Solar energy- does anyone know of a DIY way to make a solar collector and transfer that energy to batteries?

Question

I would like to learn about solar energy and how I can make some panels for my home, of course with in a reasonable budget. My goal is to be able to run a refrigerator and fan off of battery. Any ideas out there?

Answer 1

I don't really think you can make them at home.

Answer 2

Making the actual cells is similar to making integrated circuitry; using foundry, lithography, and various masking and cleaning solutions.  Most of this is done in clean room conditions and involves millions of dollars of specialized equipment.

I have seen one company offering the basic cells, with kits that a DIY’r can use to put together "panels" using solder, wire and flux to combine the cells into mountable panels.

I have no affiliation with them, just saw them on their web page http://www.siliconsolar.com/diy-solar-pa... when looking for other answers to solar questions.

A refrigerator and fan may be a bit of a challange since they can be pretty high wattage devices, depending on size. Even if you assemble the panels yourself, you will be talking in the thousands of dollars worth of raw cells...