Make a Small Solar Panel

Not only is it quite possible to Make a Small Solar Panel, it can be a fun project too. There are lots of sites detailing exactly how to go about it, as well as many e-books and other electronic resources to call on. So, rather than adding yet another set of instructions to an already healthy range, this simple page is intended to give a good overview of the principles involved when you decide to Make A Small Solar Panel. That read, you can then further your efforts by following one of the links shown, or by reading up in one of the books shown opposite.

How Does it Work?
Simply put, a solar panel uses the photovoltaic process whereby light causes an electrical charge to flow in a given material. If you're going to Make a Small Solar Panel, then there are really two routes by which you're going to achieve your photovoltaic reaction. options open to you, unless you're an eccentric millionairre with access to a superconductor manufacturing facility, are as follows:

The half way house approach. Herein you Make a Small Solar Panel by purchasing the constituent parts from a suitable electrical supplier. This isn't the cop out it seems - you can buy pre manufactured photovoltaic cells and / or solar cells from specialist suppliers. The difference between the two is that the photovoltaic cell will convert light from more sources than the sun, the solar cell just being good with actual sunlight. You then assemble the remaining electronic parts required to produce your solar panel of choice. As mentioned above, there are various titles and eBooks available detailing how to go about it. One such example is the eBook "build Your Own Solar Panel" by Phillip Hurley.
While you're probably not going to power your house with the output of these efforts, the next is even less likely to be replacing your relationship with General Electric.

The whole-hog start-to-finish Make a Small SOlar Panel project. This is more the kind of approach you'd take if you were really just wanting to explore how it all works and to be able to say 'I made a solar panel' to your friends and colleagues. Here, the vital difference is that rather than buying in pre-made cells, you kick off by making your own photovoltaic medium. Rather than going for the silicon-based solution, this home-grown approach relies on the semiconducting / superconducting, photovoltaic properties of Copper(I) Oxide / Cuprous Oxide. This is the red oxidised powder. The oxidisation process also produces a black powder oxide, Copper(II) Oxide but that's of no use to us. The very brief overview of why it does what it does is that Copper(I) Oxide has a very dense polariton level. Polaritons are the result of photons mixing with a conductive material at a given wavelength. The energy from this mixing is what gives you your electricity.

So, if you're going to Make a Small Solar Panel, the first step is to produce your Copper(I) Oxide. Simply put, copper is heated. Doing this at home (after taking all relevant safety precautions and reading up on exactly what you're doing), the copper need be nothing more exotic than roofing flashing, albeit very clean roofing flashing. It's heated for a long time in order to make it easier to remove the unwanted Copper(II) Oxide, though most should have flaked off during cooling.

Your solar cell will then consist of this oxidised panel in salty water together with a fresh, non-oxidised copper panel of the same size. The charge produced is tiny, but it's electricity and proof that you know how to Make a Small Solar Panel.

In addition to the resources shown on this page, there is a complete run down on this second approach to be found at

solar panels making the news

Mozambique to produce solar panels - Xinhua
1 Aug 2010 at 6:39am
Mozambique to produce solar panelsXinhuaMAPUTO, July 31 (Xinhua) -- In order to reduce the cost of energy in the country and also of imports of solar panel devices, Mozambique is to start its own ...and more »

Solyndra to put solar panels on SoCal big-box, industrial rooftops - San Jose Mercury News
30 Jul 2010 at 8:32pm
Solyndra to put solar panels on SoCal big-box, industrial rooftopsSan Jose Mercury NewsThe lightweight thin-film solar panels will generate 16.2 megawatts of power for the Southern California utility, according to a statement from the two ...Southern California Edison to Generate 500 MW Solar PowerAZoCleantechSolyndra Scores So Cal Rooftop Solar DealEarth2Tech (blog)Solyndra Gets Biggest Chunk ...

New Jersey's solar-energy industry gets boost as state renews program to pay users - Press of Atlantic City
1 Aug 2010 at 5:34am
Green Prophet (blog)New Jersey's solar-energy industry gets boost as state renews program to pay usersPress of Atlantic CityBeneath a blazing sun, Dan Potkay's crew fastened the final solar panels to the roof of a Brigantine dental office. The patchwork of 272 panels totals 49 ...Masbate villages get solar energyPhilippine StarMAG to Install a Solar Power Plant for GS PowerAZoCleantechYes, you ...

State incentives fuel solar panel sales - MassLive.com
1 Aug 2010 at 5:21am
State incentives fuel solar panel salesMassLive.comState incentives for installing solar panels on homes for electricity generation have reached a high enough level that a national company ...and more »

Solar-powered Devil Dogs - War On Terror News
1 Aug 2010 at 3:13am
Solar-powered Devil DogsWar On Terror News... a portable power system developed for the Marine Corps which uses rechargeable batteries and solar panels to provide 300 watts of continuous electricity ...and more »

Here comes the sun: Solar power's price is now within reach - Kansas City Star
1 Aug 2010 at 4:48am
Kansas City StarHere comes the sun: Solar power's price is now within reachKansas City Star?It's made the masses realize the difficulty of getting fossil fuels,? says Rita Norton, a retired schoolteacher who invested in a solar panel electrical ...