28
December
2009
I want to do a science project where I create my own solar panels out of different materials to see which one will produce the greatest amount of energy. Is this a realistic topic if it has to be done before Thanksgiving? If so, how do I make the solar panels? How do I measure/convert the energy? Please help!
Your best bet is making solar water heating panels. You could make them out of copper, PVC, and garden hose, and compare which gets hotter. Check out this site for ideas. http://www.builditsolar.com/
Avoid the scams out there saying you can build your own panel for $200 to power your whole house. You can’t. There are some free instructions on the You Build It site that are legit.
Posted: solar panels
28
December
2009
I’m an engineering student and for an individual hobby-like project i purchased a small solar panel and a small solar motor. I am planning on making a small solar powered toy car. The question i have is: is there a way to connect a control or some other ways of regulating the power that is absorbed by the cells? Other wise the motor will just continue to run. Any answer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I assume it is a DC motor. You should have DC voltage coming out of the solar cell (For example 10V). You could use a transistor to switch the voltage on and off, then filter the output with an RC filter. You will have to choose the right RC time constant . It will have to be slower than the control pulse frequency, but faster than the desired motor response time.
If you switched the voltage with a 50% duty cycle, then filtered the output, you would get 5V, with a 75% duty cycle, you would get 7.5V, etc. Therefore, you could control the motor by controlling the duty cycle of the switching. A microcontroller like the BASIC Stamp can produce the control pulses.
Posted: solar panel
27
December
2009
I know the cost of how much solar panels are but what is the price to install them?If I were to install about 10 on a building?
Hello! That is great that you are thinking of installing solar panels. Just to be clear, I believe you are talking about solar panels to produce electricity, aka photovoltaic panels. As mentioned in previous answers, the cost of installation will vary depending upon your location. But a good estimate is $7-$10 per Watt for a grid-tied, battery-less system.
So if you installed 10-200 Watt solar panels, that would be 2000 Watts (2 kW) and cost approximately $14,000-$20,000 before rebates and incentives. Be sure to check for local rebate programs and read about the 30% federal tax credit here:
www.dsireusa.org
Good luck!
Kristen
http://newenglandbreeze.com/
Posted: solar panels
27
December
2009
I am doing a science fair experiment on solar panels. The experiment is testing at which direction does a solar panel receive the most sunlight. I need four solar panels for sure. I would also need something that determines the amount of energy a solar panel is receiving. And where would I put the solar panels? Thanks!
Also, how big of a solar panels would I need to get (inches, volts, mA).
I would also like if someone send me a link of where I can get easy to use solar panels.
Go to Radio Shack and get some small, inexpensive solar panels. They come ready for experimenting and are pretty durable. Dont worry about volts, ma or size. The ones you will find there are about 1.5 vots to 3 volts. I also just got a pretty cool kit from them for $20 that has a small solar motor, fan, lamp, solar panel and plenty of hookup wire.
Get yourself a volt meter while you are there.
Simply hook up the leads from the volt meter to the solar panel leads and move it around to get the maximum voltage output.
As the solar panel gets more direct sunlight, it puts out more voltage.
That’s it.
Posted: solar panel
20
December
2009
The blinds are so high and the batteries need to be replaced just about every six months. I would love to just put some sort of small solar panel to power the battery pack now. It uses 4 AA batteries. If I could some how incorporate a charger in there, that would be great. Thank you.
It might be considerably more economical to simply run longer wires to put the battery pack in a more convenient location. Four batteries are about 6 volts. You would have to replace the batteries with NiCad or other rechargeable cells, which typically have a lower total voltage and then buy a 6 volt panel and wire it across the battery pack. One company that makes panels http://www.sunsei.com/ seems to have only 12 volt prepared panels (for car batteries) on a quick glance at their site. They talk about, in their store ads, about matching a panel to a battery pack so a regulator is not needed.
Posted: solar panel
10
December
2009
What is the average voltage output for a solar panel? I’m speaking of the small sized ones that would go on the side of a house. Perhaps an answer given in per-area would be good.
Thanks!
Individual cells are about 1/2 volt each. How they are interconnected and how many cells there are determine the total voltage and current.
Larger ones are configured usually for 12 or 24 volts.
It’s like a bunch of 1.5 volt batteries. You can connect them all in parallel, all in series, or any of many series parallel combinations.
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Posted: solar panel
4
December
2009
Can you please tell me how much a solar panel costs?
Please back up your info with a website.
If you mean how much does it cost a manufacturer, First Solar is now making claims of $1/watt manufacturing cost, which obviously doesn’t include shipping. That would make a 200-watt panel $200. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/02/first-solar-inc-manufacturing-costs-solar-panels-below-1-dollar-watt.php
Low-cost crystalline panel manufacturers such as Suntech are believed to have costs in the $1.50/watt range today - making it $300 for a 200-watt panel. That doesn’t mean that one can buy a panel for that price, of course.
If you mean a DIY panel from purchased solar cells, the cost would be closer to $360 for an equivalent-powered panel, not counting the price of the frame, and the labor. A homebuilt panel would not stand up to decades of weather unless one spent even more on the frame. And since such a panel would not have safety certification, it could not legally be connected to the grid in most places.
If you meant a water heating panel, please update or post another question - I’m sure people will chime in.
Posted: solar panel
1
December
2009
Can you please tell me how much a solar panel costs?
Please back up your info with a website.
Just in case you didn’t know, solar panels come in all sizes from big enough to run a calculator and costing a few pennies, to ones large enough to power a house and costing tens of thousands of dollars.
A very general rule of thumb: Small, single-PV-panel systems that produce about 75 watts can cost about $900 installed, or $12 per watt. A 2-kilowatt (1 kilowatt=1,000 watts) system that meets most energy needs of an extremely energy-efficient home can cost $16,000-$20,000 installed, or $8-$10 per watt. A 5-kilowatt system that completely meets the energy needs of many conventional homes can cost $30,000-$40,000 installed, or $6-$8 per watt.
first reference:
The $1 per watt price point has been a goal of the solar industry for a long time: First Solar announced that "it reduced its manufacturing cost for solar modules in the fourth quarter to 98 cents per watt". It’s a bit unfortunate that it is happening to First Solar at a time when the economy is in bad shape and fewer people and corporations can afford solar panels, but it is nonetheless a great achievement.
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Posted: solar panel
