| You've decided you want to build solar panel | | | | Tabbing solar cells is not difficult, but you will need |
| technology, now you want to find out just how much | | | | some more stuff to get it right. An alternative is to pay |
| DIY solar panels will cost. In this article we will do a little | | | | slightly more, and buy your solar cells already tabbed, |
| experiment - we will go to eBay, do a little searching, | | | | and this will save you time and effort. I found this |
| find the gear we will need to build solar panel arrays | | | | auction (below) as well, which for about $4 more has |
| that are equivalent to commercially available solar | | | | the cells already tabbed. Bargain! |
| panels, but at a fraction of the price. We will aim to | | | | 36 FULL Tab solar cell 3X6 B- grade |
| make solar panel of 36 solar cells, which will provide | | | | Buy It Now $36.63 |
| about 18V nominally, enough to charge a 12V lead acid | | | | Now we have our cells, the rest can be found in the |
| or gel battery. | | | | local hardware store - you need plywood for a |
| We will be searching for WHOLE solar cells, although | | | | backing, small cross section timber for the frame, a |
| you can save even more money if you use broken | | | | piece of masonite for the substrate and a piece of |
| cells - depending on how damaged they are you can | | | | perspex or plexiglass for the cover. The best part is, |
| still use them, but with lower output. | | | | most of these items you can scrounge or reclaim |
| I went to eBay, and searched for "36 solar cells" and | | | | from the rubbish at little or no cost at all! |
| immediately came up with this entry; | | | | I also recommend you grab a copy of one of the |
| 36 Solar Cells w split 3x6 1.8W 3.6Amp | | | | guides currently available to help you with the build |
| Buy It Now $32.42 | | | | process. Doing this will save you countless hours, and |
| Of course this is a "buy it now" type listing, I found | | | | will make the whole process fast, enjoyable and truly |
| many other auctions starting from $1 with just hours to | | | | rewarding. Ebooks and information kits are available |
| go until bidding stops, so you can pay less than $32 if | | | | that include video tutorials, bonus information and tips |
| you try. | | | | on putting together whole solar power systems, plus |
| An important thing to note is that the solar cells I have | | | | extras like wind power generation and other |
| found on eBay and listed above are "untabbed" cells, | | | | renewable energy tips and tricks. |
| which means you will need to "tab" them yourself. | | | | |