January 5, 2011

What To Expect When Tabbing Solar Cells

Solar cells use the light from the sun to produce electricity that can power anything from small appliances to entire homes. Financial reasons are the only limitations from upgrading to a green energy system but it’s considered a great investment for these systems could technically pay for themselves in the long run. Don’t be intimidated by all the technical aspects of solar cells either, as even with little information, anyone can buy solar cells and make solar power systems to generate electricity. But before you decide to buy solar cells, there are some basic information that you need to know.

If you’re looking to save money on your solar cell project, then you might want to buy untabbed solar cells instead of ones that have already been tabbed. Untabbed versions cost way less than the tabbed ones, leaving you with more savings on your DIY project. The only disadvantage to untabbed versions of cells is that you will need to do some more tabbing work with these cells.

You can also buy used solar panels, given that they are still in good working condition, and harvest them.
Tabbed VS Un-tabbed If you plan on going the DIY route, buying un-tabbed solar cells would be cheaper than tabbed solar cells. There is no difference in quality or technology between tabbed and un-tabbed cells. The difference lies in the time that it will take for you to build your own solar panels and the risks that you take in the assembly process are also higher.

Un-tabbed cells need to be wired and strung together in order to be of use in panels. If you are inexperienced in this type of job, there’s a great chance of overheating the cell and deeming it useless. And that’s money down the drain. Time is also a factor as you would need to wire 36 cells before making the actual panel.

Is The Effort Worth The Price?
So, is the effort involved in tabbing cells worth the money that you pay? Can you save enough money for you to say that adding more work hours is worth it? This depends on how much you think is enough. As an overview, 150 pieces of Grade B 3×6 tabbed solar cells may cost anywhere from $250 – $300, while 150 pieces of Grade B 3×6 untabbed cells can cost anywhere from $150-$200. A kit containing tabbed cells already include bus wires and diodes, while a kit of untabbed cells also include tabbing wires, bus wires, flux and diodes. The price and the contents of the kit can vary from seller to seller, but this pretty much gives you a picture.

* Where to buy solar cells More and more people are starting to get interested in going green and powering their homes with solar energy. And while you may be willing and able to go the DIY route to save some money in the process, you also need to know where you can find the ones that are the basic building blocks for solar panels.

If you’re unsure of where to find solar cells, there are dealers, manufacturers, suppliers and contractors that can easily be located through the yellow pages. This is highly suggested for the inexperienced as you can be assured of the quality of the product, especially if it’s from a bigger company.

I built my own solar panels and a wind generator and saved well over $30,000. I get a cheque from the power company because I produce more energy than I use. If you’d like to learn how you can do the same check out Buy Solar Cells.

Learn more about Solar power and Solar panels also what it can do for you.

Filed under Solar Energy by Ilina Hadzhieva

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