How Can I Make My Own Solar Panels?

Calculating Electrical Needs

        Solar panels can only provide power during daylight, and only reach their stated peak power output with an average of six hours of full sunlight. Therefore, a solar panel or a collection of them must meet the entire electrical demand of the system during those six hours. If the total demand of the system is 3000 watts, the panels built must produce at least an estimated 500 watts per hour to meet that demand.
    Choosing and Buying Solar Cells

        Building solar panels at home is basically about assembling photovoltaic cells and putting them into a homemade wooden box. Once the electricity demands of the system are known, the cells can be assembled. Solar cells are sold in a wide variety of sizes, ranging in price from $5 to $30, and can be matched to specific needs. If the system is to power a garden pond's water pump, only a few small cells will be needed. If it is to power a kitchen, complete with a power-hungry microwave oven and electric range, a few hundred big cells assembled into multiple panels will probably be needed. In any case, the combined output of the cells must at least match and should probably exceed the demands of the system.
    Building a Panel Frame

        Start by drawing a plan for the panel. After choosing the size of the cells, a square or rectangular plan should be sketched showing their arrangement, which should include some padding space between the individual cells. This will yield the overall size of the panel. Using these measurements, a backing can be cut from 3/8-inch plywood. This backing can then be framed with scrap lumber. Several holes should be drilled into the frame for ventilation. A non-conductive, porous substrate like pegboard or cork should be attached to the backing. The best way to do this is with wood glue, reinforced by some screws in the corners. The whole box should be primed and painted. The cells are supposed to last for 20 to 25 years. The box should be prepared to last at least that long.
    Putting the Cells In   

        Use a marker to draw lines that will be used as a cell-placement guide. Most solar cells are made with tabs,so they can be soldered together. For ease of assembly and installation, several of these should be soldered into units of strings or blocks. They also can be done as rows, columns or squares. The cell rows can then be fastened into place on the substrate using non-conductive silicon caulking as a glue. Put a dab of caulk on the back of each cell and press each grouping onto the substrate.
    Wiring

        Every cell will have a pair of wires running out of it. These wires should be identified as the positive and negative leads, spliced and joined with wire nuts to more wiring. To keep things neat and organized, the wires should be glued inside the box with silicon caulk. By splicing and bridging the wiring together, all the cells are brought together into a single wire. Run this wire run out of the box, through a hole drilled in a convenient location, and seal the hole with silicon caulk.
    Finishing

        Finally, cut a piece of plexiglass to fit the front of the panel. Drill several holes and screw the plexiglass into place. Your homemade solar panel is ready to be placed into a position where it can catch the maximum amount of sunlight and connected to a charge controller (which regulates the voltage and current coming from the solar panels to the batteries).