DIY Photovoltaic Panels - Page 3

 


It's typically used for High voltage applications, where
bubbles/moisture will cause problems.

Cheers
 

 

I have that PDF book  by Hurley.  It's a pretty good explanation of what
to do and how to do it.  Some good advice like using the flux pen etc.

My issue has been that soldering those panels is a serious pain in the
ass.  I've built a few little panels to screw around with running fans
etc but never a big one using his book.  

I think I lack the soldering gene, but if you do what he says I think
it'd work as long as you have a really good temp controlled iron.  The
cells I have (got them somewhere years ago) are brittle as shit .. it's
super easy to crack them with the heat.

If you can get cells with  the tabs already on them you'll probably do
fine  - it's not hard to solder the tabs to your buss etc, but soldering
tabs on bare cells was out of my league. I'd get a good string and then
screw up on one of them ..

I might try it again one of these days but it's tedius as hell.. might be
worth it if you have the skills.  I just ended up seeking out used panels
and scored a bunch of killer 120 watt panels from a defunct RV
dealer/refitter from my bro in Oakland  ... waaay easier than trying to
build my own.

So I don't know about how well the panels last using his methods in terms
of moisture etc.  It's a good read though.

take care and good luck

-zachary  

 
I definitely do have it but there have been times I needed something
else, such as when making connections to a heat-sensitive MOPA laser
diode on a thin-film diamond substrate which conducted heat away
faster than solid copper. This stuff worked quite well:
http://www.altex.com/MG-Chemicals-Silver-Conductive-Epoxy-14g-035-oz-8331-1=
4G-P143200.aspx
15 years ago it wasn't so expensive.

Another possibility:
http://www.chomerics.com/products/chofoil.htm

jsw

 
I thought Hurley's book was a good read and an excellent resource
also, I was in a hobby group of people in Florida who built some small
test panels based his book, the panels performed to spec, but I was
always concerned with infiltration and never went for a full sized
panel.

Soldering for no problem for me and I built small panels before. So I
think I'll build a couple small test panels with this new method to
see what kind of feeling about it I have after testing it.

Thanks,

Curbie