PV Gap

Charlie Said:

Can I make a solar panel for my house with a massive amount of solar panels from calculators?

We Answered:

That would be a fun thing to try, but keep in mind that the little solar cells from calculators are very weak, producing only about the same voltage as a flashlight battery, and a power of maybe 1/1000 of a watt. So that would be 1000 of them to power your iPod, or 1,500,000 of them to power your toaster.

If the time and trouble is worth anything to you, it would be easier to simply buy a ready-made solar panel.

Lisa Said:

Solar powered calculators -- when do they use the solar panel, and when the battery?

We Answered:

I would suspect there is a diode between the solar cell and the battery, or the battery would discharge through the solar cell when there is no light.

The battery is always in use, and the solar cell is putting current into the battery. In bright light there is a net positive current into the battery, charging it. In dim light, the battery discharges as it feeds current into the electronics.