With the finite amount of fossil fuels available to us being used up at a record pace the ability to construct a diy solar cell will become a skill that a great many people will want to possess. Solar cells absorb the energy from the sun which offers us an infinite amount of energy each and every day that we can convert into electricity to power our homes and offices.
Commercially manufactured solar panels are very expensive. Building your own solar cells, however, is very affordable. It is one of the cheapest alternative energy sources for your home or office. For as little as $200 you can build a photovoltaic solar panel by purchasing everything you need at your local home improvement store. To make it even more doable, you do not need any special skills or tools. Anyone will the willingness to try can build solar panels.
The vast majority of solar cells used for residential purposes are made of a substance called polysilicon. The single cells are actually what produces the power, but to generate electricity more efficiently the solar cells are tied to gather in a group to form a solar panel.
The solar cells used in a DIY solar cell is manufactured using silicon oxide. This is the same substance used in the commercially manufactured solar panels as well. The silicon oxide is heated in an extremely hot furnace and refined to 99% purity. A further refining process brings it up to 99.5% and then it is ready to be used in solar cells.
The next step is to crystallize the purified silicon. The melted silicon has boron added to it which aids in converting the sun's rays into electricity. At this point the solar cells are now positively charged and are referred to as p-type.
The cells are then immersed in a bath of negatively charged chemically treated water. An anti-reflective layer is then applied so that the sun's rays are absorbed and not reflected. It is the anti-reflective layer that gives the solar cells the dark look that we have grown accustomed to seeing. Conductors made of aluminum and silver are then added to conduct the newly created electricity.
The final step calls for the cells to be set on a panel. They are actually very fragile so they must be protected from potentially damaging objects such as hail and anything else that may damage them. The protection must also be transparent to allow the sun's rays to penetrate into the solar cells so thick glass or plastic that is transparent is usually used. Frame it up on the sides so it is a solid panel and it is ready to be installed.
One DIY solar cell may not be enough to power your home, but many clustered together in a solar panel can generate plenty of electricity for residential used. Solar cells are very efficient at converting solar energy into power and electricity. Of course the more you have the more power you can generate. Building and installing a DIY solar panel will have a significant impact on your utility bill each month and you will be among those on the cutting edge of the future of home energy production.
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