| Building your own solar panel can be a fun project and | | | | really want to explore how it all works and be able to |
| it is very possible too. There are a number of good | | | | say that you built a solar panel to your colleagues and |
| sites online detailing exactly how to go about building | | | | friends. The difference with this method is that rather |
| one, from e-books to other electronic resources. This | | | | than buying the premade cells, you make them on your |
| article is intended to give a good overview of the | | | | own. This home-grown approach relies on the |
| principles involved when you build solar panels. | | | | superconducting/semiconducting photovoltaic |
| How Does Solar Power Panels Work? | | | | properties of cuprous oxide, rather than going for the |
| To put it in simple terms, a solar panel uses | | | | silicon-based solution. The finished cell will form a red |
| photovoltaic process whereby light cases an electrical | | | | oxidized powder. This oxidization process will also |
| charge to flow in a material. If you are going to build | | | | produce a black powder oxide which will be of no use. |
| homemade solar panels, there are 2 routes by which | | | | Copper oxide has a very dense polariton level so it |
| you are going to achieve a photovoltaic reaction. | | | | does what it does, produce electricity. Polaritons are |
| These are as follows: | | | | the results of photons going together with a |
| First, the half-way house approach. | | | | conductive material, and the energy from this mixing is |
| Here, building a solar panel at home involves purchasing | | | | what produces the electricity. |
| the constituent parts from a suitable supplier. You can | | | | So in order to build solar panels, you first need to |
| buy solar cells or premanufactured solar cells from | | | | produce your copper oxide, and this can be done |
| solar equipment suppliers. Solar cells will convert just | | | | through heating copper. Also, take all relevant safety |
| the actual sunlight, while the photovoltaic cell will | | | | precautions when doing this and reading up on exactly |
| convert light from more sources than the sun. With the | | | | what you should be doing. The copper is heated for |
| components that you get from the supplier, you then | | | | good amount of time so that the unwanted black |
| assemble the remaining electronic parts required to | | | | colored copper will flake out, leaving only red portions |
| produce your solar panel of choice. This will enable you | | | | of the copper. Then after cooling it, your solar cell will |
| to generate your own electricity with the solar power | | | | then consist of this oxidized panel in salty water with a |
| panels. | | | | fresh, non-oxidized copper panel of the same size. |
| Second, you make your own solar cells project. | | | | Tiny charges will be produced, but it's electricity and |
| This is the approach you would want to do if you | | | | proof that you know how to build solar panels. |