Small Solar Panel

Step 3 Solar cell basics

It helps to understand some fundamentals about solar cells before designing a panel. All common solar cells, like the multicrystal cells used in this instructable, produce 0.5 volts or so. That is, the front and back have a 0.5 volt difference. The size of the cell determines the amperage. A full-sized cell (6"x6") could produce three amps, depending on its design, but smaller cells may produce only 250 milliamps or less.

To increase the voltage of a panel, wire the cells in series. To increase the amperage, wire the cells in parallel.