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1. What I would use to sandwich in the cells would be 1/4 inch low iron 27"x32" tempered glass for the front view of the panel and 1/4 inch 27"x32" of plexi glass to what will be the back view of the panel and do not use anything less then 1/4 inch if you desire to have your panels last for a long time. 27"x32" is perfect for 36-3"x6. Next will be important: leave an inch and a half of space all around your glass panels. So make sure you arrange your cells to fit inside these measurments. Why an inch and a half? Good question, we'll get back to this in just a sec but just keep it in mind for now.
2. Make a hole 2 1/4 inches from the bottom of the Plexi-glass. Meaning, the "back panel" Try not to misunderstand this part now, ok! The hole will not be 2 1/4 inches NO! What I want you to do is measure from the bottom of the panel 2 1/4 inches upward to drill your hole there, get it? But make it look nice by making the hole towards the middle of the panel unless good looks in your work doesn't matter to you. Now, make sure that the hole is just big enough for the rubber molding to clamp into the plexi glasss. DO NOT HAVE GAPS BETWEEN THE OUTSIDE OF THE MOLDING AND THE PLEXI-GLASS PANEL. Remember to put plenty of silicone inside the rubber molding "after the whole assembly of the panels are completed", do not worry about that now. The type of rubber molding I would use would be like one of an electric drill which is long and the wires could swivel all around. This molding is used to protect the wires from being dammaged and also for insulation purposes. So remember, the reason I stated have no gaps between the glass an the rubber molding it is so that the external elements created by seasonal changes do not affect your panel.
3. Next, place the cells as they should on the "glass" for the front view. Which means, you'll have the negative side of the cells looking up. Now, the back panel will NOT be placed yet, it will be placed later, so leave it aside for now.
4. Now I will give you the answer to the number 1 question. The reason I told you to leave an inch and a half around the whole panel is, so that you can place an "inch" of weather proof molding. This molding has the sticky applications on both sides which will stick to the front panel as well as the back panel. Place this molding tightly ON THE GLASS by the sides of the cells [without touching the cells] all around the cell configuration. So this means you will need to cut 4 strips to fit it squarely around the cell configuration. MAKE SURE THEY ARE CUT NEETLY WITH SISSORS AND REMEMBER, LEAVE NO GAPS!
IMPORTANT NOTE: When you buy the weather proof molding make sure it's thick enough to pass the cells hight so that when you lay your back panel down it will not damage the cells. The thickness of the weather proof molding will also act as a shock absorbing mechanism for the panel.
Now as I was saying, when sticking your mold to the glass if the bus wire configuration sticks out to where it interferes with your wether molding & the 1 1/2 inches you need to stay behind just tuck your bus wire in a bit.
5. Next, pour a small quantity of clear epoxy resin [SYLGARD-184] which you can find in EBAY. Pour the epoxy in and around all the cells to fasten the cells down to the glass so that it could keep it from moving around inside the panel and damaging it. Don't worry if you get the epoxy on your bus wire application as this epoxy is to cover all your cells. You should keep any diodes out side of the panel though, just incase you will need to replace it later. Remember, use enough quantity of the epoxy for holding down your cells to the glass If you need more to cover your entire work, do so! NOTE: Pour enough of the sylgard-184 to be seen just above the cells but keep it just below the wetherproof molding. The reason you are also needing this weather-proof molding all around the cells is to keep the epoxy from running all over the place to. After this is completed you must then let it dry before continuing to the next step.
6. Next, run the wires thru the back panel 1st and thru the rubber molding which will be clamped into the plexi-glass then place the back panel down on to the weather-proof molding. Make sure your back panel is flush with front panel and no wires are getting kinked. Now that you have completed this step you should still have a half inch of gap all around your panel. This is good, so continue to step number seven.
7. In this half inch gap get your clear silicone [I preffer the clear sylgard-184] but to explain to you so that it will not run all over the place, it would just take to long but anyways silicone is good also. Fill the gap with silicone till it's flush with both glass. Do this all around the panel and then you're done!
8. Now you can build your self an aluminum frame for your work and hang it on the wall LOL!!! But seriously, as you see we did this work without the frame work first the frame is last in the way I sceam up things. First you take a picture than you go looking for the frame, that's how I look at it anyways.
Now that you are completed did you remember to put silicone inside the rubber molding that your wires run thru? Do this now, let it dry and you have just made yourself a waterproof panel. Nothing should ever get inside!
PS. You can purchase these frames with the front glass panel on ebay for the low price of $33.00. If you want to apply my method of building a solar panel you will also need the plexi-glass for the back side of the solar panel. G00d luck!
Picture of the frame they have for sale on ebay : http://cgi.ebay.com/Solar-Panel-Fram...item2a0539d70b
2. Make a hole 2 1/4 inches from the bottom of the Plexi-glass. Meaning, the "back panel" Try not to misunderstand this part now, ok! The hole will not be 2 1/4 inches NO! What I want you to do is measure from the bottom of the panel 2 1/4 inches upward to drill your hole there, get it? But make it look nice by making the hole towards the middle of the panel unless good looks in your work doesn't matter to you. Now, make sure that the hole is just big enough for the rubber molding to clamp into the plexi glasss. DO NOT HAVE GAPS BETWEEN THE OUTSIDE OF THE MOLDING AND THE PLEXI-GLASS PANEL. Remember to put plenty of silicone inside the rubber molding "after the whole assembly of the panels are completed", do not worry about that now. The type of rubber molding I would use would be like one of an electric drill which is long and the wires could swivel all around. This molding is used to protect the wires from being dammaged and also for insulation purposes. So remember, the reason I stated have no gaps between the glass an the rubber molding it is so that the external elements created by seasonal changes do not affect your panel.
3. Next, place the cells as they should on the "glass" for the front view. Which means, you'll have the negative side of the cells looking up. Now, the back panel will NOT be placed yet, it will be placed later, so leave it aside for now.
4. Now I will give you the answer to the number 1 question. The reason I told you to leave an inch and a half around the whole panel is, so that you can place an "inch" of weather proof molding. This molding has the sticky applications on both sides which will stick to the front panel as well as the back panel. Place this molding tightly ON THE GLASS by the sides of the cells [without touching the cells] all around the cell configuration. So this means you will need to cut 4 strips to fit it squarely around the cell configuration. MAKE SURE THEY ARE CUT NEETLY WITH SISSORS AND REMEMBER, LEAVE NO GAPS!
IMPORTANT NOTE: When you buy the weather proof molding make sure it's thick enough to pass the cells hight so that when you lay your back panel down it will not damage the cells. The thickness of the weather proof molding will also act as a shock absorbing mechanism for the panel.
Now as I was saying, when sticking your mold to the glass if the bus wire configuration sticks out to where it interferes with your wether molding & the 1 1/2 inches you need to stay behind just tuck your bus wire in a bit.
5. Next, pour a small quantity of clear epoxy resin [SYLGARD-184] which you can find in EBAY. Pour the epoxy in and around all the cells to fasten the cells down to the glass so that it could keep it from moving around inside the panel and damaging it. Don't worry if you get the epoxy on your bus wire application as this epoxy is to cover all your cells. You should keep any diodes out side of the panel though, just incase you will need to replace it later. Remember, use enough quantity of the epoxy for holding down your cells to the glass If you need more to cover your entire work, do so! NOTE: Pour enough of the sylgard-184 to be seen just above the cells but keep it just below the wetherproof molding. The reason you are also needing this weather-proof molding all around the cells is to keep the epoxy from running all over the place to. After this is completed you must then let it dry before continuing to the next step.
6. Next, run the wires thru the back panel 1st and thru the rubber molding which will be clamped into the plexi-glass then place the back panel down on to the weather-proof molding. Make sure your back panel is flush with front panel and no wires are getting kinked. Now that you have completed this step you should still have a half inch of gap all around your panel. This is good, so continue to step number seven.
7. In this half inch gap get your clear silicone [I preffer the clear sylgard-184] but to explain to you so that it will not run all over the place, it would just take to long but anyways silicone is good also. Fill the gap with silicone till it's flush with both glass. Do this all around the panel and then you're done!
8. Now you can build your self an aluminum frame for your work and hang it on the wall LOL!!! But seriously, as you see we did this work without the frame work first the frame is last in the way I sceam up things. First you take a picture than you go looking for the frame, that's how I look at it anyways.
Now that you are completed did you remember to put silicone inside the rubber molding that your wires run thru? Do this now, let it dry and you have just made yourself a waterproof panel. Nothing should ever get inside!
PS. You can purchase these frames with the front glass panel on ebay for the low price of $33.00. If you want to apply my method of building a solar panel you will also need the plexi-glass for the back side of the solar panel. G00d luck!
Picture of the frame they have for sale on ebay : http://cgi.ebay.com/Solar-Panel-Fram...item2a0539d70b
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