparators analogue signal about the sun’s position. And this pair is betterbuilt on a separate PCB from the main control board.Voltage is divided through R1, 50k pot and R3, thus creating reference. The 50k variable resistor is use to set the NULL zone, or sensitivity. This way the system won’tbe tracking every second of the sun’s movement. Saving energy spending to track the sun and also save the moment when the system rotates back and forth causing byits momentum.The outputs of lm393 signal the H bridge chip to control the motor. Based on this design two comparators’ outputs will not be both HIGH at any given time; means therewon’t be any error signal which cause the H-bridge to short out.To conserve energy, L293d is usually disabled. The enabling signal came from LM393, when there is a HIGH from one of the comparators the voltage at EN1 will raisevia the 1N4004 diode. Note here R6 has to be much bigger than R4 and R5.Ground all the other inputs on L293d. this simple act can save about 20mA of current. I don’t know why L293d drain so much current on idle.The small circuit at the left of the schematic, involving a phototransistor, a 10k resistor and a MOSFET, is designed to switch on battery power backup on the trackingsystem when the sun rise from the east while the panel is still left pointing to the west.

The phototransistor has to be a Darlington pair. You can test it by using a multimeter on continuity mode, placing the + test lead to the shorter pin on the phototransistor,and the – test lead on the longer one. It should be an open circuit when not infrared exposure. But once you turn the diode toward the sun your multimeter should peep.This phototransistor is best place right behind the solar panel, and pointing to the east as shown below. Here the phototransistor is normally an open circuit, shutting offthe MOSFET and the current can only flow from the solar cell to the batteries via diode D3. While the sun comes from the east will shine on the phototransistor making ita short circuit, raise the voltage across R7, and thus turn on the MOSFET. Now the diode D3 is bypassed and the current can flow from the batteries to the trackingcircuit.

As for the MOSFET, any N channel MOSFET will work. But low gate to source threshold voltage is preferred.

It is time for the all important photocell sensor. You should construct the sensor on a different board, so it can be relocated easily. Connect two of these in series, andbend them outward slightly shown below. This configuration allows a bigger difference in solar energy on each cell, when the device is not facing the sun directly. Thisdifference is small, but through the amplification of the comparators, controlling the motor is possible.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. battery backup control2. photocells sensor3. Sensitivity adjust

Image Notes1. tracking circuit2. phototransistor3. battery backup control

Image Notes1. photocells

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 3: Harvest the solar energy

There are many possible ways to use the energy stored. I use it to charge my phone. Boost convertor is required to regulate the voltage; the construction of such circuitwill not be covered in this instructable. Designing a switch mode regulator is a tedious work, to achieve maximum efficiency also requiring a lot of tweets. It is best to buyone. Like minty boost from adafruit, or other boost module out there. I purchased a ptn04050 module from TI, and built a small supporting circuit around it.

To protect your NiMH battery pack, it is best to have a low voltage protection circuit. You can either buy a Lipo protection module, or build one according to thisschematic.

The way the circuit function the IRF9450 acts as a switch, it only turns on when the gate-source voltage is high. As the circuit is just connected to the battery, gate-sourcevoltage is zero. The MOSFET does not conduct. The push button PB1 is able to connect the gate or the MOSFET to the ground temporally. Switch on the MOSFET, andthe rest of the circuit. The Vref is produce by the small circuit consist of a resistor and a BC549 NPN transistor. By tying the collector and base together on the transistor,the voltage across the collector and the emittor is constant at 0.6V.

This circuit will sustain itself until VOUT is less then 3.4V, determined by R2 and R3. It does not use any power on idle. Great for a care-free system.

Image Notes1. USB female port2. boost convertor

Image Notes1. Voltage reference circuit

Step 4: Putting all togetherNow that the tracking circuit is done, secure everything in the housing you chose. Place the photocells anywhere you want as long as direct sunlight is achieved. Connectyour solar panel to the port named solar in the schematic. Then your product may look like this.

Enjoy making your own solar system, the world could be greener everyday.

Image Notes1. battery protection circuit

Image Notes1. charging my RC heli's LiPo battery

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. photocells

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Solar CellPhone Chargerby 2pointhome

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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

DIY Solar USB Charger - Altoidsby JoshuaZimmerman on April 22, 2011

Author:JoshuaZimmerman    BrownDogGadgetsI'm a middle school science teacher in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I like making random things and then teaching my students how to do the same. I also run alittle website where I sell some of the things I make in order to pay for more things for me to make.

Intro:  DIY Solar USB Charger - AltoidsI've been reading a bunch of blogs this fine Earth Day morning and have noticed that most of them are posting little write ups about green solar powered USB gadgetchargers. They're all quite nice, but also quite expensive. I don't think I've seen any for less than $60, and I've not seen one that really suits my style.

Instructables has quite a few guides on how to make Solar USB Chargers, including the very well done guide on how to combine a Lady Ada Minty Boost circuit with asolar + lithium ion battery . Great, but a bit expensive to make and not a very simple project for the weekend DIY person.

Well luckily for us I know how to make one for under $20 that is better in nearly every way and also completely fits into an Altoids Tin. Covert style.

(If you want a more powerful USB Charger, a Heavy Duty one, I have an instructable for that as well.)

Step 1: What You NeedParts :USB Charging CircuitSolar Panel 4V or greaterAA Battery HolderAA Rechargeable Batteries1N914 DiodeAltoid Tin (or whatever)Wire

Tools :Soldering IronSolderTin SnipsMelt Glue Gun and GlueTape

Cost is less than $30. I can make one for under $10 when I buy parts in bulk. I have a kit available at my website BrownDogGadgets.com which has everything you needto make this project. Also, if you're lazy, I do sell made versions in a variety of tin styles.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. 4V @ 50 ma2. AA NiMh 3000 ma3. 1N914 Diode

Image Notes1. DC to USB circuit.

Step 2: DC to USB Converter

The central brain of our project is a DC to USB converter circuit. This takes our AA power and changes it into the 5Vs we need for charging USB. There are several waysof doing this.

1) You can make one yourself using Lady Ada's Minty Boost kit. It's $20 and requires soldering. It also charges almost every gadget under the sun, including new AppleProducts.

2) You can buy a premade circuit off ebay , or even off my website BrownDogGadgets.com . They cost around $10 and work with most everything. Kindles, iPhones,iPods, GPS, Android Phones. They're great.

3) You can rip one out of a cheap USB charger. eBay and or Amazon are great pleases to look. Some of them don't work with Apple stuff, so be careful or buy several.

Whatever you do, don't try and make a 6V or 9V circuit and then use a voltage limiter to take it back down to 5V. That's sloppy and ineficient. You can do it, and it works,but there are far better options.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. DC to USB circuit.

Image Notes1. Adafruit Minty Boost

Image Notes1. One of many AA to USB chargers. They're not cheap.

Step 3: Choose Some BatteriesWhat I really find annoying is that on all the commercial solar USB chargers I see their internal battery is only 1000 ma. That isn't a lot. A rechargeable AA battery hasbetween 2000 - 3000 ma of current in it. Once again, we can do better.

We need to use rechargeable batteries for this project. I prefer NiMh AAs over everything else because they're easy to find, cheap, and reliable. You probably even havea few at home. Since we're using two AAs in this project our charger will have 2000 - 3000 ma of current. You could even have two sets of AAs in parallel and boost thatcapacity to 4000 - 6000 ma.

An added bonus from rechargeable AAs is that you can take them out of the Solar Charger, charge them up or replace them, and be on your way.

If you're making this project into a very small container you can use a smaller NiMh battery pack. You can find these at places like American Science and Surplus as wellas many places on the web.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 4: Choose Your Solar

If we use two rechargeable AAs that put out a total of 2.4Vs we're going to need a solar panel that is at least 3 - 4Vs just to meet basic levels of charging. The higher thevoltage of our solar cell (or cells) the less light we need to charge up our batteries.

Now we're also trying to fit this into an Altoids Tin, so we're limited in space. I have found some great 4V solar cells that perfectly fit into Altoids Tins. They're the sameones I use with my Solar AA Atoids Charger .

Sure, a bigger and better solar cell would give us added power, but it wouldn't fit into our tin. (Something that has annoyed me with nearly every Altoids Solar Guide outthere.)

You could also use a combination of several smaller cells to get your four volts. For example, 2V cells are very cheap and small on ebay. You could easily connect two ofthose in a series to get your 4Vs.

Just remember that when charging NiMh batteries we don't want to throw more than 10% of their capacity at them at any one time. For instance if your battery has acapacity of 2000 ma we can only use a solar cell that puts out 200 ma or less of current. This isn't usually a problem unless you're using a massive solar cell or a bigcombination of cells. None the less, keep this in mind.

Step 5: Wire Up The Solar

First, we're going to wire up our solar panel.

I like to connect my 1N914 diode directly to the solar panel. When soldering make sure the black bar on the 1N914 diode is point away from the solar cell. The black baris the negative side and prevents power backflow. If we put it in wrong we're going to prevent power from flowing into our circuit!

Then attach a long wires to both the diode and negative tab on your solar cell.

Then tape it up for protection.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. Don't forget to solder the diode.

Step 6: Connect The Battery PackNow we connect the solar wires to the battery pack wires.

Just connect all the positive wires (red) with all the negative wires (black).

Solder.

Easy as pie. Sweet sweet solar pie.

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Step 7: Prepare the Charger

So the charging circuit I use also has a couple of LEDs on it. These in no way effect the USB charging and in fact are annoying. I remove them because they're uselessand a waste of power. This is why I'm cutting them off in the pictures below.

You should NOT start cutting things away unless you know what you're doing. Seriously Ben, I know you're reading this. Stop cutting now. This is how you lost a finger.

Anyways, if you've bought a cheap charger to use you have to take it out of it's plastic, and disconnect any random wires or battery packs.

What you should be mindful of is where power connects to your board. Mine has a nice little + and - sign to guide me. You need figure this out on your own depending onyour situation.

Lastly, and most importantly, you should watch out for any switches. For instance mine has a little switch on the side to go from "Light" to "Off" to "USB." I just keep mineset to "USB" as we don't lose any power unless something is plugged in.

Image Notes1. I cut this away for good measure.2. I need to push this back all the way to keep it set to "USB." Yours may bedifferent.

Image Notes1. Positive2. Negative

Step 8: Solder The Charger

Now all you have to do is solder that bundle of positive, in my project red, wires to the positive point on the board. Then all the negative, in this project black, wires to thenegative point on the board.

You're done with the circuit. You can test it now.

Usually I can charge a gadget just from sun. If it's not sunny the circuit should charge via batteries.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Step 9: Cut Your Tin

I use Altoids Tins because they're the prefect size for this project. Plus very cute. I also enjoy mints.

Just use some tin snips to cut a hole big enough for the USB port.

If you want to be fancy you can also use a Dremel and make a nice rectangle hole in the side of the tin. I'm lazy, so I just cut it away.

Step 10: Glue Everything In

To be on the safe side I put down some electrical tape below my bare circuit board. Just to play it safe.

Now all you need to do is glue in your battery pack (though I use foam tape for that) and glue down your USB circuit.

Notice I use ample amounts of hot (melt) glue. Yummy.

Done and done.

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Step 11: Enjoy

Now you're done. Enjoy the fact that you're being very green and clean.

Also, before someone chimes in... yes I do know batteries are not entirely green. If you want to be super green you should use some super capacitors for this project.They last forever, are super green, but are also quite expensive.

What I like about this project is that it's simple and handy. It makes for a nice gift.

If you need any parts you can always get them from my website, BrownDogGadgets.com . All the money I make goes to doggy treats and more projects.

Thanks for reading!

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. There is enough room for the panel wires to come out through the USB hole.Handy I think.

Image Notes1. The only thing that gives away that this is not filled with mints.

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Create A SolariPhone and USBCharger (video)by hastyhost

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Home built solar power systemby MacOSJoey on April 7, 2012

Intro:  Home built solar power systemHi. I've been interested in renewables for a while now. Our society can't continue to work on oil, and with rising gas prices and more frequent power outages, solarenergy seems to be the way to go. The main problem that inspired me to make this system comes from my love of technology. When my iPhone and laptop run out ofjuice, my life becomes very primitive. With the goal of keeping all my electronics up and running no matter what the weather and grid status is the main reason I madethis system and instructable. This is my system and how it functions. I'll start with the original setup and show how it has evolved over time.

Image Notes1. Xantrex C35 charge controller2. Coleman Air C40 charge controller. It has since been replaced with a Xantrex C123. Bus bars4. Battery voltage meter5. Fuse located here6. Fuse7. Fuse (to inverter)

Step 1: The Original setupMy original setup started off with a 10 watt panel I built myself from some cells I found off of eBay. These were the tougher CIGS cells rather than monocrystalline orpolycrystalline. The cell was originally rated at 15 watts but because of all the inefficient soldered connections (I wasn't that great at soldering yet), it made about 10watts. Each black square is one cell that makes approx. 5 volts. The voltage was combined in series to create around 20 volts, and then the amperage was adjusted withwiring the strings of 20 volts into parallel. I'm not really going to go in a crazy amount of detail because this is explained on hundreds of other instructables. This amountof power is ideal for maybe some DC lights and charging cell phones. It's not nearly enough for even my laptop. The inverter would whine and the adapter on my laptopwould begin to buzz. Probably not a good sign!

Image Notes1. The original CIGS cells2. It is impossible to complete a project like this sans a voltage meter!!!3. This was testing it under the bright kitchen light.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. The original attatchment was via bungee cords! It works, though.

Step 2: The first battery and electronics systemThe original electronics consisted of an old 12v marine battery that I repurposed, a Coleman Air C60 charge controller, and a 400 watt inverter. That was all I needed tomanage the battery and keep it from overcharging.

If you are new to solar power and how it works, the charge controller is a device (usually microprocessor controlled) that regulates the charging on the battery. When thebattery becomes completely full, it is designed to stop most electricity from going into the battery. Without a charge controller, the battery would eventually boil out andbecome ruined.

If you are extremely new to solar, you might wonder why there's a battery. Even though it's possible to run loads without a battery, they would shut down every time thesun goes behind a cloud. The battery is there to make sure there is a stable, clean stream of power to your loads. Also, it can store electricity for night, as I have it do.

Be sure to look at the highlighted notes on the pictures for more information.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. The original charge controller was relay based and either all on or all off. Nota very efficient way of handling power.

Image Notes1. The original inverter I purchased from ebay was dead, so I contacted Cobraand they sent me another one. Here the inverter is powering a couple of iPodsoff of its USB port.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. The old battery I refurbished. A sealed lead-acid. Notice the rats nest ofwires threatening to spark a short circuit at any moment.

Image Notes1. The voltage meter you seen on the first page was originally stuck into a pieceof wood.2. This is the new battery. I really don't have many good pics of it. It's an ExideCommercial battery.

Step 3: Adding a 15 watt solar panelWith my interest sparked again by a friend also interested in solar, I went online and purchased a northern tool 15 watt panel. The frame was a paint to install, but onceattatched I immidiately noticed the battery voltage shooting up and the charge controller having to regulate the current constantly. Also, my inverter stopped yelling at mefor charging my laptop, but it still would drain the battery pretty fast. Interesting what a difference 15 watts makes!

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. The new panel is amorphous-based, but still performs well alongside the CIGS panel.

Step 4: A new batteryThe original battery decided to go fast. Leaving a cell phone on the charger overnight would drain it down to the 11 volt range. I could see how this would never last.Tractor Supply had a good deal on commercial batteries, which are a combination of deep-cycle and starting. I would recommend getting straight out deep cycle, though,because of their better efficiency. Deep cycle batteries are designed for (as the name implies) deep cycling: draining the battery significantly. They have much wider leadplates that can resist the chemical abuse of the acid. Starting batteries have thin plates that can release a lot of energy quickly. This thin of a plate can never sustain thechemical abuse of deep cycling. So deep cycle is the way to go, starting batteries won't last long. Commercial works well, too, though. This battery is flooded, meaning Ihave to add distilled water every now and then. It's really not a hardship, though. Equalization occurs every few months and keeps the battery very healthy.

While on the topic of batteries, I would like to explain the PROPER way to read a battery's charge. The voltage of the battery IS NOT the best way to determinte state ofcharge (soc). A battery's voltage can swing all over the place, and is most accurate after resting for 4 hours without a load or charge. Rarely does this occur. The BESTway to read a flooded battery is by inserting a hydrometer in a cap and reading the gravity. The most common is amp meters that use a shunt to measure how much goesin and out.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. The voltage meter you seen on the first page was originally stuck into a piece of wood.2. This is the new battery. I really don't have many good pics of it. It's an Exide Commercial battery.

Step 5: The BIG panel!!!!After a few months of toying with solar, I decided to get serious. One of the top loads I wanted the system to run was a backup sump pump which ran off of 12v. This, ofcourse, can easily draw over 100 watts at a time. The system wouldn't be able to keep up with the pump and would eventually stop altogether, flooding the basement.The solution to all my problems was to get a bigger panel. This one is made by UL Solar and is rated for 100 watts. This right here is my pride and joy.

Mounting the panel proved to be difficult. Instead of on the ground where I could easily monitor and maintain the panels, I decided to install this one on the roof for bettersolar exposure. As you can see in the third pic, it is conveniently right on the edge of the roof, reducing my wire run and potential losses. The 12 gauge wire is specificallymade for low (10 - 30) voltage, so my 12 volt system fit right into that, even with the panel producing 23 volts open circuit.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. Monocrystaline for a total of 8 amps at 12v. 100 watt beauty2. My best friend

Image Notes1. Testing in bright sunlight

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. The wire on the gutter was for Christmas lights, not for the panel2. 12 gauge low voltage lighting from here to the basement

Step 6: Upgrading the charge controllerMy original controller (the Coleman Air C60 found on the second step) was not very successful with the new solar panel. Since it uses an on/off relay, it will connect thepanels to the battery, and the voltage of the battery would shoot up because of all the juice coming in. The voltage would rise up to the battery trip point, then shoot backdown again as the relay began "dumping" the power. So basically, only 1/3 of the available power I get every day actually goes to the battery, the other gets dumpedeven though the battery wasn't full. I decided that the current charge controller had to go.

The NEW CONTROLLER!

I decided on a Xantrex C35 charge controller online. The C35 is a unique controller because it offers 3-stage charging, plus PWM charging. When the sun comes up, thebattery is usually sitting at a happy 12.4 volts or so. That's fine with me. It's not discharged too much, and it could sit like that for days. As soon as the panel startssending power, the C35 will "boot up" and begin charging the battery in "bulk" mode. Bulk mode tries to charge the battery as fast as possible by giving it as much voltageand amperage the panel will give out. It does this until the voltage hits about 14.8 volts. When it gets there, the controller switches to the "absortion" stage. In this stage,the battery charges more slowly by limiting amperage, not voltage. Then, after it holds that voltage for approx. one hour, it switches to float mode, where the battery isconsidered fully charged. This keeps it at 14.0 volts until I use the power or the sun goes down. If I start using the power while the controller is in float mode, it willautomatically adjust the current to account for the load!

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. This is the stock image

Image Notes1. Battery positive2. panel positive3. Common negatives

Image Notes1. That kind of creeped me out the first time I seen it (yesterday).

Step 7: Upgrading the Alt-E power boardThe original setup inside the basement was a patched together mess. It had stuff everywhere, wires crossing everywhere, and everything delicately balancing on thebattery as if at any moment it might slip and short (which had happened a couple times). Obviously, a fire was going to be inevitable. With that in mind I designed avertical board where I could mount all the electronics and some bus bars. The battery would sit on the cool basement floor where the temperature would increaseefficiency. IT IS A MYTH THAT BATTERIES WILL DRAIN ON A CEMENT FLOOR! All batteries will lose energy over time, but a battery doesn't care what it's sitting on.

To start, I needed a board. That was accomplished with some spare wood (first picture).

Then, the electronics would need to be mounted (second).

The new addition of the bus bar helps prevent a short circuit. It's hard to see from this picture, but there is a layer of plexiglass on top of the whole thing. This preventsanything from crossing the two. It hopefully is obvious which side is positive and which is negative. Again, way overdone but better safe than sorry.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. There are three parallel beams that attach to the cement wall and to thefront board2. Next beam is here3. Third beam is here

Image Notes1. Volt meter on the battery2. 12 gauge wire was used exclusively3. The bottom two lead to the battery4. Originally I only mounted the new charge controller because of the pain it wasto install the older one.5. My inverter runs 24/7 and I've never had a problem with that.

Image Notes1. I hope it's obvious enough that this side is positive.2. I hope it's obvious enough that this side is positive.

Step 8: The finished system (for now)After all of the upgrades and designs, the system is close to finished (for now). I plan on adding another battery to help keep the voltage steady under load and add abackup sump pump. For now, though, the system charges all of our cell phones, my laptop, and some lights. Updates will continue with this instructable as more stuff isadded, so check back now and then for any updates!

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. This shot better shows where my inverter is mounted. I have since upgradedthe wire to it to a lower gauge.

Image Notes1. A vague chart showing the blink patterns of the charge controllers and theircharge levels

Step 9: Adding another batteryUpdate 5/9/12:

I know I had mentioned this in my previous post, but now I actually made a move on it. The problem with my system right now is that the battery is too small for theamount of panels I have pumping juice into. By 9:00 AM the next morning, that battery is fully charged. I'd like to run more stuff at night to pull down the battery downmore, but I'm limited because of the lack of capacity. Running cell phones and lights at night was enough to drain the battery, but not enough that the panels couldn'trecharge it easily the next day.

Note: Even though I could continue to use the system like this, I would be wasting valuable sunlight hours where the battery is full and I have no need for the power.Really counts when I need the power and don't have any, plus I'm kicking myself at night when I have to shut down loads while I sat and watched the power go to wasteall day.

The new battery is at 86 a.h. compared to the previous 104 a.h. battery I got earlier. That's a total of 190 amp hours for those of you who can't do math in their heads.BECAUSE a battery should never be discharged below 50%, I basically have 95 amp hours to play with. Still, this is significantly more than the 52 I had before. I stillwould like to purchase more batteries, so I will still continue searching for good deals.

Image Notes1. The current battery has gathered some dirt from being in the basement.Brushed it off with my hand after this picture was taken.2. The wierd way it is wired is to make sure both batteries are drawed in equalamounts.

Step 10: Outdoor lightingLast Christmas (2011), I had decided to run some Christmas lights through solar. We live a ways out of town, so it doesn't justify to pay a huge monthly bill for some dinkylights that only a handful of people will see. Still, though, it helped brighten up our road and my neighbors were inspired to put up Christmas lights, too. How I eventuallydecided to run the Christmas lights was via a 400 watt inverter with one of those timers plugged into it. The lights would turn on at about 6, then off in two hours. Using allLED lights, my light consumption totaled to be around 30 watts. However, with the inverter working full time, I actually consumed about 50 watts. Not that the system can'thandle this, but such a loss in winter really made a difference. We had limited sun hours and some days with just no sun.

Having so much fun with those lights, this summer (2012) I decided to put up some path lighting outside just for fun. I searched specifically for 12v LED lights (which isextremely important, or else you're wasting energy), and found some at home depot. When they arrived by mail, I cut the wire from the transformer and wired it directlyinto the battery. I then ran a 60 foot 14 ga. wire from my battery bank to the front of the house, where there were two holes drilled for my wires to go through. From there,each light was connected.

The problem with these lights was the amount of control on my part. Every time I wanted to turn the lights on, I'd have to run down into the basement, connect the wires,and then do the opposite in the morning. REALLY A PAIN. And if I forget, there goes 120 precious watt-hours.

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I finally decided to connect my 10 watt panel to a relay, so at night when the panel stopped giving out anything the relay would click and the lights would come on. Thisdidn't work too well considering that whenever a cloud passed the lights would go on. The ultimate solution to this problem is found on the next slide.

Image Notes1. Excuse the sideways image.2. Just one LED provides a surprising amount of light. I have 15 lights like thisrunning.

Image Notes1. Sideways (again), but here are some of our christmas lights going up atree.

Image Notes1. His name is Mr. Snowy.

Step 11: A lighting controllerMy very first charge controller from step 2 on this instructable had finally quit (NOT THE XANTREX C35!!!). It wasn't a very good design to begin with, and only looked atbattery voltage. As I had explained earlier, the voltage would rise under charge, and it would assume the battery was full while it was instead just charging. I finallyunbolted it from the board and threw it in a box. I took the 15 watts of power it was handling and wired it directly into the bus bars. The system still worked fine, but theother controller got "confused" on why the voltage was rising while it wasn't putting much into it. The solution that fixed my lighting problem and my charge controllerproblem was a charge controller with lighting control. The one I picked was a Xantrex C12. I have had a very good experience with their products, so I decided to givethem another go. Turns out this controller is a PAIN to wire up. The terminals on it are so small and close, I'm constantly afraid it's going to short out any minute now.Good thing theres fuses. Anyways, after 2 days, I finally got it working.

When the sun comes up, the controller senses it by the power coming in from the panel. It then shuts off all outdoor lighting and begins sending and regulating powerfrom the panel to the batteries. When night finally arrives, it waits 60 seconds after the panel voltage drops below 3 volts, then blink! and the lights come on all night (orwhatever amount of time I want them on). Very nifty and automatic! Also automatically adjusts throughout the year as the sunrise and sunset times differ.

JUST TO MAKE SURE I AM COMPLETELY CLEAR, THE XANTREX C35 IS WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE C12. The only controller that was replaced was theoriginal coleman air.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. These wires lead to the lights2. This group of wires goes to the batteries3. This one is from the panel.4. Xantrex C35 still up and running fine. By far the most reliable and best.

Step 12: Update: The complete system diagramAfter many comments (Thanks everyone!) I have made this drawing to try and clarify why I have two charge controllers. The 10 watt panel I built now runs some basic DCthings by the garden (radio).

The 15 watt panel is connected to the C12 and is the "photocell" for the lighting control. During the day, however, it regulates the power to the battery just like any othercharge controller would. At night, it stops sending power to the battery and begins doing just the opposite. The 100 watt panel (and any future panels will be) is connectedto the C35 due to its higher capacity.

In the picture, all the red dots indicate a fuse. There are a few more for the inverter and elsewhere, but these are the basics.

Step 13: Using my power!!!So now that I have all this solar power available, why not use it even when the grid is up? In fact, most of the power I make is inverted and used to power my everydayelectronics (my laptop, monitor, fishtank light) and some other appliances that we all use regularly (vacuum). Since installation, my system has generated approximately119 KwH. As the system expands, this number is expected to jump into the thousands. Stay tuned, and comment on any ideas or advice! Also, vote for me in the GreenTech contest! Thanks!

As a side note, this ENTIRE instructable, from the pictures to the internet connection, were all powered via solar! Thanks for using a bit of solar energy just by looking atmy instructable!

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/

Image Notes1. My 100% solar laptop

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