diy solar panel

[snake21]

hello friends,i am actually looking for a transparent material to cover my solar panel.i have tried normal glass,but the output is low,i tried a transparent adhesive plastic but even that the power output is low.

i read on diy solar panels and they suggest tempered glass.but tempered glass is not available for me.i was thinking to use anti reflective glass 2mm thick,is it the same as tempered?

is it good?

what do you advise guys?

thanks

[Watt]

Try the links in this thread.  Can't remember the type of glass really but, I do remember the type being listed in one of oztules posts.  http://fieldlines.com/board/index.php/topic,145005.0.html

[snake21]

thanks watt

[Saltwater]

Low iron or Starfire glass is what your looking for.  It cost's more, but more light transmission.

[oztules]

iron free tempered glass is the natural choice of the manufacturer.


Window glass 3mm thick will pull your output down about 10% - 15% max.
If your current setup is very poor.... suspect your cell testing technique. Test each cell under sunlight, and rate each one. The weakest cell will give you the current you will get without glass at all.

With window glass expect to lose 10-15%... is the fancy glass less than 15% dearer. If not,use the glass you can get, and make more panels with the money.

Fancy glass is not the be all and end all.... proper sealing against the elements is the only important factor in the end you need to keep an eye on..... however you do it.


..............oztules

[snake21]

thanks for your reply guys

what if i use 1.5mm plexiglass?

[DanG]

Glass has about the same coefficient of expansion from sun-heating that the silicon PV cells do so as it heats up everything flies in tight formation.

Any polycarbonate (lexan/plexiglass/acrylic/perspex) really heaves and shrinks with temperature changes - the length/width will expand while the PV wafers won't so the interconnect things will tear off and any EV encapsulation will fail...

[roosaw]

There is probably a really good reason why you would not do this but do you HAVE to stick the cells to the glass?  Why not stick them to the backing and then plexyglass would be fine.