How to hook up solar panels with clips (not tabbing wire?)

[corrado33]

Yes, I know, I should have done a bit more research and gotten better solar panels.  But since I already bought these, I want to make them work.

So I bought these panels...



And they came with these clips...


I honestly have NO idea how to hook them up using these clips.  Sure, I could probably scrape the stuff off of the back and use tabbing wire, but that's too much of a pain.  Anybody have any tutorials for these kind of connections?  I honestly just want to make them work.

EDIT:  Apparently the stuff on the back is conductive...  I did not expect that...

[ghurd]

I would like to know too!

Often, the type of cells that come with clips are not readily solderable, as far as I can tell.
The amorphous type that come with clips seem to be coated with an incredibly effective solder repellent substance, rendering the 'panels' virtually useless for more than 6th grade science projects.
G-

[corrado33]

Hmmm, well those spots on the back of the coating are solder.  Little spots of solder that won't come off regardless of what I do.  They're on there pretty good. 

If anything I can always scrape the stuff off of the back (in a line wide enough to put tabbing wire) and solder them that way.  The stuff comes off pretty easily. 

[klsmurf]

Do you get any readings on a MM as the cell is now?

[zap]

I think a good place to start would be to ask the OP:

Where did you get them?
The answer to that might provide a clue as to how to proceed.

[corrado33]

Do you get any readings on a MM as the cell is now?

Yeppers.  The panels are rated .5V at 2amps, and I do get a reading when I touch the back right corner of the back and top middle of the front. 

Here is where I got them.

I know, I could have gotten them much cheaper.  Please don't tell me what I already know.

http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/r3290p.html

[DanG]

You know your questions are nearly so open-ended and could take pages to explain in detail?

Do not disturb the gray composite, the back-plane coating is conductive but not as good as a conductor will be - you will need to solder the conductor tabbing on in three spots or so on each of two conductors matching the ones on front but only tacked in place with smallish 3/16" inch solder points, without leaving a mountain of solder on the outside.

You really need the tab ribbon conductors, they lay flat to keep stresses on wafers down AND their coefficient of expansion for heating cycles is mild enough they usually won't self-destruct in time. A way I've used to solder tabbing on is use the straight edge of a culled PV wafer to hold the tabbing down, and run a hot iron down the work to activate the solder paste and melt the solder - then release the straight edge clamp after its cooled.

A good no-clean solder paste has a flux that is non-corrosive. Traditional rosin based solder pastes will need cleaning as they usually have a petroleum jelly base, the 91% rubbing alcohol usually will get the burned rosins off but its still 'polluted' with the jelly base so may not the the best solution.

If I missed something, everything, anything get back on and ask questions

[zap]

Those clips could be the same clips they give with this panel?:
http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/r1471p.html

We include two clips for ease of attaching leads.

Maybe you could ask surplusshed how to go about hooking multiple cells?