Hi there,
I bought a stack of PV cells on e-bay. The idea is to experiment with solar power and to get knowledge of transferring energy from the cells to a load (battery, grid) with the highest efficiency possible. The specification of the PC cells are really nice (8.88A / 4.35W per unit, 15 x 15 cm. The problem I am facing now is that the cells are really fragile (silicon plate, 200micron thickness). After soldering copper strips (100micron) on the pre-tinned cells, the cells are not completely flat due to the thermal expansion during soldering. I guess this is bad for the lifetime. Mounting the cell on a backplate will be done with 1 dot of glue in the middle to avoid further thermal expansion stress on the cells.
Has anyone experencie with self-build solar panels? Or does anyone know about websites describes this?
Also, I do not often see a mechanical sun tracker on solar systems. Is this too complicated to make or is the extra generated energy too small compared to the investment?
Best regards,
Enrico Migchels