As the price of solar panels continues to fall, more and more places find it economical to build solar farms that might not have been able to at higher prices. High latitude locations, places with more clouds than sun, and other challenging build sites all are seeing increased green energy development. The modules being used have one main downside, though, which is that they’re essentially a black box encased in resin and plastic, so if one of the small cells fails a large percentage of the panel may be rendered useless with no way to repair it. A solar development kit like this one from a group called Biosphere Solar is looking to create repairable, DIY modules that are completely open source, to help solve this issue.
The modular solar panel is made from a 3D printed holster which can hold a number of individual solar cells. With the cells placed in the layout and soldered together, they are then sandwiched between a few layers of a clear material like acrylic or glass with a seal around the exterior to prevent water intrusion. Since the project is open-source any number of materials can be used for the solar cell casing, and with the STL file available it’s not strictly necessary to 3D print the case as other manufacturing methods could be used. The only thing left is to hook up a DC/DC converter if you need one, and perhaps also a number of bypass and/or blocking diodes depending on your panel’s electrical layout.
The project is still in active development, and some more information can be found at the project’s website. While the “recyclability” of large-scale solar farms is indeed a problem, it’s arguably one which has been overblown by various interests who are trying to cast doubt on green energy. A small build like this won’t solve either problem anytime soon, so the real utility here would be for home users with small off-grid needs who want an open-source, repairable panel. It’s a great method to make sure solar technology is accessible and repairable for anyone that wants it, and in a way this approach to building hardware reminds us a lot of the Framework laptops.
Can you explain how any other solar panel is not “open source”? I really don’t get it. It produces x volts nominal, y amps, z watts. You can buy standard panels, they have standard connectors, and can be freely swapped. What is different this time?
if one cell in your module fails open the series string within that module is dead If you can open the module and effect a repair, you can resolve that and restore the module to normal production. Standard production modules are tempered glass with something like a silicone adhesive into which the tabbed PV cells are laid, and a backing applied.
Forgive my ignorance on the subject but is this a common failure scenario? It looks like you introduce a lot of inefficiencies to your panel by having to incorporate this frame and if it’s not a common failure of solar panel modules then you might be unnecessarily inflicting an inefficient design.
Many panels have parallel diodes that allow for dead cells to be there and the panel to,still produce power (at a lower voltage, ut losing 1-2 cells out of 36 isn’t a dead panel)
Being almost impossible to be opened doesn’t mean the panels are not open source. I think what the project authors (and the hackaday writer) mean is the panels are repairable, not open source.
The STL files and design are open source using OTS parts and materials. The designs and or components are not black-box sealed, or non repairable. Hence in line with the open source approach.
For many years now you could buy naked cells – in a variety of types and sizes – and roll your own panels with whatever enclosure you wanted to make in whatever configuration you could imagine. This “open source” concept isn’t new, it isn’t novel.
This is just silly. As noted, any reputable commercial panel has by-pass diodes that allow the panel to continue operate around dead cells, which are pretty rare. What you really need to worry about is good encapsulation. A home-brew panel made to be opened will either be very expensive or have a high failure rate due to moisture penetration or, more likely, both.
Might be interesting for experimenters, maybe. But as a meaningful solution for someone who wants to deploy at the kW scale, let alone MW, this makes no sense at all.
The diodes are not only there to bypass dead cells, but mostly for cells that are in the shade or somehow temporarily obstructed (by dirt or leafs), although the effect of a simple single leaf varies greatly depending on the size of the panel it obscures.
What exactly is this? What does this actually want to make open source in a solar panel?
This is completely pointless waste of time.
To all the negative commenters I’d have to say you seem to be missing the point – this kit concept is a small and repairable module of the sort of size you might build in to your cyberdeck/van etc.
Especially at small scale repairable trumps diodes and quality encapsulation as even one cell of loss is a huge fraction of the total potential – and you generally can’t so easily live with so much underperformance from the expected. Which with a commercial style panel could then write off the whole panel and perhaps even the entire device it is supposed to power – if a manufacturer creates a custom form factor PV to fit the device(s) well odds are really really really good that no replacements will ever be available…
I have nothing against the default commercial PV products, in many cases they will be better overall than this easier to repair concept – as usually not needing anything but a clean for decades vs repairable but likely needing repairs many times in that same time span… The only way the open framework to build your own repairable panels shines there is very niche use cases. But that does mean it can be the best method for some things.
It seems like you could make the current panels with the connection straps available at the back of the panel, then if any cells died you could make your own repair around the cells needed.
Although I’m seeing whole used panels for $20-50 around here, so these kind of shenanigans are at best for areas where repair is the only option.
Although much like cellphone screens now have affordable (for a service center) laser microsurgery for detatched internal lines. Maybe solar panels will get people proficient at grinding down to the connection and doing on panel repairs.
ok but why charging all battery in this same time? charging battery one by one or two by two is important too.
module for charging is this sane important than solar panel.
replacable battery AND solar module!