Cells interconnections

[amiklic1]

Can someone suggest some place on the net to order the tab ribbon and bus roibbon for cells interconnections??

I need worldwide shipping.

Also, I would like to know what others use. I think I read somewhere on this board that it's better to use thicker wire, to prevent losses.

I also think that very thin tab ribbon ( flat wire) can  not hold 2.5 or 3 amps without loses.  Opinions???

[Tom in NH]

There's a place called the Alternate Energy Hobby Store you might want to check out. You can get to a link if you to to my blog http://altenergy.blog-city.com and find them on the main page under Resources.

I made my own wide tabbing to handle the higher current of parallel connections of arrays of cells. I went to Online Metals and purchased a sheet of .015 copper which I sliced up into strips with a paper cutter. Good luck, --tom

[richhagen]

Most are simply tinned copper strips.  I know that a seller by the name of Machine Room/ CUSDN on ebay use to sell them premade, but I don't know if he still does, or if he ships international.  Rich Hagen

[steak2k1]

actually, cusdn is still on e-bay as I saw a couple of the homemade 50W panels he sells on a regular basis.  That was this past week.

I do like the idea of making your own tab ribbon.  .015 Cu and a paper shear eh..? good idea..!!

Now if one could only find a place that would sell poly/mono crystaline silicon cells for a real good deal...!  Been tempted a couple of times with the "slightly chipped/damaged" cells @ ~ $70 USD/lb.

stk

[MelTx]

    I have a piece of A roll,of copper foil tape. Stickey on one side.Its about .010 of an inch thick.

   It was used to make a quick connect for test circuits i think.Made by 3M the number inside the roll is "1739-7 Scotch Electr1cal Tape"....The only place I found an example is at....Alibaba.com, they call it "copper foil sheilding tape"....

     If this works for you please let me know,as i am maybe going to make some solar cells also.       MelTx