On a bright sunny day, light falls on every square meter of the earth's surface, the power of which is about 600 watts. In most cases, it goes to waste only for the reason that it is deliberately not used. You can find useful use for it in various ways.
Instructions
Step 1
If energy from the sun is supposed to be used to power electrical appliances, use solar panels. They must be factory made. The existing designs of homemade photodiodes based on copper oxide are very good for entertaining experiments, but, due to the extremely low efficiency (fractions of a percent), they are unsuitable for practical use. However, you can use them to power calculators or watches by connecting several such photodiodes in series. Otherwise, use ready-made batteries with an efficiency of approximately ten percent.
Step 2
Depending on the required voltage and current, connect solar cells in series or in parallel. A single cell develops a voltage of the order of 0.5 V, and the current given to it depends on the area and is indicated in the documentation. With a serial connection, the total voltage increases, with a parallel connection, the total current. Power in all cases is equal to the product of current and voltage.
Step 3
Do not charge batteries directly from solar panels. As soon as the sun disappears, the battery opens, similar to a conventional diode, and begins to discharge the battery. Use a protective diode in series with the battery. Its anode must face the positive pole of the solar battery, and it itself must be rated for a current not less than the sum of the consumed and charging currents. To prevent overcharging the battery, be sure to use a dedicated charge controller.
Step 4
Try using a combined solar-wind power plant. There is almost always wind in the absence of sunlight, and vice versa. In the same rare periods when both are absent, the power supply will be carried out from the battery.
Step 5
Use out-of-the-box solutions to charge cell phone batteries from the sun. A special solar charger will cost you about 2,000 rubles. It will quickly pay off due to the fact that the phone does not have to frequently change the battery (even if its capacity decreases, in the daytime it can be quickly recharged anywhere).
Step 6
If solar energy needs to be used to generate heat instead of electricity, stop using double conversion of energy (first into electricity, then into heat). Apply direct sunlight on the medium. In this case, the efficiency will be equal not to ten, but to almost one hundred percent. The easiest way to equip a solar water heater for a country shower. It consists of a conventional barrel, placed horizontally and painted black. For cooking, the solar energy will have to be concentrated with a parabolic mirror. To find descriptions of these solar cookers, search for "homemade solar cooker".
Step 7
Even if the home is equipped with an electrical network, do not neglect the use of solar energy at least partially. Use it at least to power low-power loads (up to 100 W) during periods when possible, as well as to heat water. Finally, do not forget to simply open the curtains during the day instead of turning on the lighting fixtures - in this case, you will also be using solar energy.
