Solar Panel Tabbing Wire
Has anyone soldered solar cells?
I bought some 3″ x 6″ Evergreen solar cells to make into a solar panel. They each have 6 squares on the back (three in each row) directly behind the two tabbing wires on the front. As best I understand, I am supposed to scratch the white surface away from the squares until they are shiny and then solder the tabbing wires from the next solar cell to them. I “tinned” the wire with the solder and then attempted to add more solder to the top to attach the wire to the squares. The solder melts, but it doesn’t stick very well or make a good electrical connection. (A voltmeter on one cell reads just over 0.5 volts but when touched to the next cell which should read just over 1 volt, it reads 0.0.) I also used the supplied “flux” pen to clean my surfaces before soldering. What am I doing wrong?
It sounds like you are heating the solder, not the metal that you want to solder together. The solder is not sticking because the metal is cold. Hold the iron on the solar panel tab and the wire – let it get hot. Once it is hot enough, touch the solder to the wire, not the soldering iron. The solder should flow and bond after you remove the iron.
Also, make sure the tip of your iron is clean. Oxidation which typically forms on soldering irons greatly reduces the temperature. You can clean it while hot with a wet rag, or something abrasive, such as sand paper if you need to.
Solar cells soldering: how to cut tabbing wire
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40 Prime Solar Cell DIY Kit with Solar Tabbing, Bus, Flux and Diode $69.99 For Sale are 40 NEW, solar cells that are 3″x 6″ each. PLUS Tabbing, Bus, Flux and a Diode. Great experience to build your own solar panel and save a lot of money…. |