Home Improvement--How to Create an Eco Friendly Solar Panel for your Home

Creating a solar panel will save you money as well as save the environment. Creating an eco friendly home is less expensive than you might imagine. Here are some tips on switching over to solar energy.

To begin your project:

Capturing the sun's rays and using it as power is your goal. The foundation will be copper flashing, and you will need to cut it to fit the hotplate you are using. Clean the copper carefully. You can do this easily with sandpaper.

Now you will literally cook the piece of copper by placing it on the burner of your hotplate or stove for a good half hour. The point is to create a copper layer that is thick and black. What you have created here is referred to as cupric oxide.

The next phase

After you have given the cooper time to cool completely, the black layer will begin to peel away. This might be a little dramatic as the two elements will cool differently. Under running water, scrub off the remnants of the black. During this process be mindful not disturb the red that was created by heating the cooper.

Make another copper piece to match the first. Use alligator clips in order to hold the copper sheets to the inside of a 2 liter plastic jar that's top part is cut away. The panels should not touch, but should be form fitting.

Attach the lead end of the alligator clips to the positive and negative panels. The positive lead will be connecting the clean cooper panel and the negative lead will be connecting the treated, oxidized panel.

Activating your panels:

Use three tablespoons of salt and mix with heated tap water. This salt water needs to cover the bottom of the panels but still leave the clips dry and away from the water.

Let the sun do its job:

When you place it in the sun, the meter will move. This will measure the current your solar panel can generate. Now you have a new power supply to your home.


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