Solar powered arduino on the back of a playing card

Here's a six word tragedy:

My arduino needs four AA batteries.

Really?  Isn't this 2012?  Where's my jetpack?!!  

Here's a way to the future -- a way to make a solar panel, from scratch, that can power any arduino off of sunlight or even light in your house.  Sort of a peel-and-stick power source for your projects.  

Time to complete:  15 minutes
No soldering required
Difficulty level:  Easy as pie (key lime)
Loss of skin during assembly:  moderate


This is one of the first entries in the Solar Pocket series of projects that Alex (this guy) and I are posting over the coming weeks.   For more about Solar Pocket Factories and DIY solar check out our just launched Kickstarter campaign (Aug 15 - Sept 14):
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alex9000/the-solar-pocket-factory-an-invention-adventure/posts/303802

Here's what it's all about in 3 minutes:

Step 1: What you need

++ A playing card.  

++ Copper tape (single-sided adhesive):  This is easy to find at most hardware or electronics shops.

++ 8 to 11 solettes:  these are small pieces of monocrystalline or polycrystalline PV silicon that are typically hidden under an epoxy blob in off-the-shelf panels.  You need the raw stuff for this instructable -- this will give you the flexibility to power any arduino with varying current demands for different projects.  You can get this key material here for now:  http://goo.gl/C25he  But there will be a kit on Kickstarter that makes these readily available soon.

++ Superglue aka cyano: the thin stuff, like crazy glue.  The gels don't seem to work well.

++ 5-minute epoxy:  this is the encapsulant that will cover the entire panel.  Epoxy is only good for 2 years in the sun, but it's the easiest stuff the find off the shelf for a quick project.  Fear not, better encapsulant is on the way (soon, soon...)

Comments

[kiki_amelia]

can i try this on my arduino uno r3?? it's work???

[ironheartbj18]

how many the solar gives the voltage ???

[offtherails2010]

Im soooooooooooo-Hooked !!!!

Very nice stuff and GREAT invention with the Solar Pocket Factory !!!

Will definitely be backing you on Kickstarter !

Just a quick question though, in this world of new inventions being available for us humble home-DIY-instructablers like the 3D Printer/Reprap, by having a plastic manufactory on our own desktops so we can make whatever we need, when we need it for our home projects:

Would you guys also be selling this neat little solar panel making machine to the public as well as your kits ?!!!?

[Vika84]

5 stars :-)

[JoyfullJuneBug]

Would it be possible to use clear packing tape to do this step? Or does the epoxy act in more ways than to just bond the panels to the card?

[sfrayne]

Yes, it is -- in some initial prototypes (see photo) I used packaging tape and it works fine for quick proof-of-concept tests. However, you'd need a rigid backing to prevent the solettes from fracturing, since the tape doesn't give much rigidity on its own.

I've been wanting to try melted sugar.

[JoyfullJuneBug]

Please don’t try melted sugar if you have kids imaging the conversation when you call the pediatrician and ask if eating a sugar covered solar panel is poisonous (;o_o)

[BillieBobbel]

very nice,
surely will give this a go

[thelastflame]

This is awesome, just the type of thing I'd like to add to my projects. I can't wait to support your Kickstarter project.

[amandaghassaei]

nice! thanks for this