DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF 80 WATTS SOLAR

POWER PANEL

BY

NWODO NNAMDI KINGSLEY

NAITES/ELECT/ND18/439

BEING A PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIALFULFILLMENT

OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF NATIONAL

DIPLOMA (ND) IN ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC

ENGINEERING

NIGERIA ARMY COLLEDGE OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

TECHNOLOGY NORTHBANK MAKURDI, BENUE STATE

SEPTEMBER 2020

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APPROVAL PAGE

This is to certify that the design and construction of 80watt solar panel system

embarked upon by the student whose name and matriculation number appeared

here have been fully endorsed.

NWODO NNAMDI KINGSLEY. NAITES/ELECT/ND18/439

_______________________ ______________________

MR AKOR TITUS DATE

PROJECT SUPERVISOR

_______________________ _______________________

ENGR. MOJISAYO OWOEYE DATE

_______________________ ________________________

EXTERNAL EXAMINER DATE

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 DEDICATION

I dedicate this project to Almighty God.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

My sincere gratitude goes to God almighty for everything he has done for till

this day and in actualization of this work.

I am also grateful to my kindhearted head of department in the person of Engr.

Moyisayo Owoeye for her good and kind gestures to me throughout my stay in

the department. Also am thankful to my project supervisor Mr. Akor Titus who is

also my tutor for all his effort in making sure that i achieved and completed this

work.

My sincere appreciation goes to my mother Mrs. Dorathy Nwodo and to my

siblings for their effort and support towards my studies. Also to all the members

of my family and well-wishers, I say thank you. Worthy of mentioning are all the

lecturers in the department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering of Nigeria

Army College of Education and Science Technology for nurturing to this stage, I

say thank you all. To all my friends and course mates, thank you.

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 ABSTRACT

The content of this work will expose students to basics of solar energy, how it

works, its cells, paneletc. and how to construct one.

The 80watt solar panel was constructed from scratch. This was attained by

Some of these materials: solar cells, tapping wires, soldering iron, tube of solder

etc.

And also these materials were purchased to construct the solar panel. One of the

aim and objective of this work is to help students understand how solar panels

are built. Learning the basics of solar system will aid us the student in the outside

world or the labor market and also will add to our curriculum vitae as Electrical

and Electronics Engineering Students. Massive construction of solar panels in

Nigeria will aid the country in many sectors and will solve many problems of

power and importation from other countries. It will push the need for clean and

renewable energy generation in Nigeria. Nigeria is one of the countries of the

world with high sunlight and with solar panels available; the problem of power in

Nigeria will be half solved.

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

Title Page

Approval Page

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Abstract

Table of Content

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

1.2 Problem Statement

1.3 Aim and Objectives

1.4 The Scope

1.5 The Significance of the Study

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 The Basics of Solar Power System

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2.2 The Solar Cell

2.2.1 Solar Cell Developments

2.3Principle of solar Panel

2.4 Solar PV Module

2.5 Solar Photovoltaic System

2.6System Reliability Consideration

2.6.1 The Reliability

2.6.2 Shadow Problem

2.6.3 System Availability

2.6.4 No Sun Days and Storage Autonomy

2.6.5 Environmental Stresses

2.7 Inverters: AC(From)DC

2.7.1 Inverter Sizing

2.7.2 DC to AC Losses

2.8 The Basics of Batteries

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2.9 The Charge Controllers

3.0 Dirt and Dust

CHAPTER THREE: SYSTEM OPERATION

3.1 Block Diagram of the System

3.2 System Operation with Block Diagram

CHAPTER FOUR: SOLAR PANEL CONSTRUCTION

4.1 Materials Needed to Build Solar Panel

4.2 Materials Needed to Build Solar Power System

4.3 Recommend Stores to Buy Materials

4.4 Building the Frame

4.5 Assembling the Solar Cells

4.5.1 Soldering Solar Cells

4.5.2 Placing the Solar Cells in the Frame

4.5.3 Applying Slygard 184

4.5.4 Installing the Plexiglas on the Frame

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4.5.5 Installing the Junction Box

CHAPTER FIVE: PROCUREMENT AND INSTALLATION

5.1 Procurement

5.2 Determination of Installation Site

5.2.1 Mounting Options

5.2.2 Installation Procedure

CHAPTER SIX: TEST AND RESULTS

6.1 Test and Results

CHAPTER SEVEN: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

7.1 Conclusion

7.2 Recommendation

7.3 Limitation

Reference

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

This project aims at teaching students on how to build a solar panel on their

own from start-up to the finishing level. This will help students to understand

the basics and format behind a solar panel. It will expose students to solar

energy, it uses, application and importance to the environment; because solar

energy is a clean, non-fossil way of producing electricity which is more

advance and in terms economy stands as the best. This article will enlighten

the reader on how to go about making his or her first solar panel. This article

will direct the reader on how to purchase so of the materials needed for

making a solar panel because some of the materials are imported from outside

Nigeria. Also I believe that this article will aid some people looking for what to

do or what skill to learn.

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Nigeria is the 26th hottest country of the world with26.8˚c/ 80.24 ˚f average

yearly temperature which means that we can utilize the sunlight in energy

production and evict the issue of power in the country.Solar energy

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production is termed as one of the economical way of energy in many

countries but that is not true in Nigeria because the price of solar panels/

installation process and procedure makes solar energy costly in Nigeria. This

is because Nigeria imports most of the products used by its citizens. Also due

to lack of technical know-how of solar energy in Nigeria; its installation and

the cost of setting one,average people are left behind and everything about

solar energy is left for the rich to enjoy.

All these happen because of the ignorance of the government and well

known citizens. Also because the government only focuses on one sector and

abandon other alternatives to solve the problem of power in Nigeria. Some of

these shortcomings are also cause by the people ignorance to learn about

solar energy production.

With all this shortcomings, setbacks and ignorance, I urge every youth out

there with full body and soul to learn more about solar power energy

production and bring out his/her own ideals and put it into work. I believe

that’s how some of the developed countries like China started. I believe that

with this an article, the construction of a solar panel will be common to us.

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 Also the government has a great role to play by establishing solar energy

production companies in Nigeria. I believe it will reduce the cost, stress and

the fill the gap in building a solar energy power system.

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVE

AIM

The aim of this project is to successfully construct a working 80watt solar panel.

OBJECTIVES

 The successful project will be strengthen and motivate students to make to

integrate the project into various findings and discoveries.
 Successful completion of this project means a successful training of a solar
panel construction technician.
 This project will pave way to entrepreneurship on the trainee.

1.4 SCOPE OF STUDY

This article covers and provides information on how to build an 80watt solar
panel from scratch to finish point. This article will provide the basics on the things
needed to achieve a successful 80watt made in Nigeria solar panel. A solar panel
is a combination of solar cellscalled solar modulesdesigned to absorb the sun`s
rays as a source of energy for generating electricity. This project teaches how to
construct a solar energy collector.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

This projects aims at teaching the reader on how to construct a solar panel
from beginning i.e. from scratch to finished point. This piece of article will educate

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and guild the reader on the basics (the rocket science) behind every successful
solar panel in the world.This project will add knowledge of solar system to the
reader and at the same time will make the reader to be familiar with solar system
terms. This project will help strengthen both the writer and the reader experience
with solar system.

This will solve some problems and answer the questions of people willing to
learn about solar panel construction. This will be beneficial to students and
youths willing to this part as entrepreneurship skill. This will help the students and
youths who choose the part of solar panel construction to be financially stable
and reduce the high rate of social vices in our communities. Actualization of this
project means a successful bold step to solve the problem of power in Nigeria.

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