DIY Solar Phone Charger

Workshop Facilitator’s Guide

March 2017 Version 4.1
 Contents
Using this guide 2

General points on running workshops 3

Workshop flowchart 3

Workshop Notes 7
Before the workshop 7
Starting the workshop: Introduction and theory 8
Introducing the tools and materials 10

Building the panel 12

Step 1: Soldering tabbing wire to the top of the cells 13
Step 2: Preparing the polycarbonate and placing the cells 13
Step 3: Heating the EVA to stick the cells 13
Step 4: Tabbing the other sideo f the cells 14
Step 5: Cross tabbing 15
Step 6: Encapsulation 16
Step 7: Bonding the panel into the neoprene case 16
Step 8: Attach USB DC-DC voltage converter 16

Summing up 17

Appendix 1: About Demand Energy Equality 18

Appendix 2: Games and Group Activities 20

Introductory Games 20
Games to demonstrate basic principles 20
Energy Quiz 23
Verbal feedback 23

Appendix 3: Scientific Concepts 24

Establishing a solid understanding of the scientific concepts required for the day 24

Appendix 4: Tools and Materials 26

Sourcing materials (and possible alternatives) 26

Appendix 5: Further Issues for Discussion 29

Frequently Asked Questions about Photovoltaic Cells 32

Appendix 6: Risk Assessment 35

Appendix 7: Energy Workshop Feedback Form 37

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Using this guide

The overall objective of this guide is to create confidence in facilitators to enable skills to be spread
further.

More specifically, this guide is as an aid to workshop facilitators:

• To set up and administer workshops effectively
• To do that as safely as possible – safety issues are highlighted in red throughout this guide
• To deliver workshops that are fun and interesting
o By setting out a range of techniques including games and exercises to help students gain
the maximum understanding
o By suggesting ways in which the bigger issues of energy and the impacts on the
environment can be brought into the workshop

The guide starts with a ‘Workshop Outline’ flow diagram which sets out a suggested structure for a
workshop. This is followed by notes that give more detail about organising and running the workshop. At
the end of the guide are several appendices with supplemental information.

The main body of this guide will cover building a 12W solar phone charger with a laptop carry case. There
are other types of DIY solar panel that can be made, and other workshops that DEE (and other
organisations) are able to run – you’ll find copies of guides covering previous workshops that we have run
on the DEE website.

Keeping the Guide Updated

No workshop structure should be set in stone and facilitators should adapt it to their own needs perhaps
by doing things in a different sequence or by missing some elements out or adding others in. It is hoped
that the guide will be amended over time to reflect the experience of facilitators who are running
workshops. DEE will run occasional workshop review sessions to bring facilitators together to develop
skills and share best practice.

DEE uses a ​shared online folder​ to share resources and guides needed for running their workshops –
contact info@dee.org.uk to gain access to this folder. If you have come up with a new way of explaining or
demonstrating something, a new game or a good response to a common question – you can add these to
the guide by going to the folder and updating the live version. As it is an evolving document – make sure
your updates are clearly indicated so that they can be easily compared with previous versions. Please
include comments explaining any changes made.

The guide is designed to be used alongside the video tutorials on the ​Demand Energy Equality website​ and
the ‘DIY Solar PV Handbook’ and these are referenced throughout the guide.

Note:​ This guide reflects the latest iteration in the construction of DIY photovoltaic panels as
practiced by Demand Energy Equality. Because we occasionally introduce new materials and
construction methods, and because we tend to allow facilitators scope to try out new
facilitation practices, the guide may not always follow the same sequence as the either video
tutorials or the handbook, and may not exactly reflect the content of current workshops.
Contact DEE if you need an update on any recent changes.

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General points on running workshops

Pitching

A key skill for facilitators to develop is how to judge at what level to pitch the delivery of workshops and
not to make the technical information too overwhelming. At the same time, you do want to stretch people
a little so that they are acquiring new knowledge and learning new skills. The best sign that you are
getting it right is that everyone is engaged in what you talking about (looking at you and asking questions)
– so watch out if some individuals are very silent – it could mean you are talking over their heads.
Alternatively you may have the odd individual who is very knowledgeable or skilled – so keep them
engaged by using them – get them to explain points or help less skilled individuals.

Timing

Approximate timings are given in the workshop outline – assuming a workshop which lasts 7 hours
including breaks and lunch​ (don’t forget them!). Inevitably, workshops don’t always start on time or some
technical problem causes a delay. So it is useful to have in your head which activities can be missed out or
sped up (e.g. introductory games) and what activities must not be rushed or missed out (e.g. learning how
to solder). Keep an eye out for participants that are struggling to keep up with the rest of the group, and
be ready to give them extra attention to help keep everyone together. Try to avoid a very rushed ending as
a lot of good work can be messed up by a careless mistake because people are rushing. Our current solar
charger design has proven to be reasonably simple to make, but ultimately it's more important that
everyone finishes with a working charger than a perfect charger.

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Workshop flowchart

Before the workshop

Introduction and theory

The first hour of the workshop – start with whole group sitting in a circle

Move to the workstations and plug in soldering irons so they can be heating up

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Construction

At each new stage wait for everyone to catch up, then bring the group together to give a demonstration –
perhaps at a separate table

From now on the participants are generally working at their own speed with your aid

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6
Workshop Notes
Before the workshop

Workshop admin

Whoever is organising the workshop (this will generally be the DEE workshop coordinator) should be able
to provide a list of participants with their contact details. Check any relevant emails re: workshop, venue
and attendees.
Make sure there are suitable refreshments to keep workshop participants going through the day: tea,
coffee, biscuits, milk, etc.
The facilitator should bring a laptop if possible, but it's not essential

Insurance/personal injury:​ DEE does carry public liability, personal injury and professional indemnity
insurance for workshop facilitators working under its auspices but you should ​clarify this with the DEE
workshops coordinator before the date of any workshop​. There may be procedures that need to be
followed to make sure insurance policies apply to any activities carried out (e.g. always take into account
site health and safety considerations). Professional indemnity insurance covers you if a participant sues
you for providing inaccurate/misleading information or advice. If you are facilitating a workshop for
another organisation you need to be clear if they have personal injury and professional indemnity
insurance of their own. ​If you are facilitating a non-DEE workshop with no insurance cover you should ask
all participants to sign a waiver form saying that they taking part at their own risk​.

Risk Assessment: ​You should carry out a risk assessment before the workshop to identify potential hazards.
A standard risk assessment form is shown in Appendix 6, that will need to be signed by the person leading
the workshop before starting. Potential hazards and safety points are highlighted in red throughout these
facilitator’s notes.

Workshop preparation

These are our suggestions for how to set up a workshop.

Ideally the venue for your workshop should have good lighting and sufficient space to ensure
participants can move about without knocking into each other. For summer workshops, it is
helpful if there is easy access to the outside for the testing of panels in unrestricted daylight.
Safety: ​A source of water nearby is important for the emergency treatment of burns.

Check with the event organiser that the venue is accessible by wheelchair users and those with
limited mobility. If not, be sure to ask all workshop participants about their accessibility needs.

If working outside some kind of shelter from the wind is essential as PV cells can blow around.
There needs to be an electrical supply sufficient to power all the soldering irons.
Safety:​ You need to be able to keep all electrical equipment dry in the event of rain.

Ideally the workshop should be laid out with groups working on tables or benches with plenty of
space for each participant to work comfortably without disturbing their neighbours and for people
to move around the room while the workshop is happening.

A four socket electrical extension lead needs to be laid to each group. Each extension should be
plugged into a different wall outlet. Heat guns should be limited to 2 per extension lead to avoid
blowing fuses, and overall usage will need to be limited according to the current capacity of the
power source being used.

Safety:​ The socket end of extension leads should be secured with gaffer taped to the table (either
the top or a leg). Where possible the lead should be gaffer taped to the floor to reduce trip hazards
(or lay a rug over the lead).
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 Each of the work stations should have:
◦ a soldering iron in a soldering stand with a damp sponge
◦ a flux pen – if these are refillable type check that they are full
◦ small wire cutters
◦ scissors
◦ small nose pliers
◦ a heat gun
◦ heat-proof gloves
◦ a screwdriver
It's always a good idea to have a couple of spares of each tool at a workshop in case of breakages
or defects.

Safety​: Take care in the arrangement of soldering iron leads so that they are not in danger of
dragging across a neighbouring work station.
Recognise that flux is an irritant so avoid direct contact with your hands when refilling flux pens
(wear gloves if you have cuts or abrasions on your skin or if you have sensitive skin) and rinse off
your hands asap once you’re done.

Each participant should have:

◦ a sheet of UV resistant polycarbonate
◦ approx 40g of pre-cut 1/8​th​ size PV cells (includes allowance for breakages)
◦ lengths of tabbing wire (approximately double the length of a cell)
◦ two sheets of EVA cut slightly larger than the polycarbonate sheet
◦ a laptop carry case
◦ two terminal blocks
◦ two short lengths of flex wire
◦ A USB voltage converter

The whole workshop will also need:

◦ a couple of digital multimeters
◦ a grow lamp and glass-topped table for testing
◦ a white board or flip chart
◦ liquid flux
◦ extra solder
◦ extra EVA for patching holes
◦ a stanley knife
◦ 12V equipment for demonstrating panels – amp & speakers, lights, etc

Starting the workshop: Introduction and theory

During this period you will be working with the whole group and it can be useful to start away from the
tables and workstations if space allows – ideally sat in a circle.

Introductions and housekeeping

In the first 20 minutes you will be doing introductory activities and providing housekeeping information.
The aim is to make participants feel at ease with the people they are working with, well-orientated and
comfortable in the workshop space, and setting out a structure about how the day should work. Doing an
introductory game (see ideas for games in Appendix 2) can be an important way to establish a fun and
nonthreatening atmosphere to work in.

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Introduce yourself and any co-facilitators, and give a summary of the different sections of the workshop to
give participants a rough idea of what to expect.

This is a good point to briefly introduce a bit of Demand Energy Equality’s philosophy. (see Appendix 1)

Basic concepts

This is the main theoretical section of the workshop and should be pitched at the level of participants. A
suggested narrative for introducing each of the concepts is provided in Appendix 3, but you should make
an effort to create your own personalised structure for introducing participants to the theory behind the
practical part of the workshop. Making it fun is key to people gaining an understanding of the basic
concepts and a couple of alternatives for games are suggested in Appendix 2.

Learning points
By the end of this stage participants should have the beginning of an understanding of:
● The meanings of the terms ​voltage, current and power​ and what units are used to
measure them, and how they relate to solar cells
● That the amount of current generated is determined by the surface area of the cell
● That a ​series circuit​ is like a chain and the current is constrained by the size of each
cell – so the amount of current flowing through the smallest cell will limit the current
for the whole panel – hence the need for them to be about the same size.
● That in a series circuit the current flowing through each cell is the same but the
voltage is summed.
● How the voltage and current output of our panels will determine what we can do with
them

There will be further opportunities to consolidate the understanding of these points as the workshop
progresses. You might try to identify any participants that would benefit from a bit of one-to-one
explanation. There may also be participants with a lot of expertise who you can use to help those with
less.

Explanation of risks

Safety needs to be everyone’s responsibility and so your job is to make people aware of the risks and how
they can be minimised while at the same time not making people scared of the soldering irons. It is good
to do this before people move to the workstations and start fiddling with the tools and materials.

Safety points:​ The main sources of danger are the soldering irons and we use 80W irons that get
significantly hotter than standard soldering irons. Point out:
● the parts of the iron that get hot and to emphasise the need to handle them with care.
● not to grab an iron if it is dropped on the floor.
● putting burns under running cold water for several minutes is a simple and very effective means of
reducing injuries and is the only treatment recommended by the NHS. The NHS also don’t
recommend using any creams or dressings but say burns are best left exposed to dry out.
● though the soldering irons have heat resistant cables it is possible to burn through them which
would cause an electrical hazard.
● liquid flux is an irritant, and participants should avoid contacting it. If it gets in your eyes or mouth
wash it out immediately. Wash hands after use – give a reminder before breaking for lunch and at
the end of the workshop.

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Introducing the tools and materials

Move everyone to the workstations at the tables. Check if you have any left-handed participants and that
they have a left-handed soldering iron stand. Ask people to plug their soldering irons in so they can start
heating up. Go through what each item is for.
● Start with the piece of PV cell – get people to break it to appreciate how fragile it is. Emphasise
that everyone breaks them at some point – so don’t get anxious.
● Show them the materials – the PV cells, pre-cut lengths of tabbing wire, flux pens and explain their
use.
● Refer to the other materials they will be using later – polycarbonate and EVA

Some participants may want to know how to obtain the materials and how much they cost, either to make
more panels for themselves or to run their own workshops. DEE doesn't have materials available for
general sale, but if they email ​info@dee.org.uk​ we can usually arrange to provide the materials needed, or
at least provide guidance on where similar materials can be obtained. See the list of tools and materials in
Appendix 4 for more info.

How to Solder

This is the key skill that people need to learn so make sure everyone is around the table and paying
attention. Take your time to demonstrate good technique to participants by soldering a piece of tabbing
wire to a cell. Describing what you are doing and why - as you do it – this helps people remember the key
learning points.

Learning Points
Key points for participant to observe are:
● Making sure the tabbing wire is flat and straight – kinks can be smoothed out by
drawing the wire between your finger nails.
● Keeping surfaces to be joined as free from acidic skin oils as possible by not handling
unnecessarily
● Removing dirt and oxidation by applying flux
● Ensuring that the surfaces to be joined are heated to a sufficient temperature to allow
the solder to flow (which is aided by the flux). This can be achieved by holding the
soldering iron on a point to allow heat to build up until you can see the solder melting
before wiping the tip slowly along the tabbing wire
● Holding the soldering iron vertically so that the flat tip has maximum contact with the
tabbing wire (see photo below).
● Slowly drawing the soldering iron along the tabbing wire (learning the right speed is a
trial and error process). It should be possible to see the solder go shiny as it melts and
then forms a wave as the soldering iron is drawn along the tabbing wire.
● Keeping the soldering iron tip clean by wiping it on the wet sponge (or rubbing on the
emery cloth).

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 Good technique Not so good technique

Point out common soldering errors:

● Forgetting to apply flux
● Not holding the soldering iron long enough on one spot for the tabbing wire and cell below to heat
up
● Not holding the soldering iron vertically
● Wiping the soldering iron repeatedly along the tabbing wire (this can remove the solder) – it is
better to just do one slow stroke.
● Not cleaning the tip of the soldering iron regularly enough.
● Breaking cells by mishandling them or applying too much force with the soldering iron.
● Tabbing wire running over the edge of the cell

Safety points:​ The main sources of danger are the soldering irons​ ​– show participants how to hold the
soldering iron well up the handle and to place the iron back in the stand when not in use.
Tabbing wire contains lead and flux is toxic so encourage participants to wash their hands before handling
food etc.

As a facilitator ensure you bring everyone in the group together at each stage of construction to
demonstrate how to carry out that step, with clear instructions on how to use the tools and materials.
Continue to walk around the room checking how people are getting on and quality control their work. If
you don’t do this, you are likely to find some participants may pick up bad techniques that will make for a
poor quality or non-functional panel requiring extensive corrections later on in the workshop, making your
job as facilitator much more difficult.

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Building the panel
Summary of the construction process

Step 1: Solder tabbing wire to the Step 2: Lay EVA on polycarbonate Step 3: Apply enough heat to EVA
top of cells sheet and arrange cells face down to stick cells down

Step 4a: Tim tabbing wire tails Step 4b: Solder tabbing wire tails Step 4c: Test the voltage on each
to the backs of cells row and correct errors

Step 5a: Connect each row of cells Step 5b: Test voltage and current Step 6: Encapsulate cells with
together (cross-tabbing) of whole panel second sheet of EVA

Step 7: Bind solar panel to laptop Step 8: Attach USB voltage Completed solar charger
carry case converter

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The participants now need to apply what you have shown them and be taken through the steps of
constructing the panels. ​Text in green gives pointers to avoid common errors.

Step 1: Soldering tabbing wire to the top of the cells

Participants will need to become confident at soldering and build up a stock of cells with tabbing wire on
one side. So this is a time to be moving around checking and providing advice. This is also the time when
some people will get frustrated if they have difficulties soldering. So remind them of the key points to
effective soldering and talk them through it as they do it. Occasionally there are faulty soldering irons
that don’t get hot enough - so do check.

Participants should tab at least 2 additional spare cells each to replace possible breakages. Participants
who finish quickly should be encouraged to tab more cells to help others finish.

● Point out the need to avoid shorting the circuit by not soldering too close to the edge of the cell.
● Emphasise the need to not put too much pressure on the cells as they are likely to crack.
● Check that cells have conductive contacts on the back before soldering tabbing wire to the front.
● Tabs on cells should line up when it comes to connecting them in columns.

Safety points:​ The main sources of danger are the soldering irons​ ​– keep participants aware of how they
are holding soldering irons and ensure they place them back in the stands when not in use. Point out that
the stands get hot. Remind them not to trail cables across each other or wave the soldering irons about.

Step 2: Preparing the polycarbonate and placing the cells

This step will involve showing participants how to arrange the tabbed cells on their panel to connect them
in series to create a continuous string (or “snake”). Explain that polycarbonate is UV-resistant in one
direction, so it's important to attach the cells to the side with the white protective film. Leave the film with
the red writing on for now. You may need to cut/trim sheets of EVA to use – they should be slightly larger
than the polycarbonate sheets, with a margin of around 5mm on each edge.

Lay the EVA on the side of the polycarbonate that the white film was removed from, then arrange the cells
face down on top of it with the tails bent slightly up. There should be a clearly visible gap between each
cell (~2mm) and a gap at the top and bottom of each column (~5-10mm). It can be useful to have a grid
drawn out on a sheet of paper to aid the correct arrangement of the cells. You will need to spell out how
each row runs in the opposite direction to its neighbours to complete the series circuit (this provides an
opportunity to explain series circuits again).

The tabbing wire tails from each cell will need to line up with the conductive contacts on the back of the
next cell – some cells have their conductive strips off-set to one side, so make sure all the cells in a row all
have their tails and conductive contacts in alignment.

● Point out the need to avoid shorting the circuit by not having cells touching each other.
● Check that the EVA and cells are on the correct side of the polycarbonate, and that the white
protective film has been removed.
● Check that participants are laying out rows of cells running in opposite directions – failure to do so
can waste a lot of time and materials.
● Check that contact points for soldering tabbing wire tails are all lined up properly.
● Check each cell for cracks or poor soldering before placing it.

Step 3: Heating the EVA to stick the cells

This step will involve showing participants how to stick cells to the sheet of polycarbonate using heated
EVA. Use the heat gun to apply heat to the EVA. As it heats it should turn transparent and become sticky. If
13
the EVA is creased or folded, it may be necessary to carefully apply a little pressure to the edges of each
cell as they heat up to make sure they are stuck flat on the polycarbonate. Once the heat is removed, the
EVA will cool and cells will remain bonded. It's not necessary to apply a lot of heat at this stage – just
enough to fix the cells in place to allow the tabbing wire tails to be soldered.

● Point out that if cells crack after they've been stuck down, you will need to use the heat gun to
loosen the EVA bond before you can remove the broken cell. If the cell is removed while the EVA is
cool, it will fragment into lots of tiny pieces which are time-consuming to remove.
● The easiest way to remove a cell is to use a thin blade to carefully lift the cell off once the EVA is
hot.
● Once a cell has been removed, you may need to use an extra patch of EVA to fill any holes – it's
essential to have some spare EVA offcuts to hand for this purpose.
● Overheating → overly stuck down and then difficult to remove later

Safety points:​ the metal nozzles of heat guns can get very hot, especially on the high setting or with
sustained use. Similar safety issues with soldering irons. Be careful not to point them towards people or
anything that would be damaged by heat, and when finished with them always place the heat gun with the
nozzle resting on a non-flammable surface (e.g. the tile on a soldering station).
EVA overhanging the polycarbonate sheet can become stuck to the work surface when heated – check
that it won't cause damage when picking the panel up - move slowly!

A note on cracks
Everyone who does these workshops breaks cells at some point and this is a guide to whether
to replace cells that get cracked. Early in the construction process before cells are stuck down
and connected together you can afford to be fairly conservative and to discard most cells that
get cracked. But once they are connected together it is a time consuming job to strip off the
tabbing wire and to remove the cell. This a quick visual guide to help you decide whether to
replace a cracked cell.

Less than 10% broken off – ​OK More than 10% broken off - ​REPLACE

Minor crack away from conductor strip – ​OK Minor horizontal crack - ​OK

Long crack parallel to conductor strip – if the Long crack across conductor strip – this is ​OK
crack propagates half the cell would be lost - providing there is tabbing wire across the
REPLACE crack on both sides (it effectively becomes a
parallel connection) but check for shorting

Step 4: Tabbing the other side of the cells

Once the tabbed cells are stuck to the polycarbonate the tails can be soldered onto the backs of adjacent
cells to connect them in series. You should now demonstrate how to trim the tabbing wire tails to the

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right length using small wire cutters and how to solder them to the back of the next cell. Show how it is
possible to use the tip of a pair of scissors to the hold the tabbing wire in place while it is being soldered.
Cells at the end of each row will need an extra strip of tabbing wire soldered to their backs.
● Remind participants of the need to avoid shorting the circuit by not soldering too close to the edge
of the cell, and to avoid putting too much pressure on the cells as they are likely to crack.
● If cells crack at this stage, they will need to be de-soldered from adjacent cells before they can be
removed from the EVA as above.
● Check tabbing wire is firmly soldered by using a fingernail to try to lift it from the cell. Loose
connections are likely to fail when the cells are encapsulated.
● Make sure to test each row of cells before moving on to the next stage (see Testing the panel
below).
● EMPHASISE -- go slowly as breakages now are v annoying - as a facilitaotr this will save you time
and effort later

Testing the panel

It can be useful at this point to bring everyone together so that you can demonstrate how to test the
partially completed panel before it is encapsulated and sealed up. Wherever possible get participants to
actually do the testing with the multimeter under your direction. This is best done in bright sunshine
outside but in some circumstances it can be carried out over a high wattage grow lamp placed under a
glass-topped table.

The handbook and the videos give detailed descriptions of how to test the voltage of each column and the
entire panel to find shorts and other errors. It is good practice to get participants to suggest what the
voltage should be before testing each element – get them to count up cells – adding the voltage together
as they are tested. This is your opportunity to really consolidate participants’ understanding of voltage.
Once the voltage has been tested, also measure the current of each panel to get a comparison between
each one.

● Point out the need to get the probe wires connected to the correct terminals on the multimeter
and to make a good contact between the probes and the tabbing wires on the panel in order to get
a correct reading.

Seeing the impact of orientation and shading – understanding a series circuit

When testing a panel using a light source, having tested the panel and ensured that there are
no shorts, connect the panel directly to a 12v sound system and demonstrate that it can power
the system. See what happens when the panel is tipped out of the optimum orientation – the
sound diminishes/cuts out. If you include a multimeter in the circuit you can also measure the
current in the circuit.

Now see what happens when the panel is partially shaded by covering a cell with your hand –
the sound is lost. Seek explanations from the participants. The correct explanation is that in
the shaded cells the current is no longer flowing and because this is a series circuit this
prevents any current from flowing through the entire panel.
This demonstration can also lead to a discussion about the positioning of the panel to get the
maximum output.

Step 5: Cross tabbing

Use a piece of tabbing wire to connect each row – this is an opportunity to really consolidate the
understanding of what a series circuit is and how the electricity will flow through it. The cross-tabbing
should run between columns either just inside or just outside of the polycarbonate.

15
Trim the tabbing wire on the end of the columns to be connected, then create a small hook into which the
tabbing wire for the cross-tabbing can be inserted. Crimp the hook together firmly around the
cross-tabbing, then solder the tabbing wires together at the crimped joint.

You should also solder short (~5cm) lengths of flex wire to the positive and negative terminals of the
panel.
● Point out the need to connect rows together in a continuous chain – starting from one end and
finishing at another. Check for people connecting the tops and bottoms of two rows together to
create a loop.
● Use the end of a pair of scissors under the cross tabbing joints when soldering to provide a firm
base and avoid melting the polycarbonate.
● Make sure to test the output of the whole panel before moving on to the next stage (see Testing
the panel above).

Safety points:​ The main sources of danger are the soldering irons​ ​– keep participants aware of how they
are holding soldering irons and ensure they place them back in the stands when not in use. Point out that
the stands get hot. Remind them not to trail cables across each other or wave the soldering irons about.

Learning points
By the end of this stage participants should understand:
● What causes a short circuit and how to avoid shorts
● How to use a multimeter to test a circuit for shorts
They should now have a good grasp of:
● What a series circuit is and how the current flows through it

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Step 6: Encapsulation

Use a second sheet of trimmed EVA over the backs of the cells to encapsulate the panel. This is the point
where you can explain the need to avoid galvanic corrosion to ensure longevity of the panel. Use the heat
gun on a high setting to seal the cells and tabbing wires – it usually takes around 5 mins to get the EVA up
to the right temperature, by which point it will look clear and glossy.

● All cells should be totally encapsulated – make sure there are no edges sticking out.
● The application of heat at this stage may break poorly soldered connections as the metal expands
– this can cause the panel to perform poorly, or even break it entirely. It's very important to ensure
all soldered joints are good before this stage.
● When using the high heat setting, ensure that the heat gun is constantly moving to avoid creating a
hot spot and warping the polycarbonate.
● As a facilitator be prepared to go around the room testing how “sticky” the EVA is as people will
get bored heating up the EVA

Step 7: Bonding the panel into the neoprene case

At this point, the panel can be bonded into the neoprene carry case. This step usually follows directly on
from the previous step. Use the heat gun on a high setting until the EVA is very hot, then quickly place the
panel face up into one side of the neoprene case, fold the other side of the case over it, and apply
sustained even pressure to it from above. The goal is to allow the hot, semi-liquid EVA to soak into the
foam of the case before it cools. The hot EVA will take a few minutes to completely cool, so pressure will
need to be applied until it has solidified enough to create a firm bond. You may find that the corners of the
panel are still somewhat loose – you can reapply heat to the corners of the panel and bind them to the
case separately, or use a hot glue gun to reinforce the corners.

● It takes quite a bit of patience to get an effective bond, the more time spent getting the EVA hot
and then waiting for it to cool, the better. If the bond doesn't take first time, you can re-heat the
EVA and try again.
● Make sure that you have everything laid out with enough room to lay the panel into the laptop
case quickly, before it starts to cool down.
● It's best to arrange the panel with the terminal wires at the hinge of the case.

Step 8: Attach USB DC-DC voltage converter

Use a 3A terminal block on each wire coming from the panel to connect to a USB DC-DC voltage
converter, which steps the 12V output of the panel down to 5V for charging USB devices.

● Check that the red wire of the DC converter is connected to the positive terminal from the battery,
and the black wire to the negative.
● Test the output of the panel by connecting a USB device to ensure that it charges.

Learning points
By the end of this stage participants should have an understanding of:
● How orientation and positioning can affect the output of a PV panel
● What the terms​ series circuit, voltage, current and power ​mean
● What​ galvanic corrosion ​means and how to minimise it

17
Summing up

It is important to ensure there is enough time at the end of the workshop to get together and check out
how everyone has got on.
● Has anyone missed out on a part of the process and needs to be filled in about what they have
missed? You could get some participants who did that part to describe what they did – this will
help them remember what it was all about.
● Are there things that people still do not understand? Getting participants to explain is often
helpful.
● Has anyone got any final burning questions? – see Appendix 5 for FAQs on solar PV

If any participants want to know how to obtain the materials and how much they cost, either to make
more panels for themselves or to run their own workshops, ask them to email ​info@dee.org.uk​ with any
requests.

It is helpful to point out that bigger DIY PV projects would need to be set up in a system with a controller,
battery etc and that they can use the information on the website to see how to do this and/or attend a DEE
off grid workshop.

Feedback

Hand out feedback forms for people to complete ​before leaving​. It is essential to get feedback from
participants about how the workshop went for them. It will help you get better at running workshops. A
standard DEE feedback questionnaire is shown in Appendix 7. This feedback data is consolidated and
used to improve our workshops and can be useful when applying for funding.

It can also be useful to get the participants together at the end of the day and ask them each to give some
quick verbal feedback about the day (good and bad). ​It is particularly important to have verbal forms of
feedback where a group might include individuals with poor levels of literacy. ​See verbal feedback
suggestions in Appendix 2.

Take a group photo of participants with their completed panels!

Hand out flyers. Pack all tools and unused materials away at the end of the workshop, and be sure to leave
the space at least as tidy as when you arrived.

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Appendix 1: About Demand Energy Equality

Providing some context to Demand Energy Equality, its aims and its wider work

Demand Energy Equality started (officially) in Bristol in summer 2012. Before that, the founding director,
Dan had been running DIY solar workshops in Bristol for a year or so. The first major project DEE
completed was the building of the ​Solar Tree​ with the participation of 70 Bristolians, ranging from
individuals to community organisations.

The aims of Demand Energy Equality are, simply, to:

Increase energy literacy

Reduce energy demand
Work with others to ensure equality of energy access

What could ‘energy literate’ mean? Well - clearly, there’s too much out there for any one person to know.
But what we ​can​ do is attempt to achieve a basic level of understanding in workshop participants relating
to the headlines of our energy predicament, coupled with a grasp of some of the main tensions that exist
between, for example, climate change, energy security and fuel poverty/energy inequality, and an idea of
what solutions might look like.

These aims do not just apply to public workshops where individuals pay to learn how to build DIY solar, or
get an introduction to off-grid systems. We also run workshops with community groups, campaign groups
and (soon, we hope!) in schools - amongst others. Each time we’re engaging a different audience who have
differing relationships to energy and energy use.

Another example of our work is the partnership with the Bristol Drugs Project with whom we run regular
DIY solar workshops, contributing to both the ​Energy Tree​ installation in central Bristol, and to smaller
installs on community projects around Bristol. The Bristol Drugs Project also participated in the first Solar
Tree project.

The Energy Tree is itself an educational tool for the wider public, people who will never set foot in a
workshop, and will hopefully become a permanent exhibit at At-Bristol, providing a focal point for their
energy-related programmes.

Demand Energy Equality has also recently started writing reports, using research done by one of the
directors (Dan) into the implications of balancing future electricity systems with a highly renewable
generation capacity, and increasing amounts of heat and transport demand moved onto electricity (i.e.
away from gas boilers and petrol engines). This work currently operates at a totally different level to the
practical workshops, but we want to find ways to marry this technical work with public and group
workshops in the future.

Throughout the work we do, we want to convey the ​importance of reducing energy demand to enable
renewable energy systems in the future​, and the necessity to establish ​fairer and more just approaches to
providing energy, that do not leave people in fuel poverty. ​One of the original motivations for establishing
DEE’s solar workshops was the financially regressive impact of the Feed-In Tariff (the existing subsidy
regime for solar PV installations), basically a ‘reverse Robin Hood’ tax which funded subsidies for
wealthier consumers with the capital to invest in solar installations with bill levies. Those who couldn’t
afford the upfront cost of the panels were not able to access the subsidy, and thus transferred wealth
‘upwards’.

We aim to work, as much as possible, with lower-income groups, and revenue from our public workshops
helps us to develop opportunities to do so.

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A Theory of Change – the Demand Energy Equality Philosophy

Demand Energy Equality believes that in order to achieve a fair energy system people need to be better
educated about energy: what it is, where it comes from, how it relates to their needs and desires, who
controls it, where the money is made, what ecological constraints we face, where energy might come from
in the future. And what they can do about it.

We do not believe that those on the lowest incomes will be adequately assisted or protected by future
energy policy in the UK. At worst, we believe they will continue to be exploited and dis-empowered.
Our theory of change is one of empowerment:

1. First, we aim to inform and educate people about energy, giving them the confidence and
expertise to understand it as more than an abstract concept. Through this knowledge we begin to
enable people to take action to reduce the negative impact accessing energy has on their
autonomy and vulnerability, primarily through reducing their demand where possible.

2. Second, we aim to inspire people to take an interest in the contexts in which they access their
energy, and in which energy inequality exists. These contexts include energy inequality & poverty,
climate change and peak fossil fuels: each will inform the primary necessity of energy demand
reduction to deal with the oncoming energy crisis.

3. Third, we aim to engage people in grassroots solutions and actions aimed at bringing control of
energy generation, distribution and use closer to the households and communities that use that
energy. This will range from DIY & open-source hardware, domestic energy saving measures or
local or national campaigns informed by a greater understanding of energy politics.

4. Fourth, we aim to facilitate and support a skill & knowledge share model to enable individuals and
groups to establish the confidence to own and pass on learned knowledge and skills, and to be
better placed to organise and empower themselves.

5. Fifth, we aim to constantly develop and support this movement through continued open-source
resource development, open-source source hardware and technology innovation, research into
energy policy and infrastructure change and appropriate solutions-based critiques of current
trends that disrupt dominant discourses.

Through each of these five steps we hope to build a capable, inspired, self-sufficient movement of
engaged individuals and households ready to meet the oncoming energy crisis as best as possible: more
informed, better skilled and therefore more empowered than before.

20
Appendix 2: Games and Group Activities
Introductory Games

The purpose of an introductory game is to familiarise participants with each other and the facilitators and
to link this to a bit of information about each person (which helps people remember names). Using a
game at the start of the workshop also helps set the tone – everyone is important and can contribute – this
is going to be fun and interesting.

Simple go round
Each person (including the facilitators) takes a turn to say their name and to say something that has
happened to them in the last day or week. So you might ask everyone to describe: ​“The most exciting
thing that happened to them in the last week”​ or ​“What they had for breakfast”​. It is also useful to know:
“How they heard about the workshops.”

Take care when choosing what you ask of participants. For example with groups from particular
backgrounds where it might be inappropriate to ask for anything that ‘exposes’ their personal
circumstances.

Throwing a ball (or a beanbag, or a hat)

Get participants to throw a ball to someone else in the group, the catcher of the ball has to introduce
themselves to the group (as above). After everyone has had a turn, people continue to throw the ball but
now the thrower has to say the name of the catcher (or to ask for the name of the catcher).

Go round with key information

Sometimes you don’t know much about the group and it can be useful to get a bit more real information
about their level of expertise. So for instance you might ask participants to give their name and ​“How they
want to use what they learn today.”​ This i​ndirectly​ will give you some idea of expertise. A direct question
about what they know can make some people feel inadequate and lower their confidence.

The shoe game

This is a quick icebreaker activity. All players stand in a tight circle. Look down and pick another player's
shoes. On a count of 3, everyone looks up at the person whose shoes they picked. If the person is looking
back at them, give a loud shout and jump back out of the circle. Repeat for anyone left in the circle until
there is only 1 (or 2) players left.

Games to demonstrate basic principles

The black standard text describes the physical actions for the participants. ​The blue italic text sets out the
explanatory words used by the facilitator.

Resistance game: current, voltage, power

Most participants form a loose group representing copper atoms in a wire. A participant in partnership
with the facilitator represent the electrical current, they each carry a tray or handful of tennis balls
representing several volts.

So me and my partner represent the current - as we are two units passing a point in a second we represent
a current of two amps and we each have the same number of tennis balls so we each have a voltage of x.

21
They link arms and move at a steady pace through the group of copper atoms pushing through them
trying to maintain their speed (but as they do so they will probably drop some balls).

We are having some problems moving through you lot representing the copper atoms. We are dropping
some of our balls – so we are losing a bit of our voltage.

So let’s try this again. I am going to give my balls to my partner so we now have a current and voltage of?
Hopefully get answer of 1 amp at 2x volts. ​Previously we had 2 amps at 1x volts. Let’s see what happens.

Now one participant carrying all the balls moves between the copper atoms. It is easy and fewer balls are
dropped.

So a lower current at a higher voltage moves more easily through the wire with little drop in the voltage.
Resistive losses and voltage drops are major problem in low voltage circuits. The National Grid operates
at very high voltage for this reason.

Power is current times voltage.​ ​(write up on white board) ​We measure power in Watts. In both of our
examples we have a power of?​ Hopefully get the answer of 2x watts.

Water Flow game: current, voltage, power

This is an alternative to the Resistance Game – it would be confusing to do both games.

Electricity is a flow of negatively charged particles called electrons. If we think of this flow as analogous
to a flow of water then the quantity of water passing one point in a second would be the ‘current’
(measured in Amperes or Amps). Water flowing through a pipe is like electrons passing along a copper
wire.

Lay out two lines of chairs with a narrow gap between (just wide enough for one person to pass between) –
this represents a pipe or a wire. Ask participants to represent the electrons- they might jump about as
they are excited. They then walk between the chairs (and around in a circle back to where they started
and so on) – the number of people passing a particular point in a second represents the ‘current’.

Why does water flow?​ (because it is falling or because it being pumped) ​This is equivalent to voltage – a
voltage difference is what ‘pushes’ the electrons along a wire – you could think of voltage as electrical
pressure. Increasing the voltage makes the current flow ‘faster’. In our analogy if we increased the
‘pressure’ on the electrons they might flow faster.

Ask one or two participants (representing voltage) to push the others to make them move faster between
the chairs – they may bump into each other or crash into the chairs.

So the size of the pipe (or wire) may restrict the flow of water (or electrons) – this is resistance and might
generate heat – but you are moving faster representing a higher current. So how might we reduce the
resistance?​ ​ (move the chairs further apart or make the wire/pipe bigger)

So how can we use this current?

The facilitator stands at the far end of the rows of chairs with their arms stuck out. The participants are
asked to move between the chairs and as they push through the facilitator’s arms – the facilitator rotates
(like a water wheel).

So now the flow of electrons is doing some work (rotating a wheel) – the amount of effort or power that is
required to make me turn is measured in Watts.

22
If we want to charge a battery we need our flow of electrons at a higher ‘pressure’ – a higher voltage than
the battery – to push the electrons into the battery.

Summing up:
We have a flow of electrons – CURRENT – measured in Amps
We have electrical pressure – VOLTAGE – measured in Volts
And we have potential to do work – POWER – measured in Watts
The relationship between the three is: ​Amps x Volts = Watts

There are many additional resources on the internet such as this short film about voltage and resistance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYS9kdS56l8

Generation and Demand game

This is a game to demonstrate what PV panels could be used to power and to start to understand energy
demand.

Give each participant a piece of paper. Half the participants are told they are going to be PV panels like
the ones we are going to build. Ask them to write on their piece of paper what their maximum power
output is going to be in Watts (12W).

The other participants are going to be electrical appliances (you might choose those that are in the room)
but it is useful to include at least some of the following:
mobile phone charger – 5W laptop computer – 40W
a CFL bulb – 11W kettle – 2500W
an LED light – 3W

You could just write up the list of appliances on the white board with the power requirement. However
time allowing, it can be a useful learning experience to ask the participants to look at the labels on the
appliances to find out what wattage they require. In some instances they will need to do the sum amps x
volts to get power requirement. Ask these participants to write down their appliance and power
requirement on their piece of paper.

Each appliance takes a turn to see how many panels it needs to meet its power requirement (the kettle
clearly has a problem). Discuss the type of appliance and their power requirement.

Now introduce the idea of storing the electricity in a battery. Ask each ‘PV panel’ to think about how many
hours they might be generating at full power on a summer’s day and others to think about a winter’s day.
They need to do the sum ​hours x watts​ to get watt hours. This is what they can put into a battery in a day.

The ‘appliances ‘need to work out how many hours they will be used in an ordinary day and do the sum
hours x watts ​to get watt hours. This is what they need to take out of a battery in a day.

Each appliance takes a turn to see how many panels it needs to meet its energy demand (the kettle clearly
still has a problem). Appliances might want to get together to see if a combination of them can have their
energy demand met. Discuss the type of appliance and their energy requirement.

Highlight that power (kilowatts) x time (hours) gives energy (kilowatt hours). This is an opportunity to
make the point that minimising demand is much easier that generating energy. Depending on the group
you may also be able to get into a discussion about when you need the energy and when you can generate
it.

23
Energy Quiz

As part of the solar tree project, DEE created an energy quiz with simple multiple choice questions
covering various energy-related topics, as a way of broadening people’s thinking on current and future
energy policy.

During a break in the workshop, e.g. while everyone is having lunch, try asking participants questions from
the quiz. Get each person to pick a question to ask, and let everyone else pick which of the three answers
is correct. This should prompt some discussion of the issue.

Verbal feedback

This has the disadvantage of being in front of everyone but is useful in that it provides instant feedback
and might be easier for anyone with literacy problems.

Simple go round with positive and negatives

Sit in a circle – the facilitator emphasises the importance of getting both positive ​and​ negative feedback
(it is only by hearing the bad points that the facilitator can improve the workshops). Each person then
takes a turn to say one good and one bad thing about the day.

In pairs then go round

This takes a little longer but is more likely to bring out negative points. Participants are paired up and tell
each other their negative and positive points. Then everyone tells the whole group their partner’s good
and bad points about the day.

It is very important that the facilitator is listening and accepting of criticism e.g. by saying: ‘​that’s a good
point’​. The facilitator might also respond to the whole group (after everyone has had their say) by listing
points they have heard and that they will address.

24
Appendix 3: Scientific Concepts

Establishing a solid understanding of the scientific concepts required for the day

It is crucial that people start the day feeling confident with the basic scientific concepts the practical DIY
solar building rests on.

It is ​not ​essential that everybody reaches the ​same level​ of understanding, and nor it is essential that
everyone is an expert in photovoltaics. What ​is​ essential is that people do have a working understanding
of the following:

● the differences and relationships between ​energy ​and ​power

● the concepts of​ voltage​,​ electrical current​ and ​power (P = IV)
● the difference between ​series ​and ​parallel circuits​, and their different characteristics
● the specific ​practical requirements of our design​, and the reasons for them (18V etc.)
● the basic operation of a​ solar cell ​and its characteristics

Below is a suggested narrative for introducing each of the concepts. Each section starts with a question
that you can choose to either ask, or use rhetorically:

Why are we building a panel today?

● In order to ​generate electrical power​. But what is electrical power? (Usually good to let people
offer some ideas here)
● First make clear the ​relationship between energy & power​. This involves explaining that energy is
the ‘work’ and that by generating it we are enabled to do more things (create light, play music,
operate machinery etc.)
● Power is then​ the measure of work done per unit of time​ (in the same way that speed is a measure
of distance travelled per unit of time). i.e. the more powerful a process, the more work is being
done (and thus energy expended) for a given amount of time.
● To calculate the power of an electrical system​ we need to understand the concepts of voltage and
electrical current.
● Analogies are helpful here​ (water flows, or crews of workers etc.), as well as LINKS. If you’re unsure
about these concepts, or analogies to use, just give us a shout.
● Introduce the relationship ​P (power, measured in ‘Watts’) = I (current, measured in ‘Amps’) x V
(voltage, measured in ‘Volts’)​. Use the whiteboard as much as possible to accommodate different
learning styles.
● Check everyone understands​ the concepts introduced and in particular how to calculate electrical
power.

How are we going to use that power?

● We could just plug appliances directly into our panel - but that means we can ​only use power when
the sun is shining​ (amongst other issues).
● So we’re going to ​use batteries ​instead to store power instead. We’re going to work with​ USB
lithium batteries ​(batteries that will produce electrical power at 5V), a standard voltage for
electrical devices.
● In order to charge a 5V battery ​we need to generate power that is at ​at least 5​V​. A good analogy
here is trying to drop an object onto a surface - you can drop something onto the surface if you do
so from below it! Likewise, if the voltage isn’t high enough you can’t fill the battery with charge.
● But instead of building a system at 5.5V or 6V ​we will build a panel with an 12V ​maximum ​output
and use a DC converter to step the panel voltage down to 5V. Why?
● Because it means that the panel will reach the minimum voltage and current required to charge
our battery for a much wider range of sun intensities (e.g. low sun angles, cloudy days, etc). The
longer we can charge for, the more energy we can use.
25
 ● We can also use the 12V output to directly power 12V appliances if we want.
● Check people are happy​ with the ideas introduced in this section before moving on

This is a lot more relevant when installing fixed solar panels charging lead acid batteries, and not so
relevant to portable USB chargers, so it's best not to dwell on this too much. If anyone's interested in
understanding more about larger solar and battery systems, encourage them to go to an Intro to Off Grid
workshop, or have a discussion over lunch.

How do we create an 12V maximum output?

● Now ​introduce the cells themselves​. Pass round fragments of broken cells to people and allow
people to manipulate and break them in order to familiarise themselves with the material.
● Explain than ​each cell is rated at 0.5V​, and that this depends on the ​thickness ​of the cell. The
electrical ​current output of each cell depends on its surface area,​ and therefore its size.
● It is important for people to understand that ​no matter ​how small​ ​a cell is, its voltage will not
change - it is the varying ​current ​that affects the power each cell can produce (P=IV).
● Explain that to reach 12V we need to combine the voltages of individual cells. To do this we need
to ​combine the cells in ​series.​ ​The difference between ​series​ and ​parallel circuits​ must be
explained here: how to create them, and what the outcomes are.
● As part of this, the ​positive​ and ​negative sides of the cell​ must be identified; which provides the
opportunity to give a ​simple explanation of how solar cells function​ (there is a full explanation of
this on the Google Drive​ here​ - otherwise get in touch with us if you want more clarification).
● Use visual aids, ideally actual pre-soldered or loose cells alongside whiteboard diagrams, to ​ensure
people are totally clear about what is necessary to build a series circuit using solar cells​. This is
obviously key to being able to build a panel!
● Participants should be clear that in a series circuit ​using ​different sizes cells ​is not a good idea​ -
because the ‘averaging’ effect will mean smaller cells limit the output of the larger cells.
● Now - check if people are still with you by asking people to work out the ​theoretical peak power
output​ ​of the panel ​you’ll be building - ​12W​!

After these topics have been explained provide one more opportunity for people to flag difficulties. Be
explicit about welcoming questions and queries at this point; for a participant feeling like you’ve been left
behind near the beginning of the session is not a good start!

Finally, use the ‘copper atoms game’ described in Appendix 1 to bring the relationship of ​current​, ​voltage
and ​power​ together once more.

26
Appendix 4: Tools and Materials

A full list of tools needed for a workshop with 10 participants (including spares):

12 x Antex 80W soldering irons with flat tips £15-20 each

12 x soldering stands including sponges £8-10 each
12 x refillable watercolour brush pens (for flux) £4-6 each
12 x large household scissors £3-5 each
12 x small wire cutters £3-5 each
8x 4mm flat head electrical screwdrivers £3-5 each
8x 2000w dual temperature heat guns £14-18 each
6 pairs heat resistant gloves £4-5 each
2x multimeters £10-20 each
2x stanley knives £4-6 each
1x grow lamp (unless doing an outdoor workshop) £25-50
12 x small nose pliers (optional) £3-5 each

A full list of materials needed to make 1 solar charger:

● 330mm x 264mm x 5mm UV resistant polycarbonate

● 340mm x 275mm Solar EVA Film (x2)
● 40-50g pre-cut 1/8th size PV cells (approx 78mm x 39mm)
● pre-cut lengths of 2mm tabbing wire (approx 80mm, 100mm for cross-tabbing)
● a folding neoprene carry case suitable for a 15.6" laptop
● two 3 Amp terminal blocks
● two short lengths of flex wire
● a 12v-5v DC voltage converter with a USB output

Sourcing materials (and possible alternatives)

Solar cells

The reclaimed 15.5cm square cells that DEE has in stock are cut down into regular size pieces prior to the
workshop. This removes damaged sections of the cells and makes it easier to construct a panel of modest
size with a sufficient charging voltage.

DEE can supply cells already cut to these sizes, but you can cut your own using a Dremel tool with a
cutting wheel built into a jig to make a mini-table saw. The cutting process creates a lot of dust, debris and
noise, so goggles, ear protectors, and a dust mask are essential, as well as gloves to protect against cuts.
Contact us if you'd like more details on how to do this.

DEE has 1kW boxes of undamaged full size Grade A cells for sale, as well as cells cut to the sizes used in
our workshops (either quarters or eighths). Contact us at ​info@dee.org.uk​ with any requests.

You can also find cells of various sizes and specifications being sold on eBay, which can be useful for
smaller projects.

Polycarbonate

DEE uses 330mm x 264mm sheets of 5mm thick polycarbonate as the protective front of the solar panel.
Polycarbonate is a tough, transparent plastic, that can be made UV resistant, meaning it can be left
outside in sunlight for years without degrading.
The polycarbonate sheets used in our DIY solar workshops are cut to size from large 1650mm x 1650mm
sheets.

27
To cut polycarbonate, it's best to use a table saw, but a powerful jig saw or angle grinder with an
appropriate blade or cutting disk will also do the job. As for any type of cutting work, goggles and gloves
are essential.

If you don't need to order in bulk, or if you don't have the time or inclination to cut up large sheets, you can
order polycarbonate of various thicknesses cut to size from a website such as
https://www.cutplasticsheeting.co.uk/​.

When ordering polycarbonate, ensure that it's UV resistant. Other types of clear plastic such as acrylic or
polystyrene are not UV resistant, meaning they will discolour if left in sunlight for too long, so are
unsuitable for use in solar panels.

Glass can be used, but cutting it to the size for this design is difficult, and the EVA doesn't bind as firmly.
For alternative designs for larger panels using reclaimed glass windows, see previous versions of DEE
workshop guides.

EVA

Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) is used to encapsulate the cells to make them weatherproof and to bind the
cells to the polycarbonate sheet and into the neoprene case. It's used for the same purpose in
commercially made panels. EVA comes in rolls as a translucent film, but when heated it becomes clear
and transparent.

DEE uses EVA sheets cut from 1m wide rolls, that we can cut to whatever size is needed for our panels.

It's not the sort of thing that is commonly available to buy, but it is possible to find smaller quantities of
solar EVA film on eBay, e.g. from seller ​wdf061301​.

You can also use Qsil to encapsulate solar cells, but it wouldn't be suitable for this design. For alternative
designs for larger panels using Qsil as an encapsulant, see previous versions of DEE workshop guides.

Tabbing wire

Tabbing wire is thin, flat conductive wire that is coated in a layer of solder.

DEE has several long reels of 2mm tabbing wire that we use for our workshops, and we can supply it in
various lengths.

Tabbing wire can be ordered on eBay and several other websites in large and small quantities.

Flux pens

Flux is used to clean the surface of the metallic contacts of solar cells and to help the molten solder flow
into the microscopic crevices of the material being soldered onto to create a strong bond.

DEE uses liquid flux, applied with refillable watercolour brush pens.

DC converters

The DC voltage converter is used to step down the incoming voltage from the solar panel to a stable 5v
voltage for a USB output.

The DC converters DEE use are enclosed buck converters that are reasonably cheap, efficient, sturdy and
waterproof, but there are plenty of other options available that do a similar job. E.g. you could wire in a
cigarette lighter socket and use a plug-in USB charger... this would allow you to use the solar panel to

28
supply power to other 12V devices that use a cigarette lighter plug. You could also use an LM7805 voltage
regulator, but it would need a decent heat sink to be used with a 12V supply for any length of time.

These are all readily available from eBay and other online shops.

USB Battery packs

DEE recommends using a USB battery pack with a solar charger make best use of it. Having a battery pack
gives you the option to store energy that you can use to recharge your devices at night, instead of only
using the solar power to charge devices directly when the sun is out.

In good sunlight, a 12W solar charger should be able to charge up a mobile phone or a 2000mAh battery
pack in 2 hours. Bigger USB battery packs are available if you are looking for more storage.

29
Appendix 5: Further Issues for Discussion

There are times during the workshop when participants are busy soldering but still can participate in
discussion – here are few issues you might want to discuss.

Access to energy technologies

Since 2008, the installation of PV systems on peoples’ homes has been supported through what is called a
‘Feed in Tariff’ or FIT. The FIT pays people for every kWh of electricity they generate from their PV panel
whether they use it in their home or export it to the grid. They get an additional payment for each kWh
they export to the grid. Though the FIT has been significantly reduced in recent years, it initially made PV
panels an attractive investment for those who could afford to install them (typical costs for system being
£8-12,000) and so was only accessible to the relatively rich. Early adopters were getting as much as an 8%
return on their investment because of FITs. The money to pay the FIT comes from all electricity
consumers regardless of their income or whether they might actually benefit from FITs. So this is
effectively a tax on everyone, including the poor, that only benefits the relatively rich (see the graph
below). Is this fair?

Diffusion of FIT supported installations by wealth of household

Source: Leicester, Goodier and Rowley 2011

One way poorer people have gained access to the technologies supported by the FIT is through
community energy projects which have used this support mechanism to develop larger scale projects
which benefit many more people in a community (e.g. ​Bristol Energy Coop​, ​Brixton Energy​, ​South East
London Community Energy​).

Fuel poverty

This is a major problem in the UK, with official figures recording ​more than 1 in 10 households now in fuel
poverty​. This means they have to spend more than 10% of their annual income on energy bills. ​Thousands
of people die from fuel poverty every winte​r.

Fuel poverty is the product of many factors, including the poor quality of the UK’s housing stock - some of
the oldest in Western Europe. However, it is ultimately a result of wider poverty and inequality in UK
society - worsened by the increases in energy prices that have been witnessed in recent years.

Privatised utilities have an obligation to their shareholders to maximise profits, which does not provide an
incentive to deal with fuel poverty - this is one, though not the only, structural problem that prevents us
eradicating this disgrace. More broadly, we think that people need to be more empowered with respect to

30
energy, in order to be able to demand their rights and participate in creating more democratic and socially
beneficial energy systems. This is what we mean when we talk about ‘equality of energy access’: not that
everyone must use exactly the same amount of energy, but that access to energy to meet basic needs is a
right, and the structures that deliver energy are democratically controlled.

Our workshops and other work provide one starting point for engaging in these ideas.

Good organisations to put people in touch with who want to get involved in action to tackle fuel poverty
and poor housing are the ​Fuel Poverty Action​ and the ​Radical Housing Network​.

Links
• www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/228m-british-households-now-living-in-fuel-poverty-9532501.
html
• www.theguardian.com/big-energy-debate/2014/sep/11/fuel-poverty-scandal-winter-deaths

Climate change & energy transition

Climate change is, probably, the defining issue of our time - and it’s one that is going to have very
damaging consequences for global society, particularly for people living in the global south (in countries
which have contributed the least historically to cumulative carbon emissions).

Whether climate change ​is merely damaging, as opposed to truly catastrophic​, is the choice we are now
faced with. Preventing the worst possible outcomes means, amongst many other things, enabling the
quickest possible transition to low-carbon economies. This is turn means reducing our energy demand (in
the wealthy northern countries) while deploying low carbon technology on both the supply and demand
side of energy systems.

This transition is now, arguably, beginning to occur as the age of cheap, accessible and abundant fossil
fuel resources starts drawing to a close, and regulatory regimes begin to (belatedly) tighten around
conventional fossil fuel industries - driving costs up further. Simultaneously, renewables are plummeting in
price - changing the economics of energy investment in fascinating ways. All of this is making lots of
people pretty optimistic at the moment, such as James Murray in this ​BusinessGreen blog​.

However - this is not the whole story, and we are not in the business of pulling the wool over people’s eyes.
There are, most likely, several unavoidable aspects of attempting to ​replace ​fossil fuels as a foundational
pillar of the global economy that will have extremely important effects on global society. Put simply;
technology does not currently offer the opportunity for a straight-swap between fossil fuel energy inputs
and renewables to enable us to carry on as normal. This is turn has profound consequences. For more, ​we
highly recommend ​reading ​this comprehensive assessment​ of the future of energy from Richard Heinberg
of the Post Carbon Institute.

Our work is very clearly related to this urgent need for transition. To enable newly deployed technologies
to have a chance of meeting our ‘essential’ needs we must change habits and attitudes towards energy use
- and ensure that energy is used more equitably between different sections of society.

The workshops we run are part of exploring what some of the alternatives to conventional power
production are - but also the realities of adapting our energy demand so they can form the basis of our
future systems.

Good links for people wanting to know more, and campaign for measures to address, climate change are
10:10​, ​350.org​, ​Reclaim the Power​ ​and the ​Post Carbon Institute​.

Links
• www.ft.com/cms/s/0/26d0edc6-628e-11e4-9838-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3TcaDSwfz

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• http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/blog-post/2397219/from-cfds-to-energy-union-an-energy-revolutio
n-is-underway
• www.postcarbon.org/our-renewable-future-essay/

Cutting demand - or renewable energy generation or nuclear power?

There is fierce debate whether renewable energy or nuclear power or fracking etc. etc. is the best way to
cut carbon emissions. There is very little discussion about whether ​reducing demand​ might be a cheaper
and more effective compared with any generation option. Here is just one example to show the
effectiveness of cutting demand.

Explanation of the design of PV panels to charge 12V batteries – series circuit and voltage

The amount of current measured in amps generated by a solar cell is a product of light falling on it and
the area of its surface. The bigger the area of the cell exposed to bright sunshine – the bigger the current it
will generate. A complete cell will generate a current of about 8 amps in bright sunshine. The voltage of
the cell is relatively constant at around 0.5 volts in bright sunshine – if this cell is broken in half each
fragment will generate half as much current but still at 0.5 volts. If broken again the amps will be reduced
further but the volts still remain at 0.5v for each fragment.

So we are going to work with cells that generate about 1 amp in bright sunshine. If these are connected
together in a chain positive to negative – ​in series​ ​– the maximum amount of current will remain the same
(1 amp) but the voltage will add up. To charge a 12 volt battery a solar panel with an open circuit voltage
of around 18 volts is required, i.e. 36 cells connected together. These would be arranged in rows
connecting positive (back of cell) to negative (front of cell) in a chain –​ a series circuit​. ​We end up with a
panel that generates a maximum of 1 amp at 18 volts, with a maximum power output of 18 watts.

Though voltage is fairly constant in a PV cell – it does diminish in low sunlight so having the design voltage
of panels at 18v means that the panel’s actual voltage will exceed the point where it can charge a 12v
battery for more time than say a 14v panel (see the graph below).

Voltage of PV panels compared to battery voltage on a sunny day

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Frequently Asked Questions about Photovoltaic Cells

How do Solar PV Cells work?

Photovoltaic (PV) cells convert solar radiation from the sun into electricity. A typical PV cell consists of a
wafer of semi-conducting material, usually silicon, manufactured with two electrically different layers.
When sunlight hits the cell it excites the electrons within the silicon, creating an electric field across the
layers and causing a flow of electricity.

For ​a more detailed technical account of how a PV cell works see Dan Quiggin’s UCL lecture within the
Google drive folder you downloaded this guide from (​here​). See pages 34-46.

What are PV cells made of?

Most mass produced PV cells are made of very thin wafers of very pure silicon crystals. Silica is a very
abundant material found in sand and quartz. To make a cell two different types of silicon need to be
created, so the silicon is ‘doped’ with very tiny quantities of other substances typically either phosphorus
or boron. Higher efficiency PV cells are made of crystals of other substances, such as gallium arsenide.
Neither gallium nor arsenic are abundant materials and arsenic is very toxic.

Are there different types of PV cells?

Most mass produced rigid PV cells are either Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline cells – see below. There
are also developments where cells are produced in a ‘thin film’ which can reduce cost but usually at the
expense of lower efficiency. Innovations that use silicon spheres are enabling the production of flexible
PV arrays in the form of fabric.

The so called third generation PV is based on nanotechnology – engineering at a molecular and atomic
level. This could lead to PV cells made, for example, from extremely thin stacked plastic sheets, converting
solar energy to electricity with very high efficiency and very low cost.

What is the difference between Monocrystalline cells and Polycrystalline cells?

Monocrystalline cells are made from a single large crystal of silicon - they seen as more efficient and
slightly better in low light conditions but they can be more expensive. Polycrystalline cells are made from
cast blocks of silicon that contain many small crystals and are slightly less efficient than Monocrystalline

33
cells. In practice, for a typical residential property, there is little difference in the performance of these
different products.

What are the relative carbon emissions of PV cells compared with other electricity generating
technologies?

A literature review was conducted for the ​Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change​ and published in
2011. It looked at the CO​2​ emissions per ​unit of electricity​ generated by different generation technologies.
It found that the CO​2​ emission values, averaged over all the life cycle emissions studies in the review were
as follows.

Technology Description Grams of CO2 /kWh

electricity
Wind Onshore 12
Nuclear Various ​generation II reactor​ types 16
Solar PV Polycrystalline silicon 46
Natural Gas Various combined cycle turbines without 469
scrubbing
Coal Various generator types without scrubbing 1001
The average carbon intensity of the UK National Grid is around 300-500gCO2/kWh, depending on the mix
of generations sources that are being used to meet demand at any moment.

What are the environmental impacts of manufacturing PV cells?

Current mass production of silicon PV cells is very energy intensive as the manufacturing process involves
heating silicon to very high temperatures. Sawing silicon wafers creates a significant amount of waste
silicon dust. This process may generate silicon particulate matter that will pose inhalation problems for
production workers and those who clean and maintain equipment. Despite the use of respiratory masks,
workers remain overexposed to silicon dust. The gas sulphur hexafluoride is used to clean the reactors
used in silicon production. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change considers sulphur
hexafluoride to be the most potent greenhouse gas per molecule; one ton of sulphur hexafluoride has a
greenhouse effect equivalent to that of 25,000 tons of CO2.
(source: ​http://www.solarindustrymag.com/issues/SI1309/FEAT_05_Hazardous_Materials_Used_In_Silicon_PV_Cell_Production_A_Primer.html​)

What are the relative costs of generating electricity with PV cells compared to other technologies?

UK Levelised Cost Estimates for different generation technologies 2019

Technology Cost range pence/kWh
New Nuclear 8-9.5
Onshore Wind 8-12.5
Offshore Wind 9.5-13.5
Gas - CCGT 6.5-10.5
Gas - OCGT 14.5-23.5
Natural Gas with carbon capture 6.5-13*
Coal with carbon capture 8-18*
PV – solar farm 11.5-13
Source: DECC Electricity Generation Costs 2013
* We would question whether carbon capture can be effectively costed as it still has not been successfully developed

This comparison is for large scale use of PV in a solar farm – costs for small residential installations of PV
could be higher still.

What impact do batteries have on the environmental impacts of off-grid PV systems?

All the panels we produce in the workshops will be used in off-grid PV systems including batteries. The
manufacture of lead acid batteries is very carbon intensive resulting in about 180 grams of CO2 emissions

34
/kWh over their lifetime. So it is much better for the environment to obtain second hand batteries, since
there are plenty that are almost as ‘good as new’ as they have been maintained as backup power.

How much cheaper is a PV panel produced with recycled materials by Demand Energy Equality compared
to a commercial panel?

PV panels are usually compared by the peak power they generate in bright sunshine in peak Watts. So you
can compare the cost of generating a peak Watt. The price of commercial panels has fallen considerably
in recent years with cheap panels being manufactured primarily in China. You can now buy commercial
panels in the UK for under £1 per peak Watt. We estimate that the current PV panels being made in
Demand Energy Equality workshops cost 70p per peak Watt but we must remember that participants give
their labour for free. However this cost is more affordable to more people than similar commercially
manufactured products.

35
Appendix 6: Risk Assessment

Demand Energy Equality

Activity Risk Assessment
This form is a risk assessment for a specific task at non-specific sites and therefore
should be used in conjunction with the relevant site assessments, site guidelines and
task guidelines.

Activity: Building a solar USB charger Date:

and teaching others in a workshop Site:
format
Group:
Assessed by:

Date of completion:

Potential Risk What precautions can we take? Weather H&S

Hazards leve considerations? talk?
l
Site n.a.
See Site Risk
Assessment.
Use of electrical 6 240V AC warnings will be given along with careful All electrical Yes
equipment guidance as to use of equipment by workshop equipment to
leader. be kept dry in
All equipment will be switched off and unplugged the event of
when not in use. rain.
Burns from 9 Leader will be responsible for supervising at all n.a. Yes
soldering times. Non-participants will be asked to keep a
equipment safe distance away.
Have water on hand to immediately deal with any
burns. Have first aid kit nearby. Heat resistant
gloves available if desired.
Chance of small 3 Low voltage and amps therefore electric shock n.a. Yes
electric shock only startle – workshop leader will brief
participants
Burns from use 9 Those not confident in the task will not n.a. Yes
of heat guns participate.
Have water on hand to immediately deal with any
burns. Have first aid kit nearby. Heat resistant
gloves available if desired.
Cuts from 5 Demonstration from workshop leader of n.a. Yes
stanley knives appropriate technique, cutting away from own
when removing body and those of participants.
excess
polycarbonate

36
 LIKELIHOOD (L)

5 Inevitable

4 Highly likely

3 Possible

2 Unlikely

1 Remote possibility

SEVERITY (S)

5 Very high – Multiple deaths

4 High – Death, serious injury, permanent disability

3 Moderate – RIDDOR over 3 days

2 Slight – First Aid treatment

1 Nil – Very minor

SEVERITY

1 2 3 4 5

L 1 1 2 3 4 5
I
K 2 2 4 6 8 10
E
L
3 3 6 9 12 15
I
H
O 4 4 8 12 16 20
O
D 5 5 10 15 20 25

RISK RATING ACTION

SCORE

1-4 Broadly Acceptable – No action required

5-9 Moderate – Reduce risks if reasonably practicable

10-15 High Risk – Priority action to be undertaken

16-25 Unacceptable – Action must be taken IMMEDIATELY

37
Appendix 7: Energy Workshop Feedback Form

This form can be completed online at ​dee.org.uk/feedback

Please circle one response where multiple choices are given

1. ​How would you rate the course?

Excellent Very good Good Fair Poor

2. ​Was the information provided in advance of the workshop sufficient and received in
time?

Yes Sufficient but not in time In time but not sufficient Neither

3. ​Did you have all of the materials and tools you needed, when you needed them?

Yes I had what I needed, but not always when I needed it Neither

4. ​For your level of understanding, were our explanations too complicated, too simple, or
about right?

Much too complicated Somewhat too complicated A little too complicated

About right A little too simple Somewhat too simple Much too simple

5. ​Was the workshop too long, too short, or about right?

Much too long Somewhat too long Slightly too long About right

Slightly too short Somewhat too short Much too short

6. ​Was your learning better than what you expected, worse than what you expected, or
about what you expected?

Much better Somewhat better Slightly better About what was expected

Slightly worse Somewhat worse Much worse

Please Turn Over

38
7. ​Do you feel that you understand more about contemporary energy crises, and the need
toreduce energy demand?

Strongly Agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly

disagree

8. ​Is there anything you particularly liked about the workshop? Equally is there anything
we
should change?

9. ​What was the date of the workshop?

(date/month/year)

10. ​What was the location of the workshop?

(city or town, e.g. Bristol/Oxford/etc)

10. ​How/where did you hear about us?

(Please be as specific as possible - it really helps!)

11. Please define your gender and ethnicity (optional, but useful for funding purposes)

39