Now that you have your batch of solar cells you must determine if each cell has tabbing on the busbar. If if does continue to the next step.



If your cell has no tabbing you must first use a pencil eraser to clean the surface of the busbar. Use a gentle hand as poly and monocrystalline cells are extremely fragile. Rubbing too hard will break the cell. Some of the dark spots on the busbar will hinder the solder from sticking so try to get these off. Don't go crazy if you can't, as long as a descent amount of solder sticks you are OK. The more you use the eraser the better.



Next you must tin your soldering iron with a nice blob of solder, and wait a few seconds until it stops smoking(some of the rosin burns off), then run it down the busbar. Don't beat yourself if you can't get every spot to stick as long as you can get a few spots you're good.



Now cut a piece of tabbing and use your soldering iron to melt the tabbing into the tinned busbar. Don't press down too hard let the soldering iron do the job. Thats why I suggest using a 25 watt minimum soldering iron so that you don't feel the need to press down on the cell so much.



Now that you tinned and tabbed your first cell continue and do the rest.



Now you must solder a lead to the back of the cell. Most polycrystalline cells have a dark area on the back, this is where you solder to. MonoCrystalline cells usually have small squares where you need to solder to. Just like before start by tinning your soldering iron with a good blob of solder and apply it to the underside of the cell directly under the busbar (makes it easier to line up the cells later). Then cut a small 1.5 inch of tabbing and melt it into the solder.



now that you have your leads soldered to the cell you are ready to move on to the next step.

