Build a 60 Watt Solar Panel

Step 16 Using the solar panel

Here is a photo of the solar panel in action, providing much needed power on my remote Arizona property. I used an old extension cord to bring the power from the panel located in a sunny clearing over to my campsite under the trees. I cut the original ends off the cord and installed Jones plugs. You could stick with the original 120V connectors, but I wanted to make sure there was absolutely no chance of accidentally plugging the low-Voltage DC equipment into 120V AC.

I have to move the panel several times each day to keep it pointed at the sun, but that isn't really a big hardship. Maybe someday I will build a tracking system to automatically keep it aimed at the sun.

More details on the electrical system can be found on my web site at http://www.mdpub.com

Comments

[DanwiseG]

Fresnel Lenses were on the Discovery Channel's "Project Earth" show. It was amazing what it did to increase the output of the individual cell. Don't remember much else about it besides me on the couch going "wow.." LOL

[wupme]

Thats a nice Project. A fresnel lens probably would enhance the panel, you can get those from broken back projection TVs. A tracking system wouldn't be that hart. Just a photo sensor that stars an motor when it gets light. I still wonder about those 18volts, my 12 Volt charger only gots 13,5 volts, but maybe its because it gots more ampere. If i had a property in Arizona, i definitely would have build my self a huge array of solar panels. But.... i live in Germany, directly in the city. So the only solar powered thing is gonna be my decorative light :(

[stoobers]

a fresnel lens won't change anything. the solar flux coming through the lens it is proportional to the area of the lens. Unless you make the area bigger, no additional light will come through. the lens might trap some extra heat, and the heat will build up, but solar cells work on light, not heat.

[wupme]

A few months ago, leading companys for solar panels came up with the fresnel lens, directly onto the solar cell, and it gives more output. You can buy those.

[stoobers]

I encourage you to try this experiment and make an instructable about this. If you can get it to work, it would be a boon for the solar industry. I would be VERY interested in the outcome.

solar panels = expensive
lenses = cheap

If the output of a panel can be increased by a cheap fresnel lens, wahoo!

[bluGill]

Lots of experiments have been done with this. There are significant problems. The biggest is heat - if you use a lens that puts a lot more lot more heat on the cells, and so you need a big heatsink to get rid of it. Last I heard (10 years ago) a cell that would last for 50 years normally only lasts 5 years when you use a lens to put 10 times the light on it, put 50 times the light on it and you get 1 year of life. In short over the long term you use just as many cells, plus you get to deal with a lens (slightly more complex), and maintenance. With the cost of cells, plus more production going online, it might be worth doing this for a few years, replacing the cells all the time - until production goes up enough that you can just buy cells. Maybe - for most people they want a set it and forget it system so it isn't anyway.

[wupme]

I would love to do it, but i already struggle to find a lense for the solar grille i planned. In Germany Backprojection TVs are really rare, so nothing to scavange :(

[matroska]

What about using a Stirling engine as the source of energy? :) Requires a bit more work and a dynamo, but I believe the ouput would be greater in theory, as solar cells will keep energy as heat and they can't threat that, but a stirling engine runs solely on heat. I'm planning to try this out soon!

[ac-dc]

I'm sure it costs a pretty penny, this project was about a DIY power source that is very cost effective. If cost were not an object there are lots of things one could do differently to improve upon it but sometimes cost really does matter - like when you could just build a second panel with the extra money because there's no specific space constraint.

[wupme]

You can salvage those lenses from old back projection TVs. Then its still DIY and cost effective :)

[ac-dc]

A fresnel lens would cause too much addt'l heat, destroy the wood frame and paint. It would have to be built to handle the higher power and that includes a different type of solar cell as these would degrade too quickly.

[wupme]

There won't be any additional heat, and the frame wouldnt be affected, they're directly in front of the solar cell

[ac-dc]

How would you make this work? Right in front of the solar cell you are refocusing sunlight away from the outer portions of the cell so it's the same amount of sunlight. If you mean at enough of a distance to focus more than the original light onto the cell in theory that could work but many individual little lenses and a good focal system frame for them would tend to raise price as much as buying more solar cells. Without that frame and precise aiming, if you were refocusing light from a greater area it would tend to heat up the enclosure more. Plus, as stated previously it will wear out the cells faster. The cheap cells are not meant for long term use, they're mostly meant for hobbyists. So I suppose in theory it is possible to do what you suggested but it's not likely to be practical in this particular implementation.

[wupme]

As far as i understand it (have beend to one of those manufactures few weeks ago) in that close range, it won't refocus it away from the edges, because its really directly put onto the cell. But because of the slight breaking of the light beam, they can use the power better. So the cell doesn't take more or less light, thats correct, but somehow it still affects it. To get a good explenation, we shoudl propably consoult an profesional, maybee someday ill be back there, and ask them more about this :)

[wupme]

Geez where did all those typos came from? Shame on me, why is der no edit function ;o)