Everbright Solar 500 3x6 Solar Cells with Short Tabbed + flux, wires and diode
Make your own solar panels! Everbright Solar's Do It Yourself solar panel kits include the solar product components that will allow the buyer to assemble components together towards making a solar panel, and might save money compared to buying finished products. It can be a great money saving measure and very educational at the same time. Each kit contains the essential DIY components you need to connect solar cells: solar cells, tabbing wires, bus wire, a fl ux pen, and solder. Just encapsulate your connected solar cells to make solar power right away! These kits come in pre-packaged group of cells in the number of 500 cells. Please note that we recommend that the panels that you use be used in off grid battery charging application. For higher voltage grid tied projects, it's best to buy the professionally made UL certified panels and consult a solar professional.
The solar cells used in our DIY solar panels kits consist of two slightly different kinds of Everbright solar cells, Deven cells and German cells. Typically marked with .5v3.6a in the title of listings, Deven cells are characterized by its pronounced multi crystalline look with a more visible mosaic look front side. The front side smoother, showing the base wafer's multi crystalline grain boundaries more pronouncedly. It resembles traditional multi crystalline solar cells more. German cells have a slid blue front side, with a more shiny finish, and can show some surface wrinkles from the natural wafer growth method from the base materials. Both are excellent cells, and German cells are sometimes sold in pretabbed format, whereas Deven cells are often sold in untabbed format. Even the tabbed cells are only tabbed on the front side. Devens cells have slightly higher efficiency, and the cells that we sell here have fairly consistent power.
Please note: these 3x6 string ribbon type solar cells have been tabbed, but tabs have been clipped leaving
the tabs on the bus bars but both remaining tabs still have a short end
that still protrudes out beyond the edge of the cell. So there are two
ways you can use these cells:
A) Simply apply flux on the end of
the tabbing wires where they are cut off, and solder another section (3
inches long) of the tabbing wires to lengthen it. Typically you don't
need to add extra solder becasue the tabbing wires that we provide are
already coated with tin solder. So, flux and solder.
B) Use a soldering iron to heat up the wires and gently remove the
clipped tabbing wires, and then apply flux and solder another full 6
inch long tabbing wire.
These cells are really very good and very wholesome cells. Some tiny
chips are possible, but they are very rare in this category. Because the
tabs have been clipped, we rate them A-.This set of new 3"x6" solar
cells are string ribbon multi crystalline cells made by a reputable and
major world class solar manufacturer, and the cells have the smallest
carbon foot print - they waste the least silicon in making these cells.
The cells are the original factory standard cell size. The cells have
never been used on panels, but they have tabs being soldered on the
front side. We are fairly confident that you will like these cells. Our
sorting team tries to do as good as a job possible to categorize the
cells. We stand by our products. If you think the solar cells don't meet
your expectations, send them back within 7 days for a guaranteed
refund or replacement. From the enormous number of cells that we shipped
this past couple of months, returns have been essentially negligible.
I: Solar Cells:
The
factory standard cell specifications are the following (under perfect
testing conditions), though the individual cells can be above or below
these standards.
Cell Specifications:
Average Power (Watts): 1.75 W
Average Current (Amps): 3.5 amps
Average Voltage (Volts): 0.5 V
Thickness 200 μm = 0.2 mm
Exact dimension: 3 1/4 inches x 6 inches, or 80 mm by 150 mm
Weight: Just above 6 grams, or 0.2 oz.
II: Tabbing wires: $5 value - additional 18 feet of tabbing wires that
Everbright Solar uses to connect the solar cells. Cut them into 6 inch
sections to solder onto the bus bars or back side of the cells.
III:
Bus wires: $2 value - 4 feet of bus wires. Use them to connect them
between the series and connect the tabbing wires ends to the junction
box at the back of the panel.
IV: Flux: $7-$14.95 value - an
easy-to-use flux pen that dispenses flux onto the bus bar or your
tabbing wires without leaving a mess. It's used to aid soldering and
bonding of the wires to the cells. A must have item. The flux liquid in
the pen has a seal. At first use of the brand new flux, remove cap, hold
the flux and point the tip upward, press the tip inside a few times so
that the liquid can flow to the tip later on.
V. Diodes: $1.5 value - rated at 15 amp each. Schottky style diodes.
Some useful information in making solar power:
How to make sense of the above numbers:
The basic and very important formula you need to know to make sense of solar cells is this:
Power (P) = Current (I) Multiply by Voltage (V), or P=I*V
Power's unit of measure is watt,
Current's unit of measure is amp,
Voltage's unit of measure is volt.
So in our solar cell's
specific example, if each solar cell is rated at 1.75 watts on average,
and the voltage is 0.5, you do a little algebraic math, then to get the
amps (I), since P=I*V, so I = P / V , therefore I (amps) = 1.75 watts
divided by 0.5 volts = 3.5 amps.
It's important to understand the
concepts of series connection and parallel connection when stringing
these solar cells together to make a solar panel. Series connection of
the cells increases voltage but not amperage; parallel connection of the
cells increases amperage but not voltage. Series connection is when you
connect the positive terminal of a cell with the negative terminal of
the next cell. Parallel connection is when you connect the positive
terminals of all cells in the set of cells with a tabbing wire and all
the negative terminals of all cell in the same set. You can use a
combination of series and parallel connections to get the right voltage
and amperage for your solar panel.
The cell specifications above
were given to us by the manufacturer as averages. Variations are
possible. To make a 18 volts panel, for example, you connect 36 cells in
series (36 cells times 0.5 volt each = 18 volts). And 36 * 1.75 (each
cell in theory averages 1.75 watt) watt = 63 watts. The amps you will be
getting is 63 watts divided by 18 volts = 3.5 amps.
Solar cells basics:
The
front of the cells (blue side, aka Sunny side) has two thick white
lines, called bus bars. They are the negative terminals of the cell. The
back side, where the 6 square dots are, are positive terminals. Connect
the tabbing wires from the bus bar of the first cell on one side to the
three dots of on the back side of the next cell. That way you have a
series connection. Repeat the process on the other side of the cells. In
panel making you should connect all the tabbing wires on the front for
all the cells first, then flip the cells over to solder the back side in
a second step. Some solar cells such as SunPower cells have both
positive and negative terminals at the back of the cells, but we don't
have to worry about them. Most cells are negative on the front and
positive on the back.
The white color bus bars on front and the
contact points on the back are made out of silver, and you should keep
them intact. Apply solder on your them and the wires should bond.
Testing:
Make
sure that you test the cells under strong sun light with the front of
the cell facing the sun, at the same time connect your meters to the
right terminals. If you are inside the building, make sure you shine
your sun simulating lamps onto the front of the cell while testing.
Place the solar cells on a metal plate, ideally made from copper. With a
warm light (ie halogen lights) shining on the cell, put your positive
lead from your multimeter on the plate, and the negative lead of your
multimeter on the bus bar. Your multimeter will be set to typically
check amps or voltage at one time.
Panel configuration:
For those who are new to solar panel making or if you don't have an engineering background, here is our recommendation:
1) Make small panels first so you gain experience.
2)
In most situations, make either 36 or 72 cell panels, and connect them
in series. 36 cells give you 17.5 or around 18 volts or so. And 72 cells
doubles that. These panels are very useful, and you will find a lot of
matching products that will want to buy! For example, you almost always
want to use a charge controller if you make your panels to charge
batteries. Charge controllers usually come in 12 or 24 volt settings,
which match your panels' 18 and 36 volts very nicely. Yes, your panel
voltage should be 1.5 times the voltage of the battery you intend to
charge. Connect more panels together if you want to tie to the grid, in
which case, always use an inverter. However, we always recommend that
the panels that you make for yourself be used in off-grid applications,
such as charging your batteries to be used in RV, remote cabin, or
marine settings. If you intend to connect to the grid, it is wise to buy
the professionally made, UL certified panels.
3) For a lot higher voltage panels and configurations, consult a professional. Just don't fry yourself.
Soldering:
If
you want to become a serious panel maker, buy a good soldering iron
whose temperature can be adjusted. Don't get a cheap iron. It's one of
the most important tools you need to have. Get those that have a flat
soldering tip / head.
