poster board with cut-ins for the cells will it work

[terramir]

I built three solar panels two are on the roof one is kaputt now, and well I got a question for ya folks what do you think, will cutting depressions into poster-board (styro-foam) to put the cells in and then put them in a casing work? I just cut out a four cell styro-foam thing for a patch panel I need for my second 32 cell panel that's been in the closet for a while this will be the first field test.

I want to do this, (it's gonna be a lot of work three hours for four depressions) because so far I have glued my cells to the back with silicone and every time there is a problem I at least lose two or three cells mounting and dismounting them, If I put them in depressions in poster-board They will be fairly well protected, from shock, they will stay in place and well main thing they will be removable if there is some sort of problem.

The only problem I see is expansion and shrinkage, however I really doubt That the poster-board would hinder the cells from expanding. But I don't know, what is the co-efficient of expansion for solar cells and what is the co-efficient of expansion for styro-foam plexi-glass etc. The worst thing I could see happening is that the solar cells might slowly work the poster-board in a way that the solar cells would come out easier the next time I have to open it up.

Please everybody put your

.02 in

terramir

I turned comments back on; it would be a good idea to put this into a diary. It was very confusing how it was split up. ADMIN

[DanB]

Now I realize that the panels you were talking about in your last posting were homebrew...  you should've included that information then.  Had I known that I'd have replied... it's probably not working because its homebrewed and your connections arent good enough.  I tried to make a 300 Watt array 7 years ago - it worked well for a couple weeks, worked at about 50% for a year - then I took it down/gave up on the whole idea.  It's so much easier to just buy the things and it doesnt cost much more.  (hmmm... I suppose most folks feel that way about wind turbines)

[Norm]

 

Why don't you just try a few cells and see how

it works?

                ( :>) Norm.

[terramir]

well I got four cells in a posterboard section, This is to complete 36 cells since I still have that mothballed 32 cell panel. Works actually quite nice I can lay the plexi right on top and there is no contact with the cells, however I still haven't figured out what I'm gonna use as backing (hint suggestions please) this time. But I still would like to have some opinions on if this is going to work. Anybody here have any ideas on how the mixture of styro-foam plexi on top and whatever on the bottom will expand and contract?

Let me know

terramir

[terramir]

Well that particlular panel survived two years at almost full output, I think there is some moisture screwing with the connections, I will try to get the other panel up and running and then I'm gonna take that one down and maybe dismantle it if a cannot get the connections fixed. If I do dismantle the thing, my hope is that I can salvage enough cells to make two posterboard panels. Yes connections are a problem with home grown panels you need a hotter soldering iron and you need to quickly let it flow. to slow you cook the cells too fast or too cold you don't get a connection. Problem is it's hard to get your hands on an iron that get's hot enough so I use a lighter trick (one of those Jet flame kind) to heat the iron's tip quickly just before making contact. Seems to work fine so far I haven't had problems. However you do run the risk of cooking a cell. well so far so good.

terramir