Save Electricity With A Homemade Solar Cell
A homemade solar cell is a cost-effective means to operate an array of household appliances or to power an entire house. The collector aids to convert energy directly from sunlight into usable electricity. The solar panel can be easily built from the comforts of home using simple tools. Building homemade solar collectors enables a person to take full advantage of the free power generated from the sun devoid of a heavy investment.
Benefits
A homemade solar panel offers a wide range of benefits. It helps to save immensely on monthly electrical bills. In terms of investment, it is cheaper than the expensive pre-made silicon cells. Besides this, the energy captured from sunlight is environmentally friendly and does not emit any harmful gases into the atmosphere. It can be easily designed to fit on any home. Furthermore, the unused energy can be stored and later sold to utility companies for a fixed amount. Most importantly, it provides the residents of the home with comfortable and healthy living.
Major Tips That Should Be Followed When Making Solar Cells At Home
First of all, you should prepare the photosensitive element by cutting a 6x6 inch rectangular shaped piece from a copper sheet. The panel needs to be thoroughly scrubbed with sandpaper to eliminate any residue. The next step is to properly heat the copper sheet at 900 degrees F with the aid of a burner, torch, or any other heating element.
The pane needs to be heated for about 15 to 30 minutes until a black thick coating appears. Once the sheet cools down, the black oxide cupric layer at the base needs to be neatly scraped to uncover the red oxide layer which in turn will serve as the photosensitive material for the homemade solar cell.
Following this, another piece needs to be cut out from the copper sheet. The cuprous oxide treated pane and the untreated sheet should then be carefully inserted into a wide-mouthed plastic bottle. It is vital to keep the sheets away from each other to avoid any short circuit. After this pour a mixture of 1 liter of water and 2 tablespoons of salt into the bottle. However, 1 inch of the upper part of the sheets needs to be placed away from the water content.
Next, fit spring clips to both the treated and untreated panes. The lead from the untreated sheet needs to be connected to a positive terminal while the lead from the cuprous oxide plate needs to be fitted to the negative terminal of a micro-ammeter. On completion, the cell should be placed in direct sunlight to harness solar energy in an effective manner. Following the steps mentioned above, a homemade solar cell can be built in an effortless manner.
Benefits
A homemade solar panel offers a wide range of benefits. It helps to save immensely on monthly electrical bills. In terms of investment, it is cheaper than the expensive pre-made silicon cells. Besides this, the energy captured from sunlight is environmentally friendly and does not emit any harmful gases into the atmosphere. It can be easily designed to fit on any home. Furthermore, the unused energy can be stored and later sold to utility companies for a fixed amount. Most importantly, it provides the residents of the home with comfortable and healthy living.
Major Tips That Should Be Followed When Making Solar Cells At Home
First of all, you should prepare the photosensitive element by cutting a 6x6 inch rectangular shaped piece from a copper sheet. The panel needs to be thoroughly scrubbed with sandpaper to eliminate any residue. The next step is to properly heat the copper sheet at 900 degrees F with the aid of a burner, torch, or any other heating element.
The pane needs to be heated for about 15 to 30 minutes until a black thick coating appears. Once the sheet cools down, the black oxide cupric layer at the base needs to be neatly scraped to uncover the red oxide layer which in turn will serve as the photosensitive material for the homemade solar cell.
Following this, another piece needs to be cut out from the copper sheet. The cuprous oxide treated pane and the untreated sheet should then be carefully inserted into a wide-mouthed plastic bottle. It is vital to keep the sheets away from each other to avoid any short circuit. After this pour a mixture of 1 liter of water and 2 tablespoons of salt into the bottle. However, 1 inch of the upper part of the sheets needs to be placed away from the water content.
Next, fit spring clips to both the treated and untreated panes. The lead from the untreated sheet needs to be connected to a positive terminal while the lead from the cuprous oxide plate needs to be fitted to the negative terminal of a micro-ammeter. On completion, the cell should be placed in direct sunlight to harness solar energy in an effective manner. Following the steps mentioned above, a homemade solar cell can be built in an effortless manner.
