- Biology
- DIY kit
- Class 1 to 9
Solar Panel Cell 5V DIY KIT 100% Long Durable Life with Free Rough PAD and Pen
Code B0FGTZDR8B
- Paid for and delivered by Amazon. The current price and the delivery date for your PIN code are shown there.
- Sold by Gurukul Technicals Institute, Delhi.
- Need a different topic, a custom version or a school order? Ask on WhatsApp.
DIY kit
About this kit
A 5V solar panel sold as a DIY kit for building small solar-powered projects such as a solar fan, a toy car or an LED light. It lets students see sunlight turned directly into electricity and experiment with how angle and brightness change the output.
How it works
The science behind it
The idea the kit demonstrates, in words you can use in your report and when you explain it.
A solar cell turns light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. It is made of a thin silicon p-n junction. When sunlight falls on it, photons with enough energy knock electrons free, creating electron-hole pairs. The electric field at the junction pushes electrons to one side and holes to the other, so a voltage appears across the cell and current flows when a load is connected. One silicon cell gives only about 0.5 to 0.6 V, so a 5V panel joins several cells in series; panels in parallel give more current at the same voltage. Output depends strongly on the light reaching the panel, so it drops in shade or cloud and is highest when sunlight strikes at right angles. In Delhi, at about 28° north, a fixed panel faces south and is tilted at roughly 28° for good output through the year. Solar water pumps on Indian farms use the same physics on a larger scale.
Using it in your projects
Using a 5 V solar panel in your projects
What this kit is good for, what else you need with it and how to connect it.
Projects you can build with it 7
- A solar-powered propeller car
- An investigation to find the load that takes the most power from the panel
- A comparison of output through red, green and blue filters
- A solar tracker model that turns the panel towards a lamp using two LDRs
- A solar-powered turntable for another exhibition model
- A sunlight meter that records brightness at different times of day
- A solar fountain model with a small 5 V water pump
What else you need 9
How to connect it 7 steps
Find the positive and negative leads from their colours or markings and check them with the multimeter in sunlight. With nothing connected, the reading is often a little above 5 V.
- Measure the short-circuit current
Set the multimeter to its 10 A range, with the red probe in the 10 A socket, and connect it straight across the panel for a few seconds. A small solar panel can safely be tested this way, because its current is limited by the light.
Connect each test resistor in turn, measure the voltage across it, and work out the current (I = V/R) and the power (P = V²/R). Find which resistor takes the most power from the panel.
Point the panel straight at the sun: stand a pencil upright on its face and tilt the panel until the pencil's shadow almost disappears. Then measure the output at other angles.
Cover the panel with each colour of cellophane in turn and record the current.
- Build a solar car
Fix the motor with its propeller at the back of the chassis, the panel on top tilted towards the sun, and connect them with the crocodile clips.
Connect each LED with its resistor, long leg to positive, and compare how brightly they glow in sun and shade.
Read this first
Safety first
Go through these points before you build or switch anything on. Younger students should do this with an adult.
- Never look at the sun while aiming the panel; use the pencil's shadow to judge the angle.
- Do the short-circuit test only with the multimeter on its current range and only on the solar panel; never short a battery like this, as a battery can push a dangerous current.
- Do not connect the panel directly to a mobile phone or a lithium cell, because its voltage is not regulated.
- The panel can get hot in strong sun, so handle it by its edges.
Troubleshooting
If something does not work
The usual problems with this kit and how to fix them. Open a problem to see the fix.
The multimeter shows a negative voltage
The leads are the wrong way round. Swap them; the red probe goes to the panel's positive lead.
The voltage is fine but the motor will not spin
The panel cannot give enough current for a stiff motor. Use a light motor with a light propeller, keep the panel in full sun, and give the propeller a flick to start.
The readings keep changing
Passing clouds and small changes in angle alter the output. Take each set of readings quickly, in steady sun, with the panel held still.
The current reading is zero
The red probe may be in the volts socket instead of the current socket, or the meter's current fuse may have blown.
Exhibition day
How to present it
A running order for the exhibition table or the practical, step by step.
Measure the panel's voltage in sunlight, in shade and under a room light to show how output depends on light.
Tilt the panel at different angles towards the Sun and show where the reading is highest.
Explain series and parallel connection of cells using your panel as the example.
For a cloudy exhibition day, keep a bright lamp ready so you can still demonstrate indoors.
Practice
Viva questions
Practice questions on this kit, with short answers. Try each one aloud before you open the answer.
What is the photovoltaic effect?
It is the production of a voltage and current in a material, such as a silicon p-n junction, when light falls on it.
Why are many solar cells connected in series in a panel?
One silicon cell gives only about 0.5 V, so cells are joined in series to add up their voltages.
Why does the output fall when a cloud passes?
Fewer photons reach the cell, so fewer electron-hole pairs are created and less current flows.
Which way should a fixed solar panel face in India?
Towards the south, tilted at about the local latitude, because for most of the year the Sun stays in the southern part of the sky over India.
Buying checklist
Before you buy
What to check before you order the kit, and what to do when it arrives.
1Before you order
- Check the panel's size and current in the listing; a motor needs enough current, not just 5 V.
- Check in the listing whether wires are attached or whether you will need to solder them with an adult.
- Exhibitions are often indoors, so plan how you will show it working: room lights are usually too weak, and a bright filament lamp held near the panel by an adult works better.
- Check the delivery date for your PIN code on the marketplace, and order well before the exhibition or practical.
- Check what is in the box on the marketplace listing, including any batteries or tools you need to add.
2When it arrives
- On arrival, check the face for cracks and test the panel in sunlight.
Next steps
Take it further
Ways to turn this kit into a bigger investigation or a stronger exhibition entry.
Plot current against voltage and power against voltage from your resistor readings, and mark the maximum power point.
Estimate the panel's efficiency by comparing its maximum electrical power with the sunlight falling on it, taking strong sunlight as about 1000 W per square metre.
Build a two-LDR tracker that keeps the panel facing the brightest light, and compare its energy output with a fixed panel.
Audience
Who it suits
Suits Class 6 to 12 renewable energy projects, solar car and fan models, and Atal Tinkering Lab activities.
- ClassClass 1 to 9
- SubjectBiology
- TypeDIY kit
Free to read
Free ebooks for this topic
Free PDF ebooks from Gurukul Technicals Institute on the science, the making and the presenting of projects like this one.
- Free PDF ebook
Electronic Components Handbook
Resistors, capacitors, LEDs, diodes, transistors and more, with how to use each
- Free PDF ebook
Tools, Materials and Safety for Model Making
Everything you need to build neat, strong and safe science models
- Free PDF ebook
Your Science Exhibition Guide
Choose a project, build it, present it and answer the judges with confidence
