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34 Watt Solar Panel Kit (#33000)
Parallax’s 34 Watt Solar Panel Kit is a do-it-yourself system that can produce up to a maximum of 34
watts of electrical energy. This solar panel is designed to be not only a fun and interesting project to
build, but when fully assembled, is rugged enough for permanent power production (including rooftop
installations), and can be used in many portable applications as well.
Features
Key Specifications
(12) 125 mm (~5”), 2.85 watt, ~18.5%
efficiency monocrystalline solar cells
UV stabilized polycarbonate base and cover
panels provide outdoor durability
Custom-milled base panel simplifies
assembly and protects the solar cells
Daisy-chain multiple units for higher
voltage/current/power
Online video demonstrates solar cell
handling and soldering techniques
Budget 8 to 12 hours for assembly
Maximum Power output: 6.3 VDC @ 5.4
amps (approx. 34 watts max.)
Dimensions: 23.8 x 15.8 x .375 in (60.45 x
40.12 x 0.95 cm) assembled
Application Ideas
Portable power for remote monitoring &
control systems
Fixed power station for energy production
Mobile robotics and solar charging stations
Kit Overview
Q: Is this just another solar demonstration kit?
A: No, not really. There are many solar power “kits” that demonstrate how electrical energy is generated
by direct sunlight. These kits typically produce small amounts of voltage and/or current, and are used to
run small motors, indicator lamps or LEDs. Some of these kits even include meters which allow you to
observe how voltage and current change under various light and/or load conditions.
This product is different. Not only is it a true “kit”—you assemble it from a pile of raw parts—but when
you’re done, it produces a substantial amount of electrical power. In fact, the energy produced per
square foot is comparable to many commercially available solar panels. After you permanently seal the
panel, it can withstand the outside environment as well.
Q: Is this 34 Watt Solar Panel Kit a toy?
A: No, you will be making a real solar panel that can be sealed and used outside in a permanent
installation (such as on a rooftop), or in mobile applications like camping, robotics, battery charging, etc.
Assembling the kit is a process that demonstrates how the cells are properly handled and interconnected
to produce usable electric power. Going through the assembly process will yield multiple benefits. You
will…
gain an appreciation for how modern-day solar panel systems are assembled.
learn-by-doing how to properly handle and solder the delicate cells and their wiring
interconnections.
know that when you’re done, the solar panel can produce real, useable power.
have a great sense of accomplishment.
gain first-hand knowledge of how solar electric panels work.
have a source of electrical energy for possibly years* to come.
permanently seal the panel if you like, and use it outside year-round.
save $ by doing the assembly work yourself.
have the option to add additional panels at anytime, thereby producing more power.
* Parallax cannot guarantee that the Sun will continue to shine during the useful life of this product.
Copyright © Parallax Inc.
30 Watt Solar Panel Kit (#33000)
v1.0 9/13/2012 Page 1 of 20
Assembly Process
Caution! Warning! Danger!
Solar cells are FRAGILE. They are only about eight-thousandths of an inch (0.22 mm) thick.
Treat them
like ultra-ultra-ultra-thin potato chips
(but don’t eat them!) They WILL BREAK EASILY if not handled
with EXTREME care. Do not open the package of cells until you are ready for Section B.
WATCH THE VIDEOS
demonstrating safe cell handling and soldering techniques before beginning.
Search “33000” at www.parallax.com, and then find the video link on the 33000 product page. (You may
also download the latest version of this documentation as a full-color PDF from the same page.)
Now that the
Warning
is out of the way, if you do happen to break a cell, there is an extra one included
in this kit (the 13th cell). And if you happen to break more than one, repair is relatively easy provided
the cell is not shattered into many little pieces. More on this later (only if you need it!). If all else fails,
you can order individual replacement cells from Parallax (Part #750-00034).
Before you Begin
Step 1 — Check the box contents and gather your tools
Carefully unpack the contents of the 34 Watt
Solar Panel Kit, shown in Figure 1.
Do not
open the package containing the cells
until instructed to do so
in Section B.
Check your kit contents against the Bill of
Materials below. If anything is missing, contact
the Parallax Sales Team (see top of Page 1.)
Watch the demonstration YouTube video linked
to the 33000 product page at
www.parallax.com.
Figure 1
Qty
1
1
1
1
25 ft
4 ft
1
2
2
Polycarbonate Cover Panel
13-pack of Solar Cells, 125 mm , 2.85 watt
Flux pen
Tabbing wire, tinned
Flat adhesive copper wire, double-bus
Polycarbonate cement (tube)
Disposable gloves
6 x 6” Plywood “workbenches” (included in Solar Cell packaging)
2
Description
Polycarbonate Base Panel (milled)
Part #
720-28315
720-28305
750-00037
800-00015
700-00130
700-00135
700-00105
X00-00030
X40-33000
Gather the Additional items Required:
30 to 40 watt soldering
X-acto
®
or utility knife
iron (RadioShack #640-
Masking or blue painter’s tape
2071 works well)
Measuring tape or ruler
Solder
Hot glue gun
Volt-ohm meter (VOM)
Hot glue stick
Pair of scissors
Safety glasses: wear them!
34 Watt Solar Panel Kit (#33000)
Steady, slow-moving hands
Sharpie
®
or felt tip pen
Nerves of steel…and lots of
patience!
Several heavy books
Flat, clean work surface
v1.1 9/13/2012 Page 2 of 20
Copyright © Parallax Inc.
Section A – Base Panel Bus-Bar Installation
Step 2 — Prepare the Base Panel
On a flat and clean work surface, remove the protective film from the backside of the Base Panel (the
polycarbonate sheet that has routed out cavities) and orient it as shown in Figure 2. The two thru-
holes should be on the right side and the cavities should be facing up. You may wish to use a pen
and label the cell locations (1-12) as shown.
Check the Base Panel thoroughly. Use an X-acto knife or a small pair of needle nose pliers to remove
any flakes of polycarbonate machined residue. All the grooves and cell cavities should be completely
clear of burs or pieces of debris. Not only will your panel look better when assembled, but it is
critical that nothing prevents the cells and wiring from being fully-seated into these pockets during
installation.
Figure 2
Step 3 — Prepare the double-conductor bus-bar
Locate the double-conductor flat
wire.
As shown in Figure 3, this wire
assembly is a “sandwich” of three
layers: A white protective cover, two
copper conductors embedded in an
adhesive base, and a pink protective
cover. The white strip covers the bare
(non-adhesive) copper conductors and
the pink strip covers the sticky side.
Figure 3
Copyright © Parallax Inc.
30 Watt Solar Panel Kit (#33000)
v1.0 9/13/2012 Page 3 of 20
Carefully measure out a length of
flat, double-conductor wire 23”
long, and cut it with a pair of
scissors.
Then, with a sharp knife (X-acto
knives work well), carefully slice
through just the white protective
cover 3/8” from each end and
remove it, as shown in Figure 4
(both ends are shown here for
clarity).
Be careful to not cut
through the copper conductors
- only the white protective cover.
Figure 4
Remove the pink protective strip
(exposing the adhesive side), and
place the double conductor bus-bar
in groove “A”, as shown in Figure 5.
Burnish or rub the bus-bar to
ensure that it’s flat, and fully
adhered to the groove. Only the
ends of the bus-bar should have the
white cover removed. The rest of
the white cover should remain in
place.
Figure 5
Step 4 — Prepare the single-conductor bus-bars
Measuring carefully, cut two 7.75”
long pieces of double conductor
bus-bars with the pair of scissors.
Cut out each conductor so that
there are four strips with the
protective covers intact (Figure 6).
Cut right next to the copper itself;
leave no transparent “sticky”
material along the edges. This way,
when you place the single bars into
the grooves, there are no “stickies”
along the vertical walls of the
grooves—the whole bus-bar
assembly will lay flat on the bottom
of the groove.
Figure 6
Copyright © Parallax Inc.
34 Watt Solar Panel Kit (#33000)
v1.1 9/13/2012 Page 4 of 20
Remove the pink protective cover from
one of the single-conductor strips, and
thread it through the hole (in groove “F”),
then lay it into the groove, adhesive side
down. It should overlap the two-
conductor bus-bar, as shown in Figure 7
such that there is an exposed copper area
where a solder bridge can be made at the
overlapping junction.
Remove the full length of the white
protective cover (including the portion
that goes through the hole to the
backside of the panel). Stick the bus-bar
to the backside of the panel as well.
Figure 7
Remove the pink cover from the second
7.75” single bus-bar.
Place the single bus-bar in groove “D” as
shown in Figure 8.
Thread the excess through the hole to
the backside, and remove the white
protective cover, just like we did above.
Figure 8
Place the third 7.75” single
bus-bar into groove “E” and
the fourth into groove “B,”
and then remove the white
protective covers from both.
Cut a single bus-bar 3.5”
long, and place it into
groove “C,” and remove the
white protective cover.
Your panel should now look like
that shown in Figure 9.
Figure 9
Copyright © Parallax Inc.
34 Watt Solar Panel Kit (#33000)
v1.1 9/13/2012 Page 5 of 20
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