You can buy solar panels, but it is also possible to make one. The following guide will show how to build solar panels with relative ease.
Required Tools and Materials
Towel
Paper towels or sponge
Tongs
Sand paper
Tap water
Table salt
Large Mason jar or clear plastic bottle
Electric stove burner or hot plate
Micro-ammeter
Two alligator clip leads
Two 1/2 square foot sheets of copper flashing
Sand all the sheet copper parts. Ensure the copper has no corrosion. Use soap and water to wash the copper sheeting. Use the sponge or paper towels. Do not allow oil on your hands to make contact with the copper.
Step 2
Dry the copper with a towel. Do not touch it with your hands. Put it on the burner or hot plate using the tongs. Set the burner as hot as possible.
Step 3
To build solar panels, cook the copper for at least 30 minutes. Black oxides will appear on the surface of the copper. Allow the copper to cool down for 20 minutes.
Step 4
Wash the copper with tap water. Try to get rid of the black pieces. What matters is the red cuprous oxide below the cupric oxide layer.
Step 5
Get the copper sheet and the uncooked sheet as well. Put them in the plastic bottle or jar. Bend both sheets outward. Make sure the sheets do not make contact.
Step 6
Get one of the alligator clips. Use it on the sheets’ tops. Attach it to the meter. Place the meter’s positive terminal on the sheet that is not cooked. The cooked sheet should be hooked up to the negative terminal.
Step 7
Put 2 tbsp of salt in a cup of water. Let it dissolve. Pour this in the plastic bottle. Pour enough so it is an inch from the top of the sheets.
Step 8
Put the bottle outside and expose it to the sun. The meter will go up to 50 micro amps or so. Remove the bottle from the sun and the meter will go down to ten or less.
Tips and Warnings
Open the windows if you are using an indoor stove burner. This is necessary because of the smoke and smell. For this reason, some prefer a hot plate.
This example of how to build solar panels is a simple one. But the principles used here are the same as those of larger solar panels. By knowing how to make a simple solar panel, you can make bigger ones easily.
