DIY - Attempt at home made solar panels - Wasn't a good idea!!

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[dgholmz]

I had better luck on my first attempt using 1/4 inch tempered glass and the two part liquid encapsulate that's made for solar projects. It doesn't run if you give it the right amount of cure time. I get 35 watts average and probably saved about $50 on a 26x32 panel at the time. Just bought the more powerful 6x6 cell kit. It's more of a hobby for me to keep a battery bank charged for possible outages.

[rhandsom]

@dgholmz Thanks for your comments. If I do it again, I plan to use 1/4" tempered glass also. Glad to know it worked out for you. Take Care.

[subhankar8925]

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[TheSportsbot]

very very good video. intelligent dissemination of valuable information. thanks for recording and uploading this.

[rhandsom]

@TheSportsbot Thank you for your comments and your welcome. Take Care.

[rustyoffgrid]

I totally agree with you. I had the same experience you had with building solar panels. You can buy grade b panels from sun elec for cheaper than you can build them for with better quality. Thanks Rusty Check out my video

[rhandsom]

@rustyoffgrid Thanks for your comments, Grade B from sun elec are the way to go. I checked out your video. I like the setup, you got a lot of panels. The transfer switch is a good addition. Take Care.

[kondor1001]

I agree people spend far too much on home made solar. As hooterman said get grade B cells, in the summer I intend to make one using a wooden frame with no encapsulation at all except a piece of glass I intend using silica gel to handle any condensation issues. This will be a test as I have not seen it done and the silica gel will need re-charging every year I guess (in my oven). This of course would be no use for a permanent install and is just intended to be used during hot sunny days.

[rhandsom]

@kondor1001 Your approach seems like it would work well. Please upload a video when you complete it. Grade B cells would work fine. I made a portable solar generator that cheap homemade panels would work well for.

[yeremy838]

Mate, you really can`t to take with a grain of salt, take two glasses and put togeather...

[rhandsom]

@yeremy838 I agree with you, I have another frame and some left over cells. If and when I do this again, I'll either use the two glass approach or single glass with epoxy resin. Thanks and take care. But I would definitely recommend using the two glass approach to others.

[hooterman2828]

lol i used plexiglass on my first one too and boy that was the first and last time i did that. but there are cheaper ways of doing it. i got my cells onsale and they were grade B but they worked non the less. i didn't use tempered glass, i just used 2 regular pieces i got from lowe's and sandwhiched the cells between them. the frame i build myself out of angle alum. i got from lowes aswell. all and all it only cost$105 for me to make a 70 watt panel(used 40 cells instead of 36)

[rhandsom]

@hooterman2828 I saw your video of your latest panel and it looked pretty good. I think if you can find cheap enough materials homemade panels would be worth while. And it seems your one of the fortunate ones where it didn't cost you a whole lot to do it. I'll look for some of those grade B's you mentioned, I still have some cells and a frame left and my plan is to give it one more shot.

[SamBrownbGaryYorkm]

i think it is a very big company and their technology is great.

[rhandsom]

@LoveMyDogy Actually, Epoxy resins harden rock solid, similar to what you would see on a solar cell of one of those small lawn solar lights. EVA would probably be the best approach to take. The only silicon I would use would be the SLYGARD encapsulant, this will seal and allow for thermal expansion. Unfortunately, if your going to do it right and make a lasting, safe, panel, the materials are going to cost you. In your considerations take into account things that may decrease sunlight and power.

[rhandsom]

@LoveMyDogy During the process I had the same thought about the clear paint and I bought some "clear" satin acrylic spray paint. I tested it on one cell to see what it would do and it didn't do well, it was not truly clear. Maybe because of the satin, paint is not in my expertise. In any case, I recommend you make sure it is truly "clear" before applying. The silicon encapsulant they sell on ebay or clear epoxy resin will work however. My mistake was that I didn't use tempered glass.

[2010megasam]

I'm from AZ and I used glass it cracked because of the heat under the sun. So I switched to the Plexiglass which is working very well and I'm happy!

[rhandsom]

@2010megasam Sounds good, seems like you've made it work. Tempered glass is the way I would go if I were going to do it again. Unfortunately, Plexiglass will yellow after prolonged exposure to UV rays. Even Lexan is only guaranteed for 10 years. DIY panels are great, if you can make them to be safe for your home, and for a cost that would justify not buying a cheap commercial panel.

[Jodbronson]

You are CORRECT. Although I would love to build my own but you are right in the end, cost of cells, mistake can happen during making, sealer, frame.... . But in the long run it's NOT worth it. Thank you!

[rhandsom]

@Jodbronson No problem, just wanted to share my experiences.

[ThatSolarGuyLLC]

Go DIY but do it right with UL listed equipment that you can legally tie to the grid and will last for 25 years. It probably took at least a month of production of these DIY modules just to recoup the electrical consumption of the soldering gun. GREAT VIDEO. SOLID CONCLUSIONS THANKS FOR SHARING

[rhandsom]

@ThatSolarGuyLLC Thanks

[gr8mikeY]

I'm glad I wasn't the only dumbass that used lexan on my first attempt. Warps like crazy! Next attempt I tried using plate glass. It shattered when I put the heat gun to it. Going to try one more time using tempered glass, only because I still have some cells to use up. Totally agree on it not being worth it. Commercial panels are getting so cheap that I don't think you can build them as cheaply as you can buy them. Especially vendors like sunelec(dot)com

[rhandsom]

@gr8mikeY I take it as a live and learn situation, like so many others. Sun Electric panels are cheap decent panels. I got 2 200Watt grade B panels and they seem to working fine.

[gr8mikeY]

@rhandsom I live in Alabama, as you may recall we had some wild weather back in April. I have 4 130W Sun Electric panels on my roof which survived golf ball sized hail and 80mph wind gusts. So yes, I'll vouch for them as well. They also provided enough power to maintain my refrigerator for the 5 days we were without power.

[rhandsom]

@gr8mikeY That's good to hear that they can withstand that type of punishment. And you provide a most excellent reason for going solar.

[mixcatcom]

I agree with you; I used glass and really I prefer the flexible unisolar panels..

Nothing at all to worry about.

All the best,

-Pete

[rhandsom]

@mixcatcom I saw your videos earlier with the flexible unisolar, looks good.

[rhandsom]

In my oppinion, building your own panels can be a fun exercise. I agree with you that there are bad commercial panels also. However, there are good quality panels out there at discount prices. I also agree with another viewer that homemade panels are good for backups, but they are inherently unsafe for roof installation. I witnessed the effects of shading first hand. I saw a single cell get so hot it effected the epoxy resin that I was using. After I saw that I said no way.

[electrodacus]

I agree with you. Problem is that there are some commercial products that are not well build.

But still you do not make any savings buy building your self on the long term.

[rhandsom]

@waza8u I agree with you 100%, that's why I'm keeping the two I made previously. They still generate power and they should work great for my portable unit. I hope no one gets me wrong, I do believe there are benefits to making your own panels if the cost of materials and the individual skill level is good. But before beginning the exercise, I would suggest to anyone that they checkout some Grade B panels from a discount supplier. Grade B = cosmetic defects, good performance with warranty.

[rhandsom]

@waza8u Sounds good and I don't doubt that it would work. I have one more frame and some cells, I've considered giving it another shot so I won't waste the cells or frame. Another viewer pm'd me and sent some info for some great tips to complete a good panel. I still don't recommend putting home made panels on the roof. The fire risk is too high. Granted there are a lot of folks out there that are really good at making panels more economically and safer, unfortunately I'm not one of them.