The sun is the principal supply of energy on Earth and sunlight may be converted into electricity using solar panels. Electricity is becoming indispensable in life. It powers the machines that many of us use daily.

A solar panel is generally manufactured from six (6) components namely the PV (photovoltaic) cell or solar cell which generates the electricity, the glass which covers and protects the solar panels, the frame which provides rigidity, the back sheet where the solar panels are laid, Zonnepanelen Limburg the junction box where the wirings are enclosed and connected, and the encapsulant which serves as adhesives.

Because most people does not need use of equipment in manufacturing solar panels, it is important to note and understand those six components for anyone to have the ability to plan the materials needed to create a do-it-yourself or home-made solar panel.

The materials needed on steps to make a solar panel should be available for sale locally or online and shouldn't exceed the expense of a brand new solar panel or doesn't take quite a long time to build.

Photovoltaic (PV) cell or solar cell converts visible light into electricity. One (1) solar cell however is insufficient to produce a usable level of electricity much just like the microbot in Baymax (Hero 6) which only becomes useful when combined as a group. This basic unit generates a DC (direct current) voltage of 0.5 to 1 volt and although that is reasonable, the voltage remains too small for most applications. To produce a useful DC voltage, the solar panels are connected in series and then encapsulated in modules making the solar panel. If one cell generates 0.5 volt and is connected to some other cell in series, those two cells should then have the ability to produce 1 volt and they may then be called a module. An average module usually contains 28 to 36 cells in series. A 28-cell module should have the ability to produce roughly 14 volts (28 x 0.5 = 14VDC) which can be enough to charge a 12V battery or power 12V devices.

Connecting several solar panels require that you have a simple comprehension of series and parallel connection which resembles connecting batteries to produce up a battery storage system.

You can find two most frequent solar panels that can be bought available in the market; a monocrystalline cell and a polycrystalline cell. Both of these might have the exact same size, 156mm x 156mm, but the key difference could be efficiency. It is important to purchase additional cells to serve as backup just in case you fail on a few of the cells i.e. bad solder, broken cell, scratched, etc.

Monocrystalline solar panels usually are black and octagonal in shape. This kind of solar cell is made of the highest and purest grade silicon which makes them expensive. But they're the most efficient of most types of solar panels and are almost always the decision of solar contractors when space is an essential factor to consider in achieving the ability they want to attain based on the solar system design.

Polycrystalline PV Cells are characterized by their bluish color and rectangular shape. These cells are manufactured in a much simpler process which lowers the purity of the silicon content and also lowers the efficiency of the finish product.

Generally, monocrystalline cells tend to be more efficient than polycrystalline cells but this doesn't show that monocrystalline cells perform and outputs more power than polycrystalline cells. Solar cell efficiency has something related to how big is the cells and every solar panel or cells have an efficiency rating centered on standard tests when they certainly were manufactured. This rating is generally in percentage and the common values range from 15% to 20%.

The glass protects the PV cells while allowing optimal sunlight to pass through. These are usually manufactured from anti-reflective materials. Tempered glass is the decision of material nowadays even for unknown and new manufacturers although you will find still those that utilize flat plate glass on the solar panels. Tempered glass are produced by chemical or thermal means and is often stronger than plate glass rendering it higher priced to make but the price tag on manufacturing them today is reasonable and cost-effective. Flat plate glass creates sharp and long shards when broken instead of tempered glass which shatters safely in small pieces upon impact, that is why in addition they call it safety glass. It should be noted here that many amorphous solar panels uses flat plate glass because of the way the panel is constructed.

Tempered glass is what manufacturers use in mass-producing their solar panels. In our DIY project, Zonnepanelen Limburg we suggest making use of Plexiglas also called acrylic glass which can be safer compared to the regular normal glass from your local hardware store. It is just a bit more expensive than regular glass but is weather resistant and doesn't break easily. The Plexiglas may also be screwed or glued easily to the frame.

A frame is generally manufactured from anodized aluminum which provides structure and rigidity to the solar module. These aluminum frames will also be built to be compatible with many solar mounting systems and grounding equipment for easy and safe installation on a roof or on the ground.