How to Build a Solar Powered Battery Charger - Make a Homemade DIY Solar Battery Charger

One of the most interesting projects for both solar energy and do-it-yourself enthusiasts is learning how to build a solar powered battery charger. It seems to be like a project within a project. Solar powered appliances rely on solar panels which act as a form of battery, storing electrical energy to later run appliances. To make a solar powered battery, then, is like building a battery within a battery. And while solar battery chargers are readily available for purchase in the market, building a homemade DIY solar powered battery charger can still prove to be more cost-efficient.

You will need solar cells for this project. Other materials are gauge wire, duct tape, soldering iron, a window frame, cardboard, blocking diode, a battery holder, and a multimeter.

The window frame will serve as the holder of all components. Lay out the solar cells on the frame. You will need to wire the solar cells together to create a power source. Wire the cells by soldering them from the back and then the next one to the front, and so on. The solar cells must be wired in parallel in order for the amps to be increased. To do this, intertwine the positive wires together. Do the same to the negative wires. Connect the end of the positive wire to red lead of the AA battery holder and then the negative end to the black lead. Attach the blocking diode to the negative lead of the battery.

It is essential to remember that in the process of making a homemade DIY solar powered battery charger, the surface of the solar panel must not be overlooked. Therefore, the solar cells must be duct-taped and pressed onto a cardboard for a flat panel surface. Like always, you must remember to place your solar powered appliance in a location where maximum exposure to direct sunlight will be achieved. Also remember to check if the cells are working properly. You may do so with the multimeter. And like every do-it-yourself project, remember to test out the device every now and then to see if there is anything faulty along the way. The earlier you check for errors, the earlier you can remedy them. Some of the materials are not cheap, and it will be a great waste if the entire project will have to be done by the end when a remedy could have been made somewhere in the beginning.

The business of how to build a solar powered battery charger relies greatly on the type of solar cells you use, and how careful you are in assembling them together on the flat, cardboard surface inside the window frame. Some people choose to make solar cells from their kitchen materials. But for this particular project, it is highly recommended that you use the commercially-available solar cells rather than utilize what could be a faulty product of your kitchen experiment.