How to Wire LED Lighting to Solar Panels

Powering LEDs with solar panels is an attractive idea to many hobbyists, as they require no power source other than the free rays of the sun to generate light. With applications ranging from book lights to decorations to full-scale home lighting, solar panels and LEDs are a potent combination. With a few tools available at your local hardware store, you can be converting solar energy into concentrated LED light in no time.

Solar panel
LED light
Soldering iron
2 percent silver solder

Instructions

- 1
  Lay the solar panel and LED down on a flat surface so that the positive and negative terminals of each are lined up with their counterparts (positive to positive, negative to negative).
- 2
  Heat up the soldering iron, and use small drops of 2 percent silver solder to attach the terminals together, positive to positive and negative to negative.
- 3
  Allow at least 10 minutes for the solder to cool completely, and then place the solar panel in a spot of bright, consistent incandescent light (preferably sunlight). Your LED will begin to glow, turning sunlight into electrical power.

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