How to make your own solar panel cheap

To build the solar first you need to have the materials. These come cheap if you choose to do it yourself otherwise you could spend $1000 plus on factory made and installed panels. My favorite provider of Solar Cells, the cells that make up the panel, is Ebay.com. You will need to buy 3x6 cells for this panel and 36 of them to make it. You may want to buy a few extras too because the cells do break. Recently I purchased 18 medium sized panels for as cheap as $1 dollar. I recommend that you do not purchase cells that come in wax. The wax is tough to remove and you might even end up destroying the cells in the process of removing it. Also make sure the cells you buy come with tabs and if they don't come with them, make sure you add tabs with the order. Another item you want add along with cells if they aren't already is Diodes. These prevent the solar panels from discharging batteries or devices on cloudy days or at night. Later in the Hub I will say how they work and how they are installed.

To create the panel you will also need some wood to place it on and plexiglass to protect the panels from weather. The best panel for the cells to be placed on would be a piece of plywood with a width of 22" 1/4 and a length of 45" 3/4. A picture on the side will help with picturing the panel.

Lastly some things you will need will be silicone caulk and a Jones plug. Once you have all these things at the ready you can start constructing your own home built 60 watt solar panel.

Now you need a Soldering Iron to connect the panels. Align six panels in a column as shown in the picture to the right. Solder the tabs on the panels from top of one panel to the bottom of the next panel. An illustration will help with this visual.