☀️ Building A Solar Panel Laminator (Remastered)

[@JamesBiggar]

Get the plans for this project here: renewablesystemstechnology.com/solar-panel-laminator.html

[@JamesBiggar]

Check out my latest project: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4m0n6yaiLlsnNk For a lot of folks, ordering a pallet of panels is convenient and relatively cheap. For others it's convenient, but not so cheap. Whether or not it's worth your time to make your own panels will depend on a few factors. Do you have experience working with electricity? How many panels do you need? What's the cost to ship panels from your local supplier or retailer, and what sort of warranty do they offer? Can you source affordable components for making your own panels, and what would be your net gain in savings after both material and labour are accounted for? These are just some of the questions that you'll need to consider. For me personally, it's worth it. Yes, I can buy panels for the same price that anyone with an internet connection will pay - but not everyone is going to pay the same price in shipping. FAR from it. Some folks can pick their panels up right off the shelf, others have to have them shipped thousands of km's. Critics of anyone who dares dabble in small scale manufacturing like this tend to leave that factor out of their equations. I don't. What you pay isn't necessarily what everyone else is going to pay. Manufacturing costs have dropped significantly over the years, but the end cost still very much depends on availability in a given area. Here's a breakdown of my costs to order the materials at wholesale cost and manufacture my own panels vs what I would pay one of the nearest suppliers in my country to have ready made 300W panels shipped almost 2000 km to my home here in NB Canada: grade A 6x6 monocrystalline cells - 10¢/w including shipping from my supplier in Windsor, Ont encapsulating film, backing - 16¢/w (free shipping) from my supplier in China tab/bus wire, flux - 2¢/w from same supplier in China Diodes, M4 connectors, ~" ", sourced at local wind/solar energy equipment retailer solar glass - 15¢/w, sourced locally (contractor discount) aluminum channel - 5¢/w, sourced locally (contractor discount) Total for materials = 50¢/w, bare in mind that this is all in Canadian $ too. 50¢ CAD currently = 38¢ USD It takes me ~1 hr to tab and prep a panel @ $20/hr (a fair wage for this type of no-brainer work I think). The laminator can cook a panel on its own in ~30 minutes @ ~1000 watts per hr = a total 500 watt hrs of energy used per panel. At local grid price of 11¢/kWh that amounts to ~5¢ per panel. So the new total to make my panels almost completely by hand is ~70-75¢/watt CAD (~52¢ USD, if I were to buy the energy to operate the laminator). That's including any shipping associated with foreign components. If I were to automate some of the tabbing process, that price would be comparable if not cheaper than most manufacturer's production cost. Now let's compare with what's available for ready made panels in the retail market to Canadians like myself. Refer to the link below to poly panels from one of our nearest suppliers at ~57¢/w CAD (one of the lowest prices in Canada), then do a shipping calculation from their distribution center to my home province of New Brunswick. 20 panels (6 kW) amounts to around $3400, then freight costs another $5000+. That's $8400 for just 6 kW of poly PV capacity, or $1.40/watt. That means that I'm saving at least 50% of the cost with DIY for the same quality (in fact, better quality given that I priced poly panels above when I'm actually making monocrystalline), which is enormous for a working class guy like myself. That also means that my $300 laminator paid for itself twice with the first kW of pv that it produced (70¢ per watt saved x 1000 w = $700 gross savings). So I'm not just pulling #'s out of my butt. www.solarwholesaler.ca/product/jinko-300w-poly-crystalline-solar-panel Until demand grows here and other manufacturers/suppliers see a benefit to setting up closer to the region, then shipping costs will always be an issue :/ This is why all local dealers/retailers here are charging their customers between $1.50-$2.00/w - not the wholesale costs that they pay their suppliers. A small handful are somehow getting away with charging up to $5/watt - no joke. Search Canadian Tire. But the bottom line is that they still have to pay for freight to get them here, and they still have to make a little $ for themselves at the same time for going through the trouble of handling the order (though a 200-300% markup is pretty ridiculous). Generally being large and fragile products, moving a pallet of panels any sort of distance outside of a manufacturing or storage facility is going to cost. Having a local manufacturer supplying retailers here would lower the end cost significantly because panels wouldn't have to be shipped halfway across the country, and it would force competition to set up shop closer to their dealers in the area and contribute more to the economy, or pull out and make room for a growing local business that actually provides affordable solar for residents. If you liked this video, please let me know by hitting the like button. Don't forget to subscribe because new content is uploaded regularly. This channel is focused on promoting education and innovation in renewable energy technologies. If you're interested then you can help support and become a part of this endeavor by downloading plans for this project, or by becoming a Patreon or KZbin channel member: Get the plans: renewablesystemstechnology.com/solar-panel-laminator Patreon support: bit.ly/SupportOnPatreon KZbin membership: bit.ly/KZbinMemberships Follow RST on Facebook: ​bit.ly/RSTFacebook

[@manickn6819]

I was wondering why but your text explanation here sorted that out for me. I like the build quite neat and professional. I dabbles a little testing solar about a year ago. I did some videos on wiring panels together and than a long kinda boring one on the calculations. Feel free to check my channel videos #054 to #057 especially.

[@alexeyzhabin]

thanks for your video, that was awesome!

[@alexduni8014]

Love your videos, great stuff. Small request, can you provide links for: grade A 6x6 monocrystalline cells - 10¢/w including shipping from my supplier in Windsor, Ont encapsulating film, backing - 16¢/w (free shipping) from my supplier in China tab/bus wire, flux - 2¢/w from same supplier in China ?

[@LeslieIsgrigg]

Really a great project, very nicely done. Keep up the Teaching. I may or not be able to build this but the methods and techniques demonstrated will translate to some of what I do Thanks

[@JamesBiggar]

Thanks Leslie!

[@marcod.9629]

Congratulations!!!! Amazing project! Blew my mind!

[@scottstallings7761]

LOL... WELL SPOKEN AS ALWAYS JAMES.. EXCELLENT BUILD AND CRAFTSMANSHIP AS HAVE ME HOOKED BROTHER.

[@marlonmoraleda1229]

keepin myself in tune from all of your amazing videos

[@madmax5579]

Pocas personas se toman el tiempo de explicar como tu que gran trabajo felicidades

[@mysticaltech]

Meaning you build your own solar panels? Jesus Christs... This is amazing! Thanks for sharing

[@StlouisEman]

you are the smartest man alive!

[@maestrosimon5716]

Exelente proyecto, ud es increíblemente hábil, un ejemplo a seguir de cualquier curioso de DIY, saludos desde Colombia.

[@bernhardtammen4463]

Super Video Dankeschön Was für eine Arbeit

[@masterussell]

Muy bueno, gracias por compartir este proyecto ...

[@JamesBiggar]

Gracias, de nada!

[@offgridsweden]

Really cool man. Have an amazing evening, Andreas 🇸🇪

[@MrDKwest]

Gold hands !!!

[@naumanijaztv765]

Nice work, great man

[@christophhofmeister1806]

Nice work! Have you ever laminated flexible panels with this set up?

[@AlamShamma]

That's ART... Can you please upload the normal speed video,, it's just JOY to watch Keep it up

[@mysticaltech]

You can reduce the speed with youtube controls, the wheel icon in the bottom right of the player

[@metalorn]

Hello @James Biggar! What is the thickness of the flat roofing sheet? is not in the plans, thank you!

[@JamesBiggar]

~23-26 gauge, but ideally as thin as possible.

[@juliedo5354]

Basketball players want to be like MJ....Hockey players want to be like Gretzky...I want to be like Biggar....you are AWESOME dude...i wish i knew even 10% of your knowledge and skills.

[@tomme6x3]

how are you achieving the vacuum with the open top and just the eva? You add glass to the top of the cabinet after the vacuum is made- I feel like I am missing something or the video is out of order

[@JamesBiggar]

The EVA extends beyond the panel glass by a couple of inches and the top of the laminator folds down and clamps the EVA to the sheet metal - this forms the seal for the vacuum. The EVA is simply trimmed off later as shown. The glass put on top is just to help hold in some heat on the top side of the panel and speed up the process without blocking my view so that I can make sure everything is working as it should during the test. The commercial alternative uses a silicone sheet attached to the underside of the upper folding portion of the laminator, which envelops and seals the panel when closed. The same can be done with this laminator, but it's easier to troubleshoot during the first few laminations when you can actually see what's going on (hence why I didn't use a Tedlar backing on the test panels) - it's more interesting to watch on video too.

[@tomme6x3]

@@JamesBiggar so do you wait until the eva has started to melt and then turn on the the vacuum or do you have it on the entire time and it creates the seal when it starts to melt?

[@ScottyBrazel]

James, Fantastic work. Out of curiosity, have you considered using polycarbonate instead of solar glass for your panels? I see a lot of advantages (less of a safety concern, much stronger, lighter, and far more cost effective). Unless I'm missing something it seems like it'd be a better material to use for solar panels instead of glass.

[@marioraymundogarciadevese9687]

Good afternoon, I would like to know where I buy the resistance, why I bought the manual to do the project and I would like to obtain the resistances or others that can be used for the laminator. if I had the link it would be very helpful thanks

[@nestorlopez9422]

You are amazing, I like do that but in my country there is monopoly about it. Do you could share the material, Thank you...

[@Bugkiller666]

Amazing !!

[@naimnaim5691]

Bon travail merci pour le partage

[@chandrahasan3225]

Brilliant 👌

[@PANCHOMALDO]

Hi, what´s the power of each panel you make and % of efficiency?

[@maris22435]

Lieliski, perfekti izdomāts!

[@gersonribeiro1443]

PARABÉNS ESPETACULAR

[@leblancexplores]

Very cool! Found your video curious what it’d take to make a flexible panel and this is getting the gears churning upstairs for sure. For a flexible panel any idea what this would look like? I want to put this on a curved roofline (teardrop trailer). Not looking to save money just curious on the hobby.

[@JamesBiggar]

Same process, just have to use semi-flexible cells and ETFE or another suitable plastic glazing in place of the glass. Lay up as follows: ETFE, 1-2 layers of EVA, cells, 1-2 more layers of EVA, then ETFE or Tedlar backsheet

[@JosephGodwin137]

Awesome

[@ConorFenlon]

Excellent work as always. Have the plans changed from the original model or will I stick with version 1 for my first laminator build?

[@JamesBiggar]

I'll be building a larger version to make my father's panels in the near future.

[@laurensjanssen4733]

@@JamesBiggar Great video! Are you still planning on building the larger version?

[@getulionunes8298]

Posso não ter o mesmo entendimento, mas a estrutura do seguido de madeira vou copia chei genial, um abração rapas show sou seo ,fam um camarada como esse tinh que recebe um incentivo

[@hvheerden]

@James As always, quality build. What material did you use for the laminate? (the part that melts on the back of the panel) I've seem some other DIY panel builds where they use epoxy, but that tends to yellow over time in the sun.

[@alandeutsch9987]

The part that melts is EVA

[@AlekseyCamodelkin]

Beauty.

[@wearemilesfromnowhere4630]

Dunno about the $$. I'm picking up 300+ watt 60 or 72 cell commercial panels for $.72/watt. Great video.

[@JamesBiggar]

Thanks! Me too, but is that US or CA $ (because there's quite a difference)? How many panels/total weight and does the price include freight or no, and if it does where do you live and from what supplier are you purchasing so that I can have a quote generated for myself to verify? I'm assuming that since you said "I'm picking up" and not "having delivered", that your price doesn't include freight costs. I could buy the same size panels for as low as 55-60¢/watt CAD (42¢/w USD) if I want to go for the less efficient polycrystalline panels, but that doesn't include freight, unfortunately. Which more than doubles the cost for me and other Atlantic Canadians - refer to the link below to poly panels from one of our nearest wholesale suppliers at ~57¢/w, then do a shipping calculation from their distribution center to my home province of New Brunswick. 20 panels (6 kW) amounts to around $3400, then freight costs another $5000+. That's $8400 for just 6 kW of poly PV capacity, or $1.40/watt. Until manufacturers and suppliers see a benefit to setting up closer to the region, shipping costs will always be an issue :/ This is why all local dealers are charging their customers between $1.50-$2.00/w - not the wholesale costs that they pay their suppliers. They still have to pay for freight, and they still have to make a little $ for themselves at the same time. This is also why I'm seriously considering small scale manufacturing. Manufacturing costs have dropped a LOT of the years, but the end cost still very much depends on availability. What you or I pay isn't necessarily what everyone else on the planet will pay (and my channel demographic stretches from North America to Asia). www.solarwholesaler.ca/product/jinko-300w-poly-crystalline-solar-panel/

[@wearemilesfromnowhere4630]

@@JamesBiggar Hey James, I'm in the US and yes I do pick them up. These are current high quality panels. Will send info when I get out of the hospital. Peace!

[@DJD8RR]

👌 maestro

[@nabeelfouad1987]

Hey I see all you are the best.

[@قلبسخي]

يارب يرزقك ويوفقك يارب

[@jamest.5001]

I thought about building panels, when I added up matereals, panels can be bought cheaper. B grade, slightly used, I think it's only worth it if you are making a couple small panels, they are crazy prices for under 100 watts, $40-$50 for a 25watt panel is just stupidity, we should refuse to pay that!!

[@JamesBiggar]

I wouldn't pay $2/watt either, and that's the approx price of 300W panels in my area. The further north a person is, the more it costs just like any other product. I don't know how anyone north of me can even afford to eat lol. Grid power is cheaper, and that's why I make my own for ~70¢/w. It's all about availability and how far the panels have to travel here, ie: the dreaded freight costs that no one likes to talk about when boasting about what they paid for solar lol. In other countries like the US with more manufacturers/suppliers, it's a different story. Especially if said countries are geographically smaller than Canada (which most are). But there's a reason smaller panels generally cost more everywhere, and it's the same reason why making just a few of your own small panels is far less economical than making a large array, and why small residential rooftop installations cost more per watt to install than commercial or utility scale solar. Got to actually do the math to fully understand. For example, a 100W panel measures 20"x47", which means 134" of aluminum frame is needed to wrap one panel. A 250 w panel measures 40"x65", and requires 210" of aluminum frame. Ten 100W panels are needed to make up 1 kW = 1340" of aluminum frame required. Four 250 w panels are needed to create the same capacity, which means only 840" of aluminum frame is required. Nearly half as much as the smaller panels. That's just aluminum too. That doesn't account for the time it takes to install the extra two or three screws per panel, or any of the other materials like connectors or tab/bus wire, or time associated with installing them. Scaling up manufacturing is far more economical than scaling down (unless something is going terribly wrong) - it's true whether we're talking industry or DIY. For most in the US buying panels is cheaper than DIY, especially if a person is shopping for DIY panel components on Ebay or Amazon instead of sourcing through proper suppliers. But what you pay doesn't necessarily = what everyone else will pay. Doesn't matter if we're talking about a solar panel or a Snickers bar. I've added up the materials - I'm a building contractor by trade, so establishing a cost benefit analysis before starting any project is an important part of my job, for both my sake and my customer's. I don't like to waste my money anymore than the average homeowner does. Here's a breakdown of my costs: grade A 6x6 monocrystalline cells - 10¢/w including shipping from my supplier in Windsor, Ont encapsulating film, backing - 16¢/w (free shipping) from my supplier in China tab/bus wire, flux - 2¢/w from same supplier in China Diodes, M4 connectors, ~" ", sourced at local wind/solar energy equipment retailer solar glass - 15¢/w, sourced locally (contractor discount) aluminum channel - 5¢/w, sourced locally (contractor discount) Total for materials = 50¢/w, bare in mind that this is all in Canadian $ too. 50¢ CAD currently = 38¢ USD It takes me ~1 hr to tab and prep a panel @ $20/hr (a fair wage for this type of no-brainer work I think). The laminator can cook a panel on its own in ~30 minutes @ ~1000 watts per hr = a total 500 watt hrs of energy used per panel. At local grid price of 11¢/kWh that amounts to ~5¢ per panel. So the new total to make my panels almost completely by hand is ~70-75¢/watt CAD (~52¢ USD, if I were to buy the energy to operate the laminator). That's including any shipping associated with foreign components. If I were to automate some of the tabbing process, that price would be comparable if not cheaper than most manufacturer's production cost. Now let's compare with what's available for ready made panels in the retail market to Canadians like myself. Refer to the link below to poly panels from one of our nearest suppliers at ~57¢/w CAD (one of the lowest prices in Canada), then do a shipping calculation from their distribution center to my home province of New Brunswick. 20 panels (6 kW) amounts to around $3400, then freight costs another $5000+. That's $8400 for just 6 kW of poly PV capacity, or $1.40/watt. That means that I'm saving at least 50% of the cost with DIY for the same quality (in fact, better quality given that I priced poly panels above when I'm actually making monocrystalline), which is enormous for a working class guy like myself. That also means that my $300 laminator paid for itself twice with the first kW of pv that it produced (70¢ per watt saved x 1000 w = $700 gross savings). So I'm not just pulling #'s out of my butt lol. Until demand grows here and manufacturers/suppliers see a benefit to setting up closer to the region, shipping costs will always be an issue :/ This is why all local dealers/retailers here are charging their customers between $1.50-$2.00/w - not the wholesale costs that they pay their suppliers. A small handful are somehow getting away with charging up to $5/watt - no joke. Search Canadian Tire. But the bottom line is that they still have to pay for freight to get them here, and they still have to make a little $ for themselves at the same time for going through the trouble of handling the order (though a 200-300% markup is pretty ridiculous). This is also why I'm seriously considering small scale manufacturing. Manufacturing costs have dropped a LOT over the years, but the end cost still very much depends on availability in a given area. Generally being large and fragile products, moving a pallet of panels any sort of distance outside of a manufacturing or storage facility is going to cost. Having a local manufacturer supplying retailers here would lower the end cost significantly because panels wouldn't have to be shipped halfway across the country, and it would force competition to set up shop closer to their dealers in the area and contribute more to the economy, or pull out and make room for a growing local business that actually provides affordable solar for residents. www.solarwholesaler.ca/product/jinko-300w-poly-crystalline-solar-panel/

[@thecruxhomes4694]

James Biggar... thank you very much for taking the time to break that down. Great job and keep up the good work!

[@bluemamba5317]

@@JamesBiggar lol maybe diy PV is not worth it in Sweden, here I can get USD $0,46/w grade-a poly panels shipping/tax included. (through a company only gross dealer, about +200$ in shipping up to 30 panels otherwise to "civilians" )

[@makwanahimmat5264]

Hi Jemes thickness of electric baseboard heating elements is not mentioned in plan. Please tell me

[@makwanahimmat5264]

8 mm will ok?

[@ismailblfatmi4102]

manifique