How to Make a Rechargeable Solar Panel Battery

Prep copper sheet

• 1

  Cut the copper sheet using the metal shears, trimming a portion small enough to sit on the top of the hot plate. Remove any oil from the surface of the copper with soap and water. Remove any corrosion from the copper with the sandpaper. Allow the copper to dry, then place it on the burner with the heat at the highest level.

• 2

  Heat the copper (about 30 minutes) until it becomes coated with a black coating, which is a layer of cupric oxide. Cool the copper on the burner after the heat has been turned off. Remove the copper from the burner and allow it to continue cooling slowly until it reaches room temperature and the oxide begins to flake off. Remove any remaining oxide from the copper with running water and manual abrasion.

• 3

  Clip an additional piece of the copper sheet to match the one you just cooked. Bend both pieces to be inserted into the glass jar without touching. Attach an alligator clip to each copper piece. Connect the copper to the ammeter --- cooked copper to negative terminal and uncooked copper to positive terminal.

• 4

  Make saltwater by dumping two tablespoons of table salt into warm water, stirring until the salt dissolves completely. Dump the saltwater mix into the glass jar with the copper pieces. Take care not to wet the alligator clips and to avoid covering the copper plates completely.

• 5

  Test the battery by placing it first in the shade and then in direct sunlight. The meter should fall when the shade is on the battery and rise when the sunlight is on the battery.