Update: If you want ready-made solar cells, come to our shop, we have them at the best price.
Not long ago I showed you how we could make a solar panel to power whatever we want, with the disadvantage that the solar cells we had to buy them already made. Well, that's going to change thanks to a great friend of this blog (I don't remember who sent it to me, ¬¬ , but I'm sure it would be a friend), as he sent us a simple tutorial for making our own solar cells:
Materials:
- Square pieces of glass.
- Titanium dioxide paste.
- Any electrolyte (e.g. potassium hydroxide in water).
- Powdered graphite (an old-fashioned pencil, come on).
- Metal clips.
Procedure:
1º- Put the titanium dioxide paste on the pieces of glass, as shown in the picture:
2º- The paste is spread all over the glass leaving a thin layer (about 10 micrometres).
3º- The thin layer of titanium dioxide is heated and changes its colour when it is joined to the electrolyte.
4º- On the other piece of glass we apply a bit of graphite obtained from a pencil.
5º- With a paper clip, we join the two pieces of glass together, creating pressure between them.
6º- A drop of electrolyte is moving between the crystals, the plate is alive!!!!
7º- The panels are connected in series as shown in the image:
8º- Another more enlightening photo, this time connected to a calculator with several cells:
Needless to say, this is a simple experiment, if you were to feed an ordinary household by making these photovoltaic panelsYou would need a 1,000 square metre plot of land next to your house to make it noticeable. I hope you enjoy this curious tutorial that will delight the most curious of you.
Both glass plates (electrodes) are clamped together.
In Intem number 6, a drop of electrolyte is placed on the solar cell, right?