| p>Due to ongoing energy crisis, many people are | | | | it for 30 minutes for the cooling. |
| beginning to look for alternative fuel sources to | | | | 7. Remember, during the process of cooking hot |
| produce energy. The greatest alternative source of | | | | cupric oxide flames might fly, so be careful and not |
| energy has ever known to man kind is the sun. | | | | get close to it or leave anything particularly flammable |
| Nowadays, use of solar energy to fulfill the daily | | | | nearby. |
| energy demand at the houses is on the increase. But | | | | 8. Wash the copper carefully in plain water to get |
| buying a solar panel can cost you some thousand | | | | most of the black pieces off. We only need the red |
| dollars. So how about keeping the money in the | | | | layer of cupric oxide that is formed beneath the layer |
| pocket while fulfilling the energy requirement? | | | | of cupric oxide. |
| Although energy produced by a homemade solar | | | | 9. Now take the cooked copper sheet and another |
| panel would be much less than a silicon panel. But it is | | | | uncooked sheet and fit them into the plastic bottle, |
| evident that solar energy is the best way at solving | | | | bend each outward as no part of the two sheets |
| our energy crisis. It is now possible for an ordinary | | | | touch each other. |
| person to create homemade solar cells. In this article | | | | 10. Clip one of the alligator leads to the tops of each |
| I will tell you the very simple way of making | | | | of the sheets and connect them to your meter. |
| homemade solar panel. | | | | 11. The positive terminal of the meter should connect |
| 1. First of all take an evenly cut piece of copper plate. | | | | to the uncooked sheet. The negative terminal should |
| 2. Clean it thoroughly to remove any corrosion over | | | | connect to the cooked sheet. |
| the surface of the copper. You may use sand paper | | | | 12. Dissolve a couple of tablespoons of salt into a |
| for the cleaning purpose. | | | | few cups of water. Pour it into the plastic bottle so |
| 3. Wash the copper panel thoroughly with the water | | | | the water level is about an inch short of the sheets' |
| and then towel it to dry. | | | | tops. |
| 4. Now place that copper piece on the flame and | | | | 13. Place the bottle out in the sunlight and watch the |
| keep it for about 30 minutes until becomes red hot. | | | | meter. It should steadily rise to as much as fifty |
| 5. A thick black layer of oxides should form on the | | | | micro-amps. Put the bottle in the shade and the |
| copper sheet surface. Make sure not to leave the | | | | meter should drop to less than ten. You have made |
| copper unattended while it cooks. | | | | your own solar cell. |
| 6. Leave the copper to get cool. Remember, cupric | | | | This is really a simple method of making a solar cell. |
| oxide and copper cool at different temperature. Keep | | | | |