I'd like to try and build a homemade solar cell. Has anyone built one who can
share their experience? Anyone know of a web link that offers DYI information
on this topic?

Thanks

--
Message posted via http://www.craftkb.com

There are no DIY parts for building solar cells. The processing of
Silicon is WAY bejond the capability of DIY, because of the hazardous
materials the clean environments and temperatures involved. You might
be able to find small panels cheap and wire them in series/parallel to
get a useful output. Used panels will be coming onto the market, but
beware, solar panels degrade over time/use. What looks clean and
perfect may be a 30% performer.
DJ

On Jan 18, 9:47 pm, "toolman946 via CraftKB.com" u40139@uwe wrote:
I'd like to try and build a homemade solar cell. Has anyone built one who can
share their experience? Anyone know of a web link that offers DYI information
on this topic?

Thanks

--
Message posted viahttp://www.craftkb.com

Mechanical Magic wrote:
There are no DIY parts for building solar cells. The processing of
Silicon is WAY bejond the capability of DIY, because of the hazardous
materials the clean environments and temperatures involved.

Thanks for your comments.

I guess I'll just have to invent a DYI process for shade tree tinkerers and
dungeon alchemists like me. And I'll become insanely wealthy in the process...
.. it could happen!!!

Hmmm... now where'd I put that boron.....

--
Message posted via http://www.craftkb.com

there are several solar cell processes - let me suggest that you do a search
of the IEEE and SPIE journals to see how they are made - the current
amorphous silicon cells are pretty complex, but the basic physics isn't all
that hard, so if you can make do with low effeiciency, go ahead - off the
top of my head (you will do research, right?) I'd start with a P type
silicon and build a small vacuum chamber - you will need a cathode for
vaporizing the dopants and also the ability to deposit contacts, but that's
not all that hard - grad students do it daily. look for historical solar
cell papers - cells were certainly available in the early 60s, and processes
from 40 years ago are probably easier to start with than what we do today.

you can also make a phototube, that's kinda fun and it is probably a lot
easier.


"toolman946 via CraftKB.com" u40139@uwe wrote in message
news:7e6d909b874eb@uwe...
I'd like to try and build a homemade solar cell. Has anyone built one who
can
share their experience? Anyone know of a web link that offers DYI
information
on this topic?

Thanks

--
Message posted via http://www.craftkb.com




--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"toolman946 via CraftKB.com" u40139@uwe wrote in message
news:7e6d909b874eb@uwe...
I'd like to try and build a homemade solar cell. Has anyone built one who
can
share their experience? Anyone know of a web link that offers DYI
information
on this topic?

Thanks

--
Message posted via http://www.craftkb.com

Here's a cuprous oxide photovoltaic cell you can make at home:

http://worldwatts.com/homemade_solar...olar_cell.html

That is, if you're not expecting to power your house with them. Some kids in
my son's physics class made these for science projects. I never saw them
myself, but I heard that they worked. The article says they produce 50
microamps at 0.25 volts.

--
Ed Huntress

toolman946 via CraftKB.com wrote:

I'd like to try and build a homemade solar cell.

A cell? Not a solar collector?
For a cell, you'd be better in a electronics and physics group.


Nick
--
The lowcost-DRO:
http://www.yadro.de

On Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:12:28 -0800 (PST), Mechanical Magic wrote:

There are no DIY parts for building solar cells. The processing of
Silicon is WAY bejond the capability of DIY, because of the hazardous
materials the clean environments and temperatures involved.

Nonsense.

Back in the 70's I got a kit for making your own silicon cell - came with a
wafer, some abrasive grits, some temperature cones, solder, some way to
plate a strip on the cell, instructions, etcetera. You had to get the
firebrick and heating coil yourself.

toolman946 via CraftKB.com wrote:
Mechanical Magic wrote:
There are no DIY parts for building solar cells. The processing of
Silicon is WAY bejond the capability of DIY, because of the hazardous
materials the clean environments and temperatures involved.


Thanks for your comments.

I guess I'll just have to invent a DYI process for shade tree tinkerers and
dungeon alchemists like me. And I'll become insanely wealthy in the process...
. it could happen!!!

Hmmm... now where'd I put that boron.....

It's been done.

Lot's of nasty acids, some other chemistry that I'd rather someone
else did, and generally low output, even by solar cell standards.

There is a book that covers it, reprinted (or printed) by Lindsay
Publications


Cheers
Trevor Jones

toolman946 via CraftKB.com wrote:
I'd like to try and build a homemade solar cell. Has anyone built one who can
share their experience? Anyone know of a web link that offers DYI information
on this topic?


The easiest to make is a copper oxide cell.

http://scitoys.com/scitoys/scitoys/e...html#solarcell

Silicon wafer processing can involve some nasty chemical leftovers.

A (clear) glass cased diode is a photovoltaic source, but it will
probably be difficult to do much with that amount of power.

Kevin Gallimore

On Jan 18, 11:47 pm, "toolman946 via CraftKB.com" u40139@uwe wrote:
I'd like to try and build a homemade solar cell. Has anyone built one who can
share their experience? Anyone know of a web link that offers DYI information
on this topic?

Thanks

--
Message posted viahttp://www.craftkb.com

The only practical homemade solar cell is the copper oxide one. There
is a book "Solar Projects for the (something) Genius" that covers it,
as well as a couple of other books on how to make copper oxide solar
cells. It does not have very good performance but certainly is
something that can be made by a hobbyist.

The silicon needs to be VERY high purity, too high to make with normal
silicon, and semiconductor grade silicon is not the cheapest stuff in
the world to obtain.

There's a newsgroup called a.s.photovoltaic where you might ask.

As you may know, there's new company that claims to be able to produce
solar cells by printing their (non- silicon, I think) material onto
aluminum sheets in a printing press, for less than $1 per watt.
(www.nanosolar.com)
Also, I think MIT is experimenting with organic materials. Could be a
long way off, but maybe some DIY'er friendlier processes are coming?

Pete Stanaitis
----------------

toolman946 via CraftKB.com wrote:

I'd like to try and build a homemade solar cell. Has anyone built one who can
share their experience? Anyone know of a web link that offers DYI information
on this topic?

Thanks

Thanks to all of you for your referrals and comments!

I like to putter and experiment and learn new things... much as everyone else
here, I'm sure. My internet searches were coming up lame so I turned to the
forum 'cuz I thought that members in this community have probably dug into
this topic long before me. And I was right! You have given me the help I was
looking for and for that I thank you.

Cheers

Michael

--
Message posted via CraftKB.com
http://www.craftkb.com/Uwe/Forums.as...rking/200801/1

spaco wrote:
There's a newsgroup called a.s.photovoltaic where you might ask.

As you may know, there's new company that claims to be able to produce
solar cells by printing their (non- silicon, I think) material onto
aluminum sheets in a printing press, for less than $1 per watt.
(www.nanosolar.com)

Pete,

Thanks for this... I did not know. I scoped out the video at nanosolar.com
and it's pretty exciting technology. It's this kind of "outside the box"
thinking that interests me. Before seeing this technology I'd been pondering
the possibility of some kind of thin, sprayable, photovoltaic substance that
a hobbyist could coat into pop bottles to generate some electricity. I'm not
likely to invent something like that... I'm happy to see that others have.
Now I can figure out how to put their genius to work?

Thanks again.

--
Message posted via CraftKB.com
http://www.craftkb.com/Uwe/Forums.as...rking/200801/1

The easiest to make is a copper oxide cell.

http://scitoys.com/scitoys/scitoys/e...html#solarcell

Kevin Gallimore

Thanks Kevin... just what I'm looking for.

--
Message posted via CraftKB.com
http://www.craftkb.com/Uwe/Forums.as...rking/200801/1

William Noble wrote:
there are several solar cell processes - let me suggest that you do a search
of the IEEE and SPIE journals to see how they are made - the current
amorphous silicon cells are pretty complex, but the basic physics isn't all
that hard,

Thanks William... I will check them out.

--
Message posted via CraftKB.com
http://www.craftkb.com/Uwe/Forums.as...rking/200801/1

Ed Huntress wrote:

Here's a cuprous oxide photovoltaic cell you can make at home:

http://worldwatts.com/homemade_solar...olar_cell.html

Thanks Ed. You're on the money about my expectation. I'm not looking to power
my welder or any such fantasy. I'm interested in the science and
experimenting.

Thanks for the link.

--
Message posted via CraftKB.com
http://www.craftkb.com/Uwe/Forums.as...rking/200801/1

Nick Mueller wrote:
For a cell, you'd be better in a electronics and physics group.

Nick

Don't push me away Nick. I'm gonna invent a technique to make a 4 KW cell in
my kitchen from chicken soup, steel wool, pantyhose and a used diaper (all in
abundant supply). And when I come back here to post the free recipe for all
mankind... you'll be glad I did!!! (wink)

--
Message posted via CraftKB.com
http://www.craftkb.com/Uwe/Forums.as...rking/200801/1

There is a book that covers it, reprinted (or printed) by Lindsay
Publications

Cheers
Trevor Jones

Thanks Trevor... I'll hunt it down.

--
Message posted via CraftKB.com
http://www.craftkb.com/Uwe/Forums.as...rking/200801/1

--If it's been done it's probably been posted to either makezine.com
or hackaday.com Check those archives and you'll probably get a few hits.

--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : Quando Omni
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : Flunkus Moritati
www.nmpproducts.com
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

On Jan 19, 7:15 am, Don Stauffer in Minnesota
wrote:
On Jan 18, 11:47 pm, "toolman946 via CraftKB.com" u40139@uwe wrote:

I'd like to try and build a homemade solar cell. Has anyone built one who can
share their experience? Anyone know of a web link that offers DYI information
on this topic?

Thanks

--
Message posted viahttp://www.craftkb.com

The only practical homemade solar cell is the copper oxide one. There
is a book "Solar Projects for the (something) Genius" that covers it,
as well as a couple of other books on how to make copper oxide solar
cells. It does not have very good performance but certainly is
something that can be made by a hobbyist.

The silicon needs to be VERY high purity, too high to make with normal
silicon, and semiconductor grade silicon is not the cheapest stuff in
the world to obtain.

Someone help me here with my memory. When selenium rectifier were in
abundance, back in the 1950's, didn't we disassemble them, clean the
paint off and use them for solar cells? Sure seem to have a memory of
doing something like that.

Paul, KD7HB

On Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:37:28 GMT, toolman946 via CraftKB.com u40139@uwe wrote:

I like to putter and experiment and learn new things... much as everyone else
here, I'm sure. My internet searches were coming up lame so I turned to the
forum 'cuz I thought that members in this community have probably dug into
this topic long before me. And I was right! You have given me the help I was
looking for and for that I thank you.

Thermal solar is a lot easier to do homebrew. Another group you might
want to check out is alt.energy.homepower - lots of hands-on folks
there.

Dave

On Jan 18, 11:47*pm, "toolman946 via CraftKB.com" u40139@uwe wrote:
I'd like to try and build a homemade solar cell. Has anyone built one who can
share their experience? Anyone know of a web link that offers DYI information
on this topic?

Thanks

--
Message posted viahttp://www.craftkb.com

Take a look at this...

http://forum.servomagazine.com/viewt...15f1dcd3cbb366

TMT

I have and it can be dangerous. You first need mono-silicon wafer.
You might be lucky and have one - I have some I keep for memories :-)

You have to etch it with Hydrofluoric acid. That will dissolve your joints!

This isn't a simple thing to do unless you are a semi type already.

See if someone is trying to sell (it will be cheap) :

energy from the sun by D.M. Chapin Bell Telephone Laboratories - BTL.
(title was all lower)

That will walk you through it - and it has the various chemicals, temps and
such that are needed.

Martin


Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
TSRA, Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal.
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member.
http://lufkinced.com/


toolman946 via CraftKB.com wrote:
I'd like to try and build a homemade solar cell. Has anyone built one who can
share their experience? Anyone know of a web link that offers DYI information
on this topic?

Thanks

On Jan 19, 1:47 pm, " wrote:
On Jan 19, 7:15 am, Don Stauffer in Minnesota
wrote:



On Jan 18, 11:47 pm, "toolman946 via CraftKB.com" u40139@uwe wrote:

I'd like to try and build a homemade solar cell. Has anyone built one who can
share their experience? Anyone know of a web link that offers DYI information
on this topic?

Thanks

--
Message posted viahttp://www.craftkb.com

The only practical homemade solar cell is the copper oxide one. There
is a book "Solar Projects for the (something) Genius" that covers it,
as well as a couple of other books on how to make copper oxide solar
cells. It does not have very good performance but certainly is
something that can be made by a hobbyist.

The silicon needs to be VERY high purity, too high to make with normal
silicon, and semiconductor grade silicon is not the cheapest stuff in
the world to obtain.

Someone help me here with my memory. When selenium rectifier were in
abundance, back in the 1950's, didn't we disassemble them, clean the
paint off and use them for solar cells? Sure seem to have a memory of
doing something like that.

Paul, KD7HB

Yes, you CAN make selenium solar cells. But selenium is hard to get
ahold of, it is poison, and the process is far harder than making
copper oxide cells.