For further details, a shopping list, diagrams, specs and dimensions follow along with this blog: www.pippenings.com/rv-living/diy-solar-build-homemade-solar/
so very cool! One year in college, oooohhhh, about 1981 (yeah we actually had books, pencils, pens, indoor plumbing and flush toilets and electricity in that stone age) but took a course at the area community college wherr we built solar panel. It was about 15x12' and generated all of 25w....took of of us a couple months to build, troubleshoot/test. The weight was over 100lbs....but it was fun. Now look at you....it looks as if it was a great fun project. Thanks for showing us all how it works...the rest of your solar videos have been informative as well. Your enthusiasm is so very encouraging, thanks!
These videos are GREAT. Pippi, you're doing an AWESOME job of helping other RV owners with these helpful, informative and meticulous broadcasts. I'm a Disabled Veteran, of 3 Tours of Duty, from which I contracted a terminal illness, ALS. I decide to devote whatever time I have left on this Earth toward helping homeless and afflicted Veterans. I went out and got a 17 years old Class A Damon that I'm gutting and retrofitting with wheelchairs, ramps, hospital bed, breathing aides, etc. and special accommodations for my 4 PTSD service dogs as well. Your videos are a God-send, bcuz I'm on a limited budget so I've got to do everything myself. These are worth a lot more than I can ever afford to donate but I'm gonna help the cause as much as I can each month. If I hit the lottery, I'm splitting it with you. lol. Keep up the great work.
I have to say that this is the most informative solar panel construction instruction that I've seen anywhere. Nicely done and appreciated. You are the dream wife guys would give a limb for :) .
Can i go straight from the solar panels to my air conditioner without using batteries? It is AC to AC. I have sun all day and i do not need it for anything else. thank you.
I realize this is a 5 year old video but still.... The nervous cracking of your voice is adorable and makes me feel better about how nervous I know that I would be if I were trying to make an instructional video as great as this one is! Thanks for the info and inspiration! Gonna see what else you got now! Thanks again!
Favorite Pippi video right here. Really appreciate the notion that you don't always save enough money going DIY on these - unless you get a truly great deal on the cells and have most of the framing hardware already. Also a bit nostalgic - I had a MONSTER soldering gun like that, many years ago; basically a giant transformer with a handle under it.
Gosh Pippi...You must have super human patience. I would have been in a straight jacket by the time all that was soldered. I am looking forward to the next video. It will be interesting to see how all the pieces and parts fit together. Thanks again!!
You have made this video so simple and easy to understand, it was a great first lesson. I am very impressed and I'll try to continue to watch all your other videos in order.
Pippi, I'm impressed that you want to tackle this time consuming and tedious project. Can you please tell us how much time it takes to build one panel, how many watts, and what your costs were? Thanks.
*That impressed you? wow, if that impressed you then you should see the shit i made earlier, took two rolls of bathroom tissue and a waterhose to clean up*
am really amazed, impressed and glad to see a girl like u doing this stuff, i am a refugee and am living in greece ''homeless'' and recently am trying to find a place to live and to start building Solar panels only for some lights and buttery for the music player an am still working on that, very nice job, cheers and big love
Flux caution: inedible, causes severe diarrhea. That is what we're taught at MCCES (Marine Corp Communications Electronics School) in Twentynine Palms, CA. It's always good to triple wash your hands when soldering, and always wear PPE. Great Video! Thanks for the awesome lesson on solar panels!
nasser Jooda It sounds like you still have a lot to learn ... Chicks don't like to be called chicks, at least not in public like this when you're hot for one... Try using the term lady, or gal or boob carrier, they warm up to those more than chick.... Pipi is a fine young lady with determination and spunk.. hope you find someone as versatile as Pipi is someday. Good luck, and Godspeed to the right gal....😎
as someone who went this route. dont. its not that much cheaper.(unless you want an odd panel size/shape) do your research, i wished i had not wasted my time making my 250w panels i'm not inexperienced, i have been soldering since i was 12, i'm now 50, worked as an electronics engineer for a while.... she is soldering half cells, but my experience of full size cells is this. your problem here is the cell, its a huge heat sucker, you need at least a 90w iron and you dont want the crappy chinese trash iron she is using, its not right for the job, you need a 'pencil' design iron so that it has real thermal mass or your solders not going to flow (i have 8 irons in my collection for soldering different jobs, so its not like i could not compare irons) you next problem is you will shatter and over heat the cells as having them go from 20c to 400c in a small space willl thermal shock them, create micro fractures that dont conduct, and ruin cell efficiency. you /will/ hear them cracking as you solder The ''potting'' compound to fix them to the glass is very expensive in many countries. If you dont pot them, the silver conductive strips on them will oxidise and fail. (google it) If you dont pot them, your going to get about 15% less efficiency due to reflection.(google it) you need to meter and test every cell after its soldered, as one weak link in a chain lowers the whole chain down to its level. if your sodlering damages a cell down to 30% efficiency, the entire panel will run at 30% efficiency basically, your failure rate on cells could be 25-50% ( i managed about 15%) cells like this are preheated in ovens and soldered that way to minimise the heat cycling and stop the internal fractures, the only people making on this are the people selling the cells. you will spend 70 building a panel you can buy now for 100, 5-7 years ago this was worth doing
you will lose a lot of money doing this because the selfmade solar panels will not last long enough to recuperate the costs of making them . commercial panels last 25 years
hey, but are these selfmade panels competitive with the commercial ones in wattage terms? let's say I would build a 250 watt homemade panel in perfection would it be able to compete against a 250 watt commercial solar panel (non branded)?? I've checked prices from chinese alibaba for solar panels and the panels they sell seem to be very common inbetween the 0.35-0.55$/watt cost and on ebay other chinese sellers, sell the solar cells chips for like 20 units for 1-3 dollars and these cells can reach 1.8watt each...so that would drastically change the overall price to around 0.05-0.10$/watt cost!!! so now I just need to know is this worth it or not? is it able to be competitive? My biggest purposes for this investment are the one time overall longevity investments and also the maximization of power created from the least space availlable to create energy. Or would it just be better to invest 3.5 to 5.5 times more??
Its a hard call do your math but make sure to include your cost on framing tempered glass and the Sylgard 184 encapsulation. The price on the Sylgard is normally the deciding factor the stuff is expensive!
what about the efficiency? can these be real 250 to 300 watt panels or they have to be industrially made for that? i saw several videos on how they're made industrially or in other words attached...and the only difference basically was that they were made on vacuum chambers and automatically frame fitting chambers...not a huge difference imo...i'm sorry i'm trying to research that too but I actually am researching a lot of things at the same time and don't have the time for everything :p was just trying to get a easy answer from somebody with experience and more education then me on this topic for easier information acquirement. thanks for your help!
+Covinhas Sorry for the delay in answering busy busy.. The efficiency would be be determined by the grade and type of cell you used to construct the panel. Some company produce their own cells to make the panels from. In this case they may have higher efficient rating then mass produced Chinese cells. When assembling your own solar panels you can test the individual cells and decide which you will use "Quality Control" or you can make a bigger or smaller panel depending on your needs. But the short answer i feel is yes. Your home made panels can be just as efficient as mass produced panels from a company. The difference will be cost per watt. Big company gets a discount price for buying so much quantity of materials to produce the panel. This will not be the case for you or I no one cares about the little man wanting to make 22 or so panels for his own home. I have even contacted solar panel factorys in china to quote production and shipping from china to the USA. In this case while it is slightly cheaper to produce and ship to USA the logistics of FOB freight are a nightmare. It is much easier to hire a freight forwarder but then the cost goes up more. And USA Customs fines you for buying Chinese solar. In my research I found it may be a better route to order panels from Taiwan as USA customs do not charge import or taxes on them. Looking at your Icon I think you are not in the USA so your country customs and taxes would be different.
I bought a bunch of sidewalk solar cell lighting units from a dollar store. With a little elbow work to disassemble them and keep only the solar cells (still housed in their circular aluminum housings) I glued them side by side to a 1/4 inch plywood base. I soldered the backsides appropriately together ending up with around 30 of them on the plywood. With a load and as a conglomerate they put out around 26 volts and 120 mA. Enough to charge a bunch of things and easily run a DC motor. The cost - $30.00. There are always ways... You're cute girl...and smart!!
Even for those of us who have tremendous expertise ruining anything we come close to with a soldering iron, this was still very informative to show how these panels work. Another good video. Nice diversity of skills (solar panel manufacturer and belly dancer and video creator).
(click here) *Here’s the complete step-by-step setup fully illustrated manuals and easy to follow video instructions present in the guide you will be able to create renewable energy at home*.
Awesome job in explaining this. I would never intend to create a solar panel but it really helps to know what’s in it and how it all works. This really really helped my understanding. Thanks a million!
These are very interesting comments in running into on this channel. Surprisingly hateful ones and thankfully also supportive comments too. Don't worry pippy I got your back
So glad a young woman is very handy and confident in using power tools .You are so inspirational with all your projects . More women should be just like you.you should make a solar furnace to cut down on heating costs during the cooler temperatures.You can make it out of pop cans plywood ,plexiglass and a computer fan that runs off of 12 volt.dont forget to paint it flat black .not only are you smart but your cute too. Keep up the great work .Looking forward to see if you make a video of your build if you decide to build one.Just look it up on the internet two thumbs up to you!!!!!!
Excellent soldering instruction. When you set up be certain you are within 15 degrees of an east west line for alignment. Consider Fresnel lens to focus more energy in important areas. You might consider a tracking mounting for improving efficiency.
Does it say how many watts are needed to solder the cells? I think that iron is too many try a high quality 15 watt iron also don't forget to keep the tip clean with a moist sponge so the solder joints don't drop voltage.
The gun will work fine if you don't over heat the joint. The bigger issue would be to use an under powered iron and end up with a bunch of cold joints.
KKuurus Oh coarse the gun will work, but it's not my choice for an efficient soldering set up. You will get a lot more control with a wand style soldering iron. The ones with a variable control setting on a base are best and you have much better tip options. The solder guns will work, but leave much to be desired.
Good tip about the wet sponge. I learned about the from the ten bullets video on youtube. It was actually quite a cool vid, Casey Neistat (spelling?) was involved somehow. I'll have to go and watch it again but it has a lot of great tips, worth a watch imho.
I made some that were way cheaper than factory made used scrap plywood and plexiglass sheets and they are still going strong after 7 years I don’t leave them out over the winter- only use in summer to pump well water.
Props to you for stepping up and making your own, but for about a dollar a watt I can have it delivered to my house/RV already complete (with a warranty)... I understand the satisfaction in doing it by hand because I also enjoy DIY projects. HOWEVER, my time is also very valuable! Always enjoy your videos!!! Keep doin' it however you want because it's YOUR life!
Such a well explained video regarding the construction of a solar panel. Hats off for all the effort that has gone in to making this fantastic tutorial. Just one question though - how much more economical is it to make a solar panel vis-a-vis buying one?
I can't say that I blame you...your close to my daughters age and it just floors me how you girls are so adventurous these days...not like when i was younger...Keep going with the vids i enjoy everyone of them...you have given everyone things to think about and do...Thanks again..
I admire such enthusiasm! I'd love to make my own, but can't get the parts/components cheaply enough. I ended up buying 8 new-old stock, (3 years), panels from a warehouse clearance sale. The old stuff may not be as efficient as the latest tech, but 36p (44c) per watt had to be bought.
Being a skinflint, I'm prepared to accept last-but-2-years-ago's stuff. Dealers can't sell it cos it's 'old', (no-one wants last year's model); they don't want idle stock cluttering the place up, not paying rental on it's space, so would rather sell at a loss than write off zero value. My 8 x 190W panels were £550 on flea-buy. Add the (discontinued) mounting kit, Ep*v*r MPPT, batteries, bits and bobs etc all comes to about £1k, new batteries in 5 years time. Spread the cost with your friends!
Hi Pippi. It's important to clean the flux from the solder joint using alcohol or, better yet, flux remover. You can use nail polish remover too. If you don't clean the melted flux from the joints, it will eventually corrode and compromise the solder joint. Remember, flux is an oxidizer which is why it works so well when soldering. Also remember solder will flow towards the heat; don't "paint" your solder on. Apply heat, then push the solder into the heat. Great job!
Thank you Pippy, Yours is the best explanation and demonstration I've seen. I have wanted to understand how a panel works and how it's put together. Your step-by- step has been wonderful. I may buy the panels already constructed, because as one person said in the comments, the price difference may not justify the time and effort in the DIY project, although I love to do stuff myself. I am also interested in making a solar tracking system (saw it on youtube.) with two small collector panels like these and a turning mechanism like that of a small Dish antennae, so that the panel array will track the sun and be as efficient as possible from dawn til dusk. Best wishes for a great year.
Hi, Pippi I hope you will receive this, Just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year and your dogs too. Hope things start to settle down next year as I would like to do some traveling. Take care.
FYI when soldering you should be heating up the tab and then using the heat of the tab to melt the solder rather then melting the solder and letting it drip onto the tab. Just a tip to make sure you get good connections.
Very impressed! Glad I came across your video and subscribed it yesterday! This is 4 year old video: how is the solar panel holding up? I’ll watch 2/2 of this project video when I’m done with this one...
63/37 solder is the best stuff because it goes through no eutectic state (plastic state between solid/liquid). Also ensure that you removed all the flux using >70% isopropyl alcohol to prevent the solder from disintegrating.
Hi There, Thankyou for this wonderful video.. Few questions : 1.) Can we use normal glass for the front? If yes which type and what thickness? We rarely get hail storm here maybe once in a decade or even less.. 2.) What to use for the back of the solar cells? 3.) what can we use behind this cells plywood or something else inorder to close the bottom?
You're very creative and capable, you should be very proud of what you have accomplished!!! Loved your idea about insulation on your other video too. Keep up the good work girl!!!
Thanks. Well done and informative. I couldn't see myself doing this because the cost savings compared to the lost guarantees would not be worth it to me. However, it was good to see someone doing sick a good job explaining this.
Great job, sometimes it is just fun to say that you built it yourself instead of just buying it like most people. I was thinking that I would need to use spacers myself, my hands are not that steady. Spacers something like the one's used in ceramic tile work (they look like little + signs), I think they would work for me.
Great Job Pippi , I was shocked to see that cell didnt break when you dropped it ,there so delicate, nice job on the frame too I opted to buy premade ones (about $14 in the usa) just to save time, didnt help me save much time as I still need glass for them lol
As I was working in solar panel production I can have lot of comments... but I will not mention anything in this direction. Why? Because I really like the way how you overall manage it and your enthusiasm. Good job.
I have to give you some big kudos because that is not an easy thing to do but you seem to be willing to give almost anything a shot.. So good on ya and I hope it works out well for you..
Nice video. I started to make solar panels to sell at one time. The problem I ran into is that the technology was rapidly growing and it became impossible to duplicate the quality for the price. Factory made panels use"white" glass which greatly increases the panel efficiency and they are also vacuum sealed with a gas which greatly increases longevity. Just FYI.
of coarse its a show today I felt like I was traveling the Oregon trail, and tonight how I might power myself if that ever happened! cheers to you pippi!
Hey! Very interesting video. Can't wait to see how this all comes together and makes electricity! It would be satisfying to build your own panels, kinda like making fire by friction. When it works it would feel like quite an accomplishment and very gratifying! Great job Pippi! Thanks again, take care.
Cool to see that your doing some metal fabrication. Now all you need is a lathe,milling machine,welder,grinder,drill press,all of the tooling...and a PUPPY! ;-}
Not to take away from Pippi. I sew and craft and very very often make my own things or tools. More power to her!! I also have power tools!! I shop thrift or used but.....in saying that, and this is all for info...we bought a new little trailer a couple years ago to replace our lug of a 5th wheel. No solar panels but 2 batteries. Took us too long to realize 2nd battery kept draining 1st. I spent too many nights freezing and roasting with no heat or air! Researched and got a Cherokee Wolf pup. The only thing we lost was walking space and slides outs that broke twice! New ones are great, comes all ready including installed phone outlets. But we were told recommended panels to buy and a certain brand. We researched and saw if you buy the “extra” panels on sale for various brands they are way cheaper. Don’t come in a kit with a stand and all that but they are framed. We only paid $100 for one about 5 times our need. We thought it would just trickle charge our one battery but it will charge it from almost dead!! We barely use the new honda quiet generator to charge it. We only use that for when we need the micro that doesnt run on solar. To note the recommended kit of brand installed in trailer cost about $400. And as noted only trickle power. So my partner added rubber feet to the panel. I cut out spaces in the delivery box and added Velcro closures for it to travel underneath undamaged. We also bought a small aluminum ladder that goes in truck bed. We put it on the roof of the trailer when we are camped and lock up the ladder! So we do not need a stand or other bulky contraptions. All I’m saying is research. Sometimes not doing something yourself saves money and time but DO look at what you are buying. You don’t need “fancy”.
Follow the link to the list of supplies. Two questions, what is the total cost and the total watts. And how does that compare to buying one pre-built. Great info and well presented.
With the current cost of solar panels, is it still cost effective to make your own? What is the cost to purchase all the parts to make a cell of say 340 watts? Where do you get the supplies to do this? IE where do I get the strips and the cells?
cell #3 appears broken halfway, so at that point in your "snake" power for the ENTIRE panel might be limited by only going through one of the two buses. Now these newer yet already obsolete cells come manufactured with 5 or more bars on the cell. Add a network of diodes to bypass problem areas such as broken sections (manufacturing defect, hailstone, golf ball, gunshot, or simply shade from one leaf on a tree) and the little things won't drain the system.
Thank you so much for this great engineering system and I believe us in Papua New Guinea where there is so many problems with main Governments Power Grid around the country. We certainly would love to have these as our home backup system .Thumbs up! Oh by the way are the set readily available on the market?
I admire how smart and talented you are🎉💪🎉 I am disabled and I also don't understand this. Do you know what the cheapest way to get solar if you can't do it yourself? Thanks!🌼
Wow! Really good and clear instructions! thanks! I'm from Brazil and I'm thinking about making a solar panel, but I guess I'll have a problem with buying the materials since it's kinda hard to find this type of materials here, and if I find them, I'm sure they'll be pretty expensive... About how much did you spend to build this panel?
Awesome Pippi, I wonder what would make me feel you were going to be scratch building solar panels, one day soon? LOL....... :-) OH YEAH, your gorgeous, one of a kind, beautiful, dining, table, project... :D Is there nothing you won't try to build,fix or attempt to do Pippi? Love watching you take challenges on... :-) You are an amazing,beautiful,talented,woman and I totally realized that from your very first video you ever made.... :-) Peace, Love & Blessings Pippi...........Dana~ Take Care & Have Fun!!!!
The cells recommended on your link are very brittle and brake easily and in your video you dropped one without breaking it, do you have any other recommendations?
Definitely go with lead solder next time, especially for a mobile or outdoor application where it's exposed to severe heating/cooling cycles. The lead-free stuff is very brittle and can/will develop micro-fractures or just fail entirely. I hate that stuff with a passion from all the problems/headaches it causes. If you're worried about the lead - wear gloves, a mask and use a fan.
For further details, a shopping list, diagrams, specs and dimensions follow along with this blog: www.pippenings.com/rv-living/diy-solar-build-homemade-solar/
Great video. But, this link does not work
Good
you are making clear what the outlets find difficult to disclose down here, we pay lots for power and you are a super hero.
I still check out your old travel videos. You were an inspiration to many.
Her incredible positive outlook on all she tackles is amazing to me...Thank you for such informative videos and keeping us smiling...😃
+Dave Hester Thanks for tuning in Dave! :D
so very cool! One year in college, oooohhhh, about 1981 (yeah we actually had books, pencils, pens, indoor plumbing and flush toilets and electricity in that stone age) but took a course at the area community college wherr we built solar panel. It was about 15x12' and generated all of 25w....took of of us a couple months to build, troubleshoot/test. The weight was over 100lbs....but it was fun.
Now look at you....it looks as if it was a great fun project. Thanks for showing us all how it works...the rest of your solar videos have been informative as well.
Your enthusiasm is so very encouraging, thanks!
These videos are GREAT.
Pippi, you're doing an AWESOME job of helping other RV owners with these helpful, informative and meticulous broadcasts.
I'm a Disabled Veteran, of 3 Tours of Duty, from which I contracted a terminal illness, ALS. I decide to devote whatever time I have left on this Earth toward helping homeless and afflicted Veterans.
I went out and got a 17 years old Class A Damon that I'm gutting and retrofitting with wheelchairs, ramps, hospital bed, breathing aides, etc. and special accommodations for my 4 PTSD service dogs as well.
Your videos are a God-send, bcuz I'm on a limited budget so I've got to do everything myself.
These are worth a lot more than I can ever afford to donate but I'm gonna help the cause as much as I can each month. If I hit the lottery, I'm splitting it with you. lol.
Keep up the great work.
+Doc Robinson Thanks so much Doc! Best of luck with your retrofitting and renovations. Let me know if you have any questions ☺️
How refreshing to see a young person take on a "hands on electronics project" with such confidence... You make electronics look like fun! Thanks
+Brian Petersen Aww ☺️
I have to say that this is the most informative solar panel construction instruction that I've seen anywhere. Nicely done and appreciated. You are the dream wife guys would give a limb for :) .
+John Good to hear, thanks for watching!
Can i go straight from the solar panels to my air conditioner without using batteries? It is AC to AC. I have sun all day and i do not need it for anything else. thank you.
J solar is dc
J.MaestroGringoPendejo no
Agreed, I would marry this Woman in a heart beat!
I realize this is a 5 year old video but still.... The nervous cracking of your voice is adorable and makes me feel better about how nervous I know that I would be if I were trying to make an instructional video as great as this one is!
Thanks for the info and inspiration! Gonna see what else you got now! Thanks again!
Thank you...finally a great visual of the bus bar connection with an explanation that I could understand. You Rock!
Favorite Pippi video right here. Really appreciate the notion that you don't always save enough money going DIY on these - unless you get a truly great deal on the cells and have most of the framing hardware already.
Also a bit nostalgic - I had a MONSTER soldering gun like that, many years ago; basically a giant transformer with a handle under it.
Well done, you might want to let people know that the cells can easily break, so they need to be gentle with them.
Gosh Pippi...You must have super human patience. I would have been in a straight jacket by the time all that was soldered. I am looking forward to the next video. It will be interesting to see how all the pieces and parts fit together. Thanks again!!
+JWelchon Haha, I really enjoyed it :)
Woman engineer, "You Go Girl!" Keep up the good work.
You have made this video so simple and easy to understand, it was a great first lesson. I am very impressed and I'll try to continue to watch all your other videos in order.
Thank you!
Pippi, I'm impressed that you want to tackle this time consuming and tedious project. Can you please tell us how much time it takes to build one panel, how many watts, and what your costs were? Thanks.
*That impressed you? wow, if that impressed you then you should see the shit i made earlier, took two rolls of bathroom tissue and a waterhose to clean up*
$o wat was your final cost?
See 9:50
I wonder, is she related to professor pippy poopypants from the captain underpants books?
Why is there so much hate comments !! I don't even know why every where online is like this. So much s*****s now ?!
Really amazing Pippi, it's awesome that you built it instead of buying an already made panel.
+Fred McIntyre Thanks Fred 😄
you are incredible, don't know how you learned all the diy stuff you do
+jupiter22177 Thanks!
Internet/TH-cam
Please make simple idea
took me 15 minutes too learn how they're made.. its called.. the internet lol
I have a water heating system i made from scratch and it works great. I get about 80% of my hot water from solar. Thanks for sharing.
am really amazed, impressed and glad to see a girl like u doing this stuff, i am a refugee and am living in greece ''homeless'' and recently am trying to find a place to live and to start building Solar panels only for some lights and buttery for the music player an am still working on that, very nice job, cheers and big love
+Dani Dark wow, best of luck with that. It's probably be cheaper to just buy the panels made. Thanks for watching!
thank u , i don't know am thinking about it so lets see, maybe i'll do it as u said, thanks for sharing
Dani Dark keep on fighting
Flux caution: inedible, causes severe diarrhea. That is what we're taught at MCCES (Marine Corp Communications Electronics School) in Twentynine Palms, CA. It's always good to triple wash your hands when soldering, and always wear PPE. Great Video! Thanks for the awesome lesson on solar panels!
+The Niteshifter You bet, thanks for watching!
Most women knit sweaters and pipi is making her own solar panels. I love this woman .
really?
nasser Jooda It sounds like you still have a lot to learn ... Chicks don't like to be called chicks, at least not in public like this when you're hot for one...
Try using the term lady, or gal or boob carrier, they warm up to those more than chick.... Pipi is a fine young lady with determination and spunk..
hope you find someone as versatile as Pipi is someday.
Good luck, and Godspeed to the right gal....😎
already tried inplix ?
What retirement home did you go to, to figure "most" girls still knit?
TexasGTO
a aaaa
Your DIY projects are inspiring, Pippi - they make me want to dig into projects around my house!
+goldenfire5 That's awesome to hear. I hope you do! 😄
as someone who went this route. dont. its not that much cheaper.(unless you want an odd panel size/shape)
do your research, i wished i had not wasted my time making my 250w panels
i'm not inexperienced, i have been soldering since i was 12, i'm now 50, worked as an electronics engineer for a while....
she is soldering half cells, but my experience of full size cells is this.
your problem here is the cell, its a huge heat sucker, you need at least a 90w iron and you dont want the crappy chinese trash iron she is using, its not right for the job, you need a 'pencil' design iron so that it has real thermal mass or your solders not going to flow (i have 8 irons in my collection for soldering different jobs, so its not like i could not compare irons)
you next problem is you will shatter and over heat the cells as having them go from 20c to 400c in a small space willl thermal shock them, create micro fractures that dont conduct, and ruin cell efficiency. you /will/ hear them cracking as you solder
The ''potting'' compound to fix them to the glass is very expensive in many countries.
If you dont pot them, the silver conductive strips on them will oxidise and fail. (google it)
If you dont pot them, your going to get about 15% less efficiency due to reflection.(google it)
you need to meter and test every cell after its soldered, as one weak link in a chain lowers the whole chain down to its level. if your sodlering damages a cell down to 30% efficiency, the entire panel will run at 30% efficiency
basically, your failure rate on cells could be 25-50% ( i managed about 15%)
cells like this are preheated in ovens and soldered that way to minimise the heat cycling and stop the internal fractures, the only people making on this are the people selling the cells. you will spend 70 building a panel you can buy now for 100, 5-7 years ago this was worth doing
you will lose a lot of money doing this because the selfmade solar panels will not last long enough to recuperate the costs of making them . commercial panels last 25 years
hey, but are these selfmade panels competitive with the commercial ones in wattage terms? let's say I would build a 250 watt homemade panel in perfection would it be able to compete against a 250 watt commercial solar panel (non branded)?? I've checked prices from chinese alibaba for solar panels and the panels they sell seem to be very common inbetween the 0.35-0.55$/watt cost and on ebay other chinese sellers, sell the solar cells chips for like 20 units for 1-3 dollars and these cells can reach 1.8watt each...so that would drastically change the overall price to around 0.05-0.10$/watt cost!!! so now I just need to know is this worth it or not? is it able to be competitive? My biggest purposes for this investment are the one time overall longevity investments and also the maximization of power created from the least space availlable to create energy. Or would it just be better to invest 3.5 to 5.5 times more??
Its a hard call do your math but make sure to include your cost on framing tempered glass and the Sylgard 184 encapsulation. The price on the Sylgard is normally the deciding factor the stuff is expensive!
what about the efficiency? can these be real 250 to 300 watt panels or they have to be industrially made for that? i saw several videos on how they're made industrially or in other words attached...and the only difference basically was that they were made on vacuum chambers and automatically frame fitting chambers...not a huge difference imo...i'm sorry i'm trying to research that too but I actually am researching a lot of things at the same time and don't have the time for everything :p was just trying to get a easy answer from somebody with experience and more education then me on this topic for easier information acquirement. thanks for your help!
+Covinhas
Sorry for the delay in answering busy busy.. The efficiency would be be determined by the grade and type of cell you used to construct the panel. Some company produce their own cells to make the panels from. In this case they may have higher efficient rating then mass produced Chinese cells.
When assembling your own solar panels you can test the individual cells and decide which you will use "Quality Control" or you can make a bigger or smaller panel depending on your needs.
But the short answer i feel is yes. Your home made panels can be just as efficient as mass produced panels from a company.
The difference will be cost per watt. Big company gets a discount price for buying so much quantity of materials to produce the panel.
This will not be the case for you or I no one cares about the little man wanting to make 22 or so panels for his own home.
I have even contacted solar panel factorys in china to quote production and shipping from china to the USA.
In this case while it is slightly cheaper to produce and ship to USA the logistics of FOB freight are a nightmare. It is much easier to hire a freight forwarder but then the cost goes up more. And USA Customs fines you for buying Chinese solar.
In my research I found it may be a better route to order panels from Taiwan as USA customs do not charge import or taxes on them.
Looking at your Icon I think you are not in the USA so your country customs and taxes would be different.
I bought a bunch of sidewalk solar cell lighting units from a dollar store. With a little elbow work to disassemble them and keep only the solar cells (still housed in their circular aluminum housings) I glued them side by side to a 1/4 inch plywood base. I soldered the backsides appropriately together ending up with around 30 of them on the plywood. With a load and as a conglomerate they put out around 26 volts and 120 mA. Enough to charge a bunch of things and easily run a DC motor. The cost - $30.00. There are always ways...
You're cute girl...and smart!!
I’m impress, never seen anyone build their own solar panel before.
+Archie Alexander Thanks Archie :)
*>>Home Made Energy-How To Get Free Energy Now. Many People Doing It Already!>>>>[ **t.co/vm2wD2OnfZ** ]...............*
Eva Hardy is
because it isn't cost affective
Even for those of us who have tremendous expertise ruining anything we come close to with a soldering iron, this was still very informative to show how these panels work. Another good video. Nice diversity of skills (solar panel manufacturer and belly dancer and video creator).
+Tony Barthel Thank you ☺️
(click here) *Here’s the complete step-by-step setup fully illustrated manuals and easy to follow video instructions present in the guide you will be able to create renewable energy at home*.
Met Pippy at Guist campground. I was impressed with her solar RV. Way to go.
+Gaylord Syrstad The airplane mechanic?! Nice to meet you
You have inspired me, I'm going to solar power my 5th wheel. Then electric power my truck. Keep dreaming.
Great build but i bought mine compleated and i get about 600 watts from the 4 i got and it keeps my 6 batterys charged. take care and keep posting
Awesome job in explaining this. I would never intend to create a solar panel but it really helps to know what’s in it and how it all works. This really really helped my understanding. Thanks a million!
I am SO happy to hear you say that. Thank you so much for watching and glad you got something out of it!
this is awesome, this video give the best instruction on DIY.. keep it up.. great job.
+Peter Pablo Thank you so much Peter. I'm happy to hear it. Thanks for watching!
Hi Pippi, You are a very good teacher. I will build my own solar panel soon.
it is really impressed ... I like your demonstration, skills and casting the video .... you should be proud of yourself ...
Keep it up
+Mohammed Alharbi thank you!
You are the best ... I followed your twitter & Instagram accounts ...
can you not buy solder with flux already in the solder... i wish africans would start making solar panels.....tks..
These are very interesting comments in running into on this channel. Surprisingly hateful ones and thankfully also supportive comments too. Don't worry pippy I got your back
So glad a young woman is very handy and confident in using power tools .You are so inspirational with all your projects . More women should be just like you.you should make a solar furnace to cut down on heating costs during the cooler temperatures.You can make it out of pop cans plywood ,plexiglass and a computer fan that runs off of 12 volt.dont forget to paint it flat black .not only are you smart but your cute too. Keep up the great work .Looking forward to see if you make a video of your build if you decide to build one.Just look it up on the internet two thumbs up to you!!!!!!
Excellent soldering instruction. When you set up be certain you are within 15 degrees of an east west line for alignment. Consider Fresnel lens to focus more energy in important areas. You might consider a tracking mounting for improving efficiency.
Does it say how many watts are needed to solder the cells? I think that iron is too many try a high quality 15 watt iron also don't forget to keep the tip clean with a moist sponge so the solder joints don't drop voltage.
90 or so and dont use a gun.
The gun will work fine if you don't over heat the joint. The bigger issue would be to use an under powered iron and end up with a bunch of cold joints.
KKuurus Oh coarse the gun will work, but it's not my choice for an efficient soldering set up. You will get a lot more control with a wand style soldering iron. The ones with a variable control setting on a base are best and you have much better tip options. The solder guns will work, but leave much to be desired.
Good tip about the wet sponge. I learned about the from the ten bullets video on youtube. It was actually quite a cool vid, Casey Neistat (spelling?) was involved somehow. I'll have to go and watch it again but it has a lot of great tips, worth a watch imho.
a 15 watt iron is useless..
Hi Pippi, You are a very good teacher as well as a creative clever girl. I will build my own solar panel soon.
Very very nice this presentation ,very easy to build spv panels by this video help......nice
+siva mallikarjuna Thanks for watching Siva :)
God blese you sestar
from Peter Moses
I made some that were way cheaper than factory made used scrap plywood and plexiglass sheets and they are still going strong after 7 years I don’t leave them out over the winter- only use in summer to pump well water.
You go girl👍☺👍
+donna cater Thanks Donna!
Props to you for stepping up and making your own, but for about a dollar a watt I can have it delivered to my house/RV already complete (with a warranty)... I understand the satisfaction in doing it by hand because I also enjoy DIY projects. HOWEVER, my time is also very valuable! Always enjoy your videos!!! Keep doin' it however you want because it's YOUR life!
+Louie Richards Yes, it's not the best route if you don't want the journey. :)
Why did you decide to build from the silicon up? is it just cheaper or were you being sneaky and try to teach people something?
Chill man, they were making a joke. It was in no way an insult, if anything, it was a compliment.
You are one smart lady your mum and dad must be pleased with you.
Pardon me, if you marry me it would be so beneficial to curing the Global Warming so think about it.
Awesome! I love the mirror trick! Very cool! Cheers n sunny days 🌞
When are going to show us how to build an entire rv with just navel lint and toothpicks??...enquiring minds want to know.
Such a well explained video regarding the construction of a solar panel. Hats off for all the effort that has gone in to making this fantastic tutorial. Just one question though - how much more economical is it to make a solar panel vis-a-vis buying one?
Since when did geeky girls, become smoking hot?
Um, what kind of weirdly misogynistic back-handedly inappropriate compliment is that?
Steve Calamia I'm sure that comment was a compliment
Perkuwhenthersodering
St
Shes not even hot
I can't say that I blame you...your close to my daughters age and it just floors me how you girls are so adventurous these days...not like when i was younger...Keep going with the vids i enjoy everyone of them...you have given everyone things to think about and do...Thanks again..
+Dave Hester Thanks a bunch Dave :)
one girl ... I didn't see MORE THAN JUST ONE GIRL ... a dream girl no batteries needed ... for a sunshine powered one
All I can say is you seriously Rock Mrs Peterson !
+LnJ Photo Nomads Thanks!
Twenty year master Electrician here, very impressive video. Good work!
I admire such enthusiasm! I'd love to make my own, but can't get the parts/components cheaply enough. I ended up buying 8 new-old stock, (3 years), panels from a warehouse clearance sale. The old stuff may not be as efficient as the latest tech, but 36p (44c) per watt had to be bought.
+nlo114 that sounds like a fabulous deal. Good luck with it all :-)
Being a skinflint, I'm prepared to accept last-but-2-years-ago's stuff. Dealers can't sell it cos it's 'old', (no-one wants last year's model); they don't want idle stock cluttering the place up, not paying rental on it's space, so would rather sell at a loss than write off zero value. My 8 x 190W panels were £550 on flea-buy. Add the (discontinued) mounting kit, Ep*v*r MPPT, batteries, bits and bobs etc all comes to about £1k, new batteries in 5 years time. Spread the cost with your friends!
Hi Pippi. It's important to clean the flux from the solder joint using alcohol or, better yet, flux remover. You can use nail polish remover too. If you don't clean the melted flux from the joints, it will eventually corrode and compromise the solder joint. Remember, flux is an oxidizer which is why it works so well when soldering. Also remember solder will flow towards the heat; don't "paint" your solder on. Apply heat, then push the solder into the heat. Great job!
👍
Thank you Pippy, Yours is the best explanation and demonstration I've seen. I have wanted to understand how a panel works and how it's put together. Your step-by- step has been wonderful. I may buy the panels already constructed, because as one person said in the comments, the price difference may not justify the time and effort in the DIY project, although I love to do stuff myself. I am also interested in making a solar tracking system (saw it on youtube.) with two small collector panels like these and a turning mechanism like that of a small Dish antennae, so that the panel array will track the sun and be as efficient as possible from dawn til dusk. Best wishes for a great year.
Hi, Pippi I hope you will receive this, Just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year and your dogs too. Hope things start to settle down next year as I would like to do some traveling. Take care.
Not bad.well explained.neat and clean.very detailed.a big thumps up to that
FYI when soldering you should be heating up the tab and then using the heat of the tab to melt the solder rather then melting the solder and letting it drip onto the tab. Just a tip to make sure you get good connections.
Very impressed! Glad I came across your video and subscribed it yesterday!
This is 4 year old video: how is the solar panel holding up? I’ll watch 2/2 of this project video when I’m done with this one...
63/37 solder is the best stuff because it goes through no eutectic state (plastic state between solid/liquid). Also ensure that you removed all the flux using >70% isopropyl alcohol to prevent the solder from disintegrating.
The trailer I just bought has one panel, I'm hoping to add more eventually. This is great information!
+TastefullyIntoxicated Thanks. Best of luck with it!
Wow, making your own solar panels is cool. Thanks for sharing Pippi!
+Jim Thanks for watching Jim! :)
Hi There, Thankyou for this wonderful video.. Few questions : 1.) Can we use normal glass for the front? If yes which type and what thickness? We rarely get hail storm here maybe once in a decade or even less.. 2.) What to use for the back of the solar cells? 3.) what can we use behind this cells plywood or something else inorder to close the bottom?
You're very creative and capable, you should be very proud of what you have accomplished!!! Loved your idea about insulation on your other video too. Keep up the good work girl!!!
Thanks. Well done and informative. I couldn't see myself doing this because the cost savings compared to the lost guarantees would not be worth it to me. However, it was good to see someone doing sick a good job explaining this.
👍
Great job, sometimes it is just fun to say that you built it yourself instead of just buying it like most people. I was thinking that I would need to use spacers myself, my hands are not that steady. Spacers something like the one's used in ceramic tile work (they look like little + signs), I think they would work for me.
+JB85128 Yes it is nice to building something yourself 😎
Great Job Pippi , I was shocked to see that cell didnt break when you dropped it ,there so delicate, nice job on the frame too I opted to buy premade ones (about $14 in the usa) just to save time, didnt help me save much time as I still need glass for them lol
+Charles lakins Yes from scratch requires time indeed! Best of luck!
As I was working in solar panel production I can have lot of comments... but I will not mention anything in this direction.
Why? Because I really like the way how you overall manage it and your enthusiasm. Good job.
Thank you for an effort of showing us doing it your self. Its Awesome.
I have to give you some big kudos because that is not an easy thing to do but you seem to be willing to give almost anything a shot.. So good on ya and I hope it works out well for you..
+eaglehill6 Thank you :)
You never cease to amaze, love what you do. thanks for sharing
+Traveller Thank you so much!
I so admire and love woman who do these things,cant ait to find one myself then life is complete ,cheers .
I had no idea how solar panels were made. Thanks for breaking it down.
+Wildflower wind You bet!
Nice video. I started to make solar panels to sell at one time. The problem I ran into is that the technology was rapidly growing and it became impossible to duplicate the quality for the price. Factory made panels use"white" glass which greatly increases the panel efficiency and they are also vacuum sealed with a gas which greatly increases longevity. Just FYI.
It seems like yesterday, but I watched your solar panel video when you first posted it.
Learned a lot. Very impressed young lady, very impressed.
+Frank LoGrande Thank you!
of coarse its a show today I felt like I was traveling the Oregon trail, and tonight how I might power myself if that ever happened! cheers to you pippi!
+keith ellis Awesome :)
Hey! Very interesting video. Can't wait to see how this all comes together and makes electricity! It would be satisfying to build your own panels, kinda like making fire by friction. When it works it would feel like quite an accomplishment and very gratifying! Great job Pippi! Thanks again, take care.
+Bob Haggard Yes that's what this project is all about :)
Interesant proiectul tau, am să-l încerc și eu.
Îmi place cum ai prezentat, ești foarte drăguță
🤗
Cool video!!! I want to make panels with widely spaced cells for agrivoltaics seeing as how I don't see any to buy. Guess I have to make my own.
pretty darn crafty! I kept thinking modern day Oregonian trail! lol. great show.
+keith ellis Haha, is that a real show?
Cool to see that your doing some metal fabrication. Now all you need is a lathe,milling machine,welder,grinder,drill press,all of the tooling...and a PUPPY! ;-}
+Mr Frog Haha, a puppy :)
Not to take away from Pippi. I sew and craft and very very often make my own things or tools. More power to her!! I also have power tools!! I shop thrift or used but.....in saying that, and this is all for info...we bought a new little trailer a couple years ago to replace our lug of a 5th wheel. No solar panels but 2 batteries. Took us too long to realize 2nd battery kept draining 1st. I spent too many nights freezing and roasting with no heat or air! Researched and got a Cherokee Wolf pup. The only thing we lost was walking space and slides outs that broke twice! New ones are great, comes all ready including installed phone outlets. But we were told recommended panels to buy and a certain brand. We researched and saw if you buy the “extra” panels on sale for various brands they are way cheaper. Don’t come in a kit with a stand and all that but they are framed. We only paid $100 for one about 5 times our need. We thought it would just trickle charge our one battery but it will charge it from almost dead!! We barely use the new honda quiet generator to charge it. We only use that for when we need the micro that doesnt run on solar. To note the recommended kit of brand installed in trailer cost about $400. And as noted only trickle power. So my partner added rubber feet to the panel. I cut out spaces in the delivery box and added Velcro closures for it to travel underneath undamaged. We also bought a small aluminum ladder that goes in truck bed. We put it on the roof of the trailer when we are camped and lock up the ladder! So we do not need a stand or other bulky contraptions. All I’m saying is research. Sometimes not doing something yourself saves money and time but DO look at what you are buying. You don’t need “fancy”.
Follow the link to the list of supplies. Two questions, what is the total cost and the total watts. And how does that compare to buying one pre-built.
Great info and well presented.
+tiki lebby I've got all that in the second video on its way. Please stay tuned...
Cliff Hanger......thanks
Yay! Pippi is getting solar panels! That is smart!
+Cheryl Henson Stay tuned, I'll be installing pre-made ones on my roof :)
building from scratch....VERY COOL!!! most people would go out the store and buy a complete panel, learn as you build is better......GOOD JOB
+Robert S. Thank you!!
Great video pippi ;]....love your nothing is too technical attitude,& just crack on & get things done...Keep up the awesome work..Very entertaing too
+Andy-007 kettleborough Thanks so much Andy!
Such nice work, woman! I'm totally impressed!
+Andrea Dawn Thanks Andrea! :D
With the current cost of solar panels, is it still cost effective to make your own? What is the cost to purchase all the parts to make a cell of say 340 watts? Where do you get the supplies to do this? IE where do I get the strips and the cells?
Pippi you are so much fun to learn from .Thank you for your time and information. Pippi #1
+JOEYHIPHOP2008 Thank you so much for tuning in! :)
cell #3 appears broken halfway, so at that point in your "snake" power for the ENTIRE panel might be limited by only going through one of the two buses. Now these newer yet already obsolete cells come manufactured with 5 or more bars on the cell. Add a network of diodes to bypass problem areas such as broken sections (manufacturing defect, hailstone, golf ball, gunshot, or simply shade from one leaf on a tree) and the little things won't drain the system.
Thank you so much for this great engineering system and I believe us in Papua New Guinea where there is so many problems with main Governments Power Grid around the country. We certainly would love to have these as our home backup system .Thumbs up! Oh by the way are the set readily available on the market?
Good information, concise and articulated well. Didn't bother me a bit that your easy on the eyes :), Nice job and thank you.
I admire how smart and talented you are🎉💪🎉 I am disabled and I also don't understand this. Do you know what the cheapest way to get solar if you can't do it yourself? Thanks!🌼
Diane Diane go to harbor freight and buy the kit of panels
Agree that’s probably the cheapest way unless you’ve got the knowledge to piece it all together
Wow! Really good and clear instructions! thanks! I'm from Brazil and I'm thinking about making a solar panel, but I guess I'll have a problem with buying the materials since it's kinda hard to find this type of materials here, and if I find them, I'm sure they'll be pretty expensive... About how much did you spend to build this panel?
Awesome Pippi, I wonder what would make me feel you were going to be scratch building solar panels, one day soon? LOL....... :-)
OH YEAH, your gorgeous, one of a kind, beautiful, dining, table, project... :D
Is there nothing you won't try to build,fix or attempt to do Pippi?
Love watching you take challenges on... :-)
You are an amazing,beautiful,talented,woman and I totally realized that from your very first video you ever made.... :-) Peace, Love & Blessings Pippi...........Dana~
Take Care & Have Fun!!!!
+diverdan551 Like always, thanks a bunch Dana ☺️
You are one smart little lady........I am so impressed.
+New Beginnings with Budhi and Cyndi Thanks!
The cells recommended on your link are very brittle and brake easily and in your video you dropped one without breaking it, do you have any other recommendations?
Definitely go with lead solder next time, especially for a mobile or outdoor application where it's exposed to severe heating/cooling cycles. The lead-free stuff is very brittle and can/will develop micro-fractures or just fail entirely. I hate that stuff with a passion from all the problems/headaches it causes. If you're worried about the lead - wear gloves, a mask and use a fan.
+anticapitalize thanks for the great tip and information :-)
I need something like that . Or smaller for future fishing trips. That way I can charge trolling motor battery on the water