Very nice Nick.
It is comforting to see that your final procedure is similar to mine. Looking at your product, you have it down to a fine art.
Well done...... what size solar farm to you intend to build?....... I stopped after about 5kw. The chinese ones are just too cheap now to compete with (thankfully).
I like the pattern too
...................oztules
At this moment I'm planning to make another 5 with the 120pcs 3*6 inch cells, 2 with 135pcs 4*4 inch cells and 5 with 60 6*6 inch cells, this is what I have laying around. And another 6 small panels with perfect cells.
So it will be
6*180-200W
2*150W
5*240W
= +/- 2580W
small panels
21*15W
6* 21W
=+/-440W
I have already 800W of selfmade panels mounted on a roof, those were done with an ecapsulant (plastosil M-2000) between 2 glass sheets.
The plan is to build more if I can buy european solar cells (German) at about 0.25€/W.
I spend about 500€ (incl transport) on total for:
- 182m² solar glass (110pcs),
- 300m² back sheet
- 300m² encapsulant
- 20liter silicone
- black frames for 13 panels
- silver frames around 130pcs of 1 meter.
115€ for 1200meters tabbingwire
300€ for 1kw solar cells 3*6inch (inclusive 1kg buswire and 10junction boxes, 20pcs mc4 pairs)
75€ for 50pairs mc4 connectors with 1meter cable
the rest of the solar cells I bought for about 0.3€/W
So let's say if I build 10 panels the cost would be:
-50€(frame, glass, eva,...)
-2€ cable
-60€ solar cells
=112€ for a 200w panel not bad I think
if I build 20 panels the price would drop to:
25+2+60=87€
ok there will be more costs so maybe add another 10-15€ per panel, ( I didnt count the heat wiring( 35€), and soldering iron, soldering wire, heatguns, and other tools/material because I already have them)
Of course I had the luck to buy most of the parts like framing and glass from a bankrupt company in an auction, otherwise It would cost me more than a new factory panel!!