DIY 160W solar panel: Alessandro's customer project

Customer projects · DIY panel

A 160 W DIY solar panel: Alessandro's project

Alessandro Paglialonga turned an MR WATT 36-cell kit into a one-metre-square module with tempered glass and a window-frame profile. Here is how he did it, step by step.

Kit used

36 mono 6"x6" cells

Finished size

1 × 1 m, 5 mm glass

Frame

40 mm aluminium window profile

The kit used in this project

Alessandro built his panel with this kit: cells, tabbing ribbon, flux and diode are all included.

DIY solar panel kit 160W – 36 cells 6x6

36 grade-A monocrystalline cells with everything you need to solder them.

See the 160W kit

From soldered cells to strings

Once the cells were soldered, Alessandro laid them face down on a plywood board marked with the spacing: he chose 3 mm between cells.

The cells on the work board with 3 mm spacing

The cells on the work board with 3 mm spacing

He then soldered the rear connections and made 6 strings of 6 cells. The polycarbonate in the photo becomes the rear support.

For the frame he used a 40 mm aluminium window profile with an inner opening of 1 metre by 1 metre.

The soldered strings and the aluminium frame with a 1 × 1 m openingThe soldered strings and the aluminium frame with a 1 × 1 m opening

The soldered strings and the aluminium frame with a 1 × 1 m opening

Tempered glass and assembly

The front is 5 mm tempered glass, 1030 × 1030 mm. The cells are laid face down on the clean, dry glass and fixed with a wide, good-quality white tape.

The cells face down on the tempered glass, fixed with tape

The cells face down on the tempered glass, fixed with tape

A sheet of 10 mm twin-wall polycarbonate goes over the cells: its channels let the cables pass through to the positive and negative outputs.

Sealing: why tape and not silicone

Before laying the polycarbonate, Alessandro ran a waterproof PE glazing tape, adhesive on one side, around the whole edge of the glass. He did the same between the outer face of the glass and the aluminium frame.

Waterproof tape between glass, polycarbonate and frame

Waterproof tape between glass, polycarbonate and frame

The expert's tip. Alessandro works in the window trade: a suitable silicone exists (neutral oxime cure, class E), but it only stretches about 25%. In a half-millimetre layer it absorbs just 0.125 mm of movement, and the joint should be twice as wide as it is deep. Tape seals well and lets you reopen the panel for maintenance without scraping and redoing the sealant.

Finally he fitted the aluminium glazing beads, which keep the layers under pressure, and a gasket for extra water tightness.

Glazing beads and gasket: the panel is closed

Glazing beads and gasket: the panel is closed

The result

For a first panel, it looks great. The output is convincing too: the reading in the photo was taken at 4 pm.

The finished panel and the output test at 4 pmThe finished panel and the output test at 4 pm

The finished panel and the output test at 4 pm

“I'd say the result is good, considering it's my first panel. Let's see the second one!”

— Alessandro Paglialonga

Want to build your own panel?

Choose the kit with the number of cells and the power you need: it contains everything to solder them.

See the 160W kitAll DIY kits

Related guides

How to solder solar cells · DIY solar and the law

Project and photos by Alessandro Paglialonga, whom we thank for sharing his experience. A home-built panel suits low-voltage and off-grid use: before connecting anything to your home's grid, read our guide on legality and safety.