How to Build a Home Made Solar Panel

Once you have gathered all the materials for makingplate should be connected to the positive terminal of
a solar panel, you have to cut the copper sheet thatthe meter and lead from the cuprous oxide plate
is about the same size at that of the burner. Prior toshould be connected to the negative terminal.
heating this sheet, you have to wash it so as toMix 3-4 tablespoons of salt in tap water and stir it
remove sulphides or any corrosion. It is best to usenicely until the salt dissolves. Carefully pour this
sand paper to remove all this.mixture in the jar. See that the leads do not get wet.
Now place the sheet over the burner and let it heat.Also about an inch of plates should be left out of
On heating it for a prolonged time, it becomes redwater. This way you will be able to carry the solar
and eventually turns black. This is because of thecells around the house without wetting the leads.
black cupric oxide coat. The black coating thickens onA solar cell in the dark will also show some current.
further heating. Now allow it to cool down slowly.However, as soon as you transfer it out into
The copper shrinks as it cools down and so does thesunshine, its capacity will jump. This is because
cupric oxide layer on it. This layer then tends to flakecuprous oxide is a semiconductor in which there is a
off easily. After cooling down just wash off theband-gap between the electrons that are bind with
extra flakes but do not scrub them off.the atom and the ones that are away from it. In
Now you have to cut a similar sized sheet and bendsunlight the electrons in the cuprous oxide gain
these in a way that they fit inside the jar withoutenergy and jump out of the band-gap. They are then
touching each other. Attach the two alligator clips tofree to conduct electricity. When leads are attached
each of the sheet. The lead from the clean copperto them, electricity is generated.