Blu Ray Disc and Copper Wires As Solar Panel
Blu Ray Disc and Copper Wires As Solar Panel
Blu Ray Disc and Copper Wires As Solar Panel
In Partial Fulfillment
By:
BONGLOY, Marifel V.
February 2020
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We, the researchers, would like to express our deep and sincere gratitude to everyone
who became part of this research. Especially to the following people who worked and supported
First and foremost, we would like to thank our Research in Daily Life teacher and
adviser, Ms. Diona Rose Macaburas for the continuous support, patience, and enthusiasm. Her
We would also like to thank our panel members: Ms. Mariel Ji Baldos, Ms. Consuelo
Culaton, and Ms. Sho Beh Tomanan for their time, encouragement, and patience to us. Despite
their busy schedules, they were able to accommodate us when we have concerns regarding our
research. We also thank them for sharing their knowledge and giving us suggestions in order for
Our family and friends who supported, believed and who gives strength when things
become hard. For their understanding when we get busy and lack time for them.
Lastly, we thank God, the Almighty Father, for guiding, protecting and for giving us the
Title Page…………………………………………………………………………………………..i
Approval Sheet……………………………………………………………………………ii
Editor’s Certification……………………………………………………………………..iii
Acknowledgment…………………………………………………………………………iv
Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………….v
Abstract………………………………………………………………………………......vii
I. Introduction
c. Research Objectives……………………………………………………………….6
f. Operational Definitions……………………………………………………………7
II. Methodology
a. Research Design..………………………………………………………………....9
d. Treatment of
Data………………………………………………………………...10
VI. Appendices
Electricity production has been very significant and crucial to human development, as
certain basic activities like running household appliances and devices. But still almost 14 billion
of the world’s population has no electricity. This study: “Different structures of Blu-Code” a
combination of Blu-Ray Disc, Copper Wires and Zener diode, aimed to identify if Blu-Code can
work as an alternative solar panel by getting the mean average of each structure and by
comparing it to identify if there is a significant difference among the structure. The Blu-Ray disc
acts as the light or heat trapping device of the panel. Copper Wire has been used as the conductor
of the electricity while the Zener diode is responsible for regulating the flow of current in the
disc. Flat, concave and convex structures were used in the Blu-Code discs. The structures, flat,
concave and convex were heated at the same time and place. The different structure generated
only a tiny amount of electricity but still it is one great leap on the advancement of technology
become a part of our everyday lives, and one cannot think of a world without it. It is now a major
part of homes and businesses. Almost all the devices at home, businesses and, industries are
running because of electricity and in the Philippines, there are remote areas where electricity is
from April to May. These months represent the time of summer but in some places it is labelled
as “summer brownouts”. “Brownouts” are also referred as voltage reductions where power
outages or blackouts occur due to seasonal dry spell making water reservoirs dry and resulting to
Hydropower Plant producing less electricity which is not enough for all, thus they shut down
their operation. This is a practice that is fairly common in the Southern island of Mindanao
(Rood, 2015).
In the Philippines, 16 million people do not have access to electricity and there is much
greater lack of electricity throughout rural areas compared to urban areas, and about half of the
country's total population still relies on conventional biomass for cooking. Last year, the
National Grid Corporation of the Philippines issued a red alert, it happens when demand is likely
to exceed the available generating capacity due to forced and unplanned interruption of several
coal-fired plants and de-rating capacity. The Meralco group has been pressing for increased
supply, adding that power generation "will be a game changer." The Philippines is facing a
looming energy crisis, and general concern for the availability and price of electricity has been a
On April 19, 2018, former Baguio City Mayor, Mauricio Domogan signed a city
ordinance No. 43 series of 2018 requiring all government offices and public facilities to use
energy conservation technologies like LED (Light-Emitting Diodes) light bulbs and renewable
energy systems to save on energy, power bills, and for a clean environment. The ordinance aims
to reduce energy consumption and lower the expenses of the city. The ordinance mandates
government facilities such as schools, office buildings, barangay halls, hospitals, health centers,
parks, and treatment plants, to use energy-saving technologies like LED light bulbs and
Renewable energy sources are literally found everywhere on the physical structure of the
planet, in accordance with article SunPower (2019). It is found deep underground, or through
bodies of water and sunlight. This source of energy is continually replaced by natural means or
they literally cannot run out of it. These are also known as “alternative energy” because they can
be a replacement for conventional fossil fuels such as oil and coal, which cannot be a source of
renewable energy as it is restricted. Alternative energy sources with their manufacturing process
are known to be more environmentally safe than coals which affect the environment. Alternative
sources of energy are very important because they give less pollution. There are five forms of
alternative energy that are naturally produced, and these are found by sunlight, wind, energy
Wind energy is another type of alternative source of energy capturing the flow of wind
through wind turbines which be converted into electricity. Another form of renewable energy is
energy coming from the Earth's interior, or also known as geothermal energy. It is in the form of
heat that is contained in the deep surfaces of hot water and warm rock reservoirs that are miles
below the earth's surface. Energy is also present in the flow of water also known as hydroelectric
energy. One way to extract energy from flowing water is through waterwheel that pours down
the turbine blade which causes it to spin and generate electricity. Ocean energy can be
subdivided into two types: thermal energy from the sun's heat and mechanical energy from tide
Bioenergy derived from a biomass, wherein it refers to any organic material that comes from
Solar energy is obtained by absorbing and transforming the energy from the sun into heat.
Photovoltaic systems are solar cells which use a process known as the photovoltaic effect to
convert solar radiation into electricity. During this process, the materials in the solar cell produce
electrons when exposed to the photons in sunlight. A photovoltaic cell's ultimate efficiency in
converting sunlight into electrical energy is around 20 percent, and large areas of solar cells are
Solar energy is likely to continue to exist in the future so much that people can think of it as
unending. It is essentially renewable, unlike fossil fuels which run out as it is used. Furthermore,
the use of solar energy does not cause air pollution or affect the surface of the Earth. It does not
According to Shaikh et al. (2017) solar energy is becoming economical in the coming years
is that the use of the smallest photovoltaic (PV) solar cells will directly transform sunlight into
solar energy.
According to Kinhal (n.d), solar power can avoid climate change as it produces no carbon
emissions. Solar panel carbon footprint can be offset in as quickly as 4 years. In contrast to large
centralized energy conversion operated by large corporations, solar energy is so accessible that it
can be generated directly by end consumers on a small scale. It can be easily installed on
rooftops of individual buildings or houses. In the United States, solar energy production ranked
5th as one of the most well-known businesses that brought thousands of people jobs.
According to the article Sun Power (2019) Solar panel works when photons hit a solar cell
(PV cells), that knock electrons loose from their atoms then an electrical circuit is formed. When
the conductors are attached to the positive and negative sides of a cell, it will form an electric
Solar panel cannot be afforded by everyone so the researchers found an alternative way to
use solar cells. This is more cost efficient and can be easily made. Blu-ray discs components are
used as a light trapping devices. Research reveals that the unusual colors of a Blu-ray disc is also
capable of capturing light to generate green energy. The colors seen are formed through the
process called structural color. Solar cells, like Blu-ray discs must capture light. Other solar
devices that have been shown to raise the efficiency of solar panel is networks of microscopic
ridges which are carved on it. However, these patterns are difficult to create and expensive
Blu-ray disc solar panel design is capable of trapping light. The sun ray falls on the Blu-ray disc
that is used to power the electrons inside the disc. The disc consists of unique quasi random
pattern of 150-525nm which is repeating and perfectly tuned for light (photons) trapping. The
trapped photons is used to accelerate the electrons form the Blu-ray disc then flow through the
copper wire which is regulated by the Zener diode (Patel 2018). According to Fellman (2014)
Blu-ray Disc contains a higher density of data than DVD’s or CD’s, and it is this quasi-random
pattern, perfected by engineers over decades for data storage, that, when transferred to the
surface of solar cells, provides the right texture to improve the cells light absorption and
performance. Even if people try different genres of film the content of the video doesn't matter.
Copper is another component which makes the alternative solar panel work. Hence, it is
known as a great electricity conductor; it can also store solar energy from the sun. According to
Kundig (2007), for many years, copper and its alloys have been part of renewable and other
"green" energy systems. Less well known is the function of copper which can be used in solar-
based electrical power production. It promises to become equally valuable in photovoltaic (PV)
systems. Such system produces electricity to certain semiconductors through the behavior of the
sunlight.
Due to the need of electricity, the researchers want to innovate a source of energy that is
efficient and is healthy for the environment and the use of solar power is their chosen topic as
their focus. According to the article “What is solar energy and how do solar panel works”, the
sun releases tiny packets of energy called photons, which travels the 93 million miles from the
sun to earth in about 8.5 minutes. Where in an hour, enough photons can have an impact to the
planet to generate solar energy to theoretically satisfy global energy needs for an entire year. In
an International Energy Agency report in 2017 it reveals that solar has become the world's fastest
The researchers created an alternative solar panel using Blu- Ray discs, copper wire, and
zener diode (Blu-Code) which have been based on past researches entitled, Solar Panel Using
Blu-Ray (BR) Light Trapping Technology that showed Blu-Code alone can work as an
alternative solar panel and Blu-Ray Disc Can Be Used to Improve Solar Cell Performance. The
Blu-Code does not only have one structure but the researchers made and tested three structures to
find out if there was a difference between the energy produced by the different structures. These
structures are concave, convex, and simply flat. According to Ticak (2019), concave is a shape
which curves inward and the inside part of a bowl would be an example of this. In geometry, it is
a polygon greater than 180 degrees, with at least one inner angle. The concave is a shape that
bends inwards and that would be an example of the inside portion of a pipe. In geometry, it is a
polygon greater than 180 degrees, with an inner angle of at least one. A flat design is a style
utilizing plain, two-dimensional elements. It is contrasted to the skeuomorphic style that gives
This study aimed to identify which structure was best for the Blu-Code. Specifically, it
1. In terms of voltage, what is the average of the energy produced by the different structure using
the Voltmeter?
2. Is there a significant difference between the energy stored by the Blu-Code with regards to
their structure?
Research Objectives
1. Determine the average quantity output of the Blue-Code with the different structures.
2. Identify if there is a significant difference between the energy stored by the Blu-Code with
The findings of this research will redound to the benefit of the society considering that
electricity plays a very important role in the community. This study is significant in finding an
alternative way to generate electricity through solar energy without spending too much. This
alternative solar panel is cost efficient and households consuming electricity would pay less with
their electric bills due to the generated electricity from this solar panel. The primary objection of
some people is that solar power involves huge installation cost. What people do not realize is
that, solar power is an investment for a very long time. This also promotes local job creation, if
people would be interested in assembling and installing this alternative solar panel, they would
be able to create a job for themselves. Factories that manufacture solar panels can also benefit in
a way that they will know if the structure that they are using is more efficient in harnessing
energy from the sun. It is a clean renewable energy source with clean production methods and
the environment would not be polluted. Electricity production from this alternative solar panel
would mean there is less smog, less acid rain and less greenhouse gases on the atmosphere.
Code using the voltmeter. The materials used for the prototype were Blu-Ray Discs, Copper
wires and Zener Diode. The prototypes were installed at Saint Louis School, Inc. and the
Operational Definitions
Harness - control and make use of (natural resources), especially to produce electricity.
carries energy proportional to the radiation frequency but has zero rest mass.
Photovoltaic - is the conversion of light into electricity using semi-conducting materials that
practices.
Zener Diode - a form of semi-conductor diode in which at a critical reverse voltage, a large
Research Design
for the study. Experimental research is any research conducted with a scientific approach, where
a set of variables are kept constant while the other set of variables are being measured as the
subject of experiment. In this study, the independent variable is the structure of the solar panel
while the dependent variable is the amount of energy read by the voltmeter. The research was
experimental, in which the different structures were tested to determine the most effective one.
This study aimed to determine the energy production and identify if there was a significant
In this study, the researchers collected quantitative data which are the amount of energy
produced by the alternative solar panels. To be able to gather these data, the researchers created
an alternative solar panel using Blu-ray disc and copper wires. It was based on the DIY solar
panel in an article written by Shaikh (2018). The researchers used a recording sheet to gather
data needed to observe and to determine the power output and performance of the alternative
solar panel. For the measurement of the power output, the researchers used a voltmeter to acquire
voltage which the alternative solar panel has produced for the testing period. A voltmeter is an
The making of the product was held at the ACE Hub in Saint Louis School Inc. In order
for the Blu-Code to be created, the researchers needed Blu-Ray Discs, Copper Wire 21 (copper
size), Zener diode (18v) and voltmeter. Wires were used to connect the Blu-Code to the
designated charge of the voltmeter. The disc acted as the plate where the copper wire and zener
diode was placed. The copper was coiled and placed around the disc and the zener diode was
connected to the copper wire. After making a total of 12 Blu-Code discs it was placed on top of
the different structures, each having three disc on one structure. The Blu-code was installed and
placed at the school rooftop. The test was done from 1:30-2:30 PM as it is the high time of the
day for the sun to shine. The three structures were tested simultaneously at the same time having
five trials in total. After every trial the researchers recorded the voltage output of each Blu-Code
structures every after 15 minutes of contact to the sun. A Data sheet was used to record the data
Treatment of Data
significant difference between the energy produced by the different Blu-Code structures.
According to Singh et.,al. (2018) ANOVA is a statistical technique that is used to check if the
means of three or more groups are significantly different from each other. ANOVA checks the
impact of one or more factors by comparing the means of different samples. Three comparison
was also done to each structures specifically: Flat and Concave, Concave and Convex, and lastly
Flat and Convex. The data was analyzed using a two-tailed t-test.
An alternative and null hypothesis will be presented for the statistical test to prove stating
whether there is a significant difference between the energy produced by the different Blu-Code
Ho: There is no significant differences among the energy stored by the different Blu-
Ha: There is a significant difference among the energy stored by the different Blu-Code
The study was conducted to determine the quantity output of each Blu-Code with
different structures and to know if there is a significant difference between the three structure
Table 1 shows the raw data that has been gathered of each structure. As shown at the
table above, the amount of voltage produced by the Blu-Code panel with the Flat structure ranges
from 0.050v – 0.057v in the span of one hour. The amount of voltage produced by the Blu-Code
panel with the concave structure varies from 0.018v-0.035v. While the amount of voltage
produced by the Blu-Code panel with the convex structure ranges to 0.027v-0.037.
0.06 Comparative
0.05 Analysis on the Average of the 3 Structures
0.05
0.04 0.03
0.03 0.03
0.02
0.01
0
Flat Concave Convex
Table 2 specifically answers the question: In terms of voltage, what is the average of the energy
produced by the different structure using the Voltmeter. The flat structure acquired an average
of 0.0528 v within the 5 trials done. Blu- Code with a concave structure has an average of 0.028
v. While Blu- code with the convex structure has an average of 0.0326 v.
The researchers used One Way ANOVA to answer the question: “Is there a significant
difference between the three Blu-Code Structures. Thus, if the P-value of each variable is less
than or equal to 0.5, the null hypothesis is rejected and the alternative hypothesis is accepted.
Table 3. Comparative Analysis using One Way ANOVA on the significant differences of the three
ANOVA
Source of Variation SS df MS F P-value F crit
Between Groups 0.00174 2 0.00087 28.84641 2.61E-05 3.885294
Within Groups 0.00036 12 3.02E-05
2
0.00210
Total 14
2
The null hypothesis states that between the three structures there is no significant
difference between the amount of voltage produces by each of the three structures while the
As shown in Table 3, the p-value =2.61x10 -5 < .01, thus, the null hypothesis is rejected at
1% level of significance. This further implies that there is a high significant difference between
The researchers also used independent t-test and took the comparative analysis between
each structure specifically among Flat and Convex structure, Concave and Convex structure, and
Table 4. Comparative Analysis between Flat and Concave structure using t-Test: Two-Sample
Flat Concave
Mean 0.0528 0.028
Variance 8.7E-06 6.25E-05
Observations 5 5
Pooled Variance 3.56E-05
Hypothesized Mean Difference 0
Df 8
t Stat 6.571987
P(T<=t) one-tail 8.72E-05
t Critical one-tail 1.859548
P(T<=t) two-tail 0.000174
t Critical two-tail 2.306004
The null hypothesis states that between the two structures there is no significant difference.
While the alternative hypothesis states that there is a significant difference between the amounts
of voltage within the two structures. Since the p-value=0.000174< .01, there is a high significant
Concave Convex
Mean 0.028 0.0326
Variance 6.25E-05 1.93E-05
Observations 5 5
Pooled Variance 4.09E-05
Hypothesized Mean Difference 0
Df 8
t Stat -1.13728
P(T<=t) one-tail 0.144168
t Critical one-tail 1.859548
P(T<=t) two-tail 0.288337
t Critical two-tail 2.306004
Table 5. Comparative Analysis between Concave and Convex structure using t-Test: Two-
The null hypothesis states that between the two structures there is no significant difference.
While the alternative hypothesis states that there is a significant difference between the amounts
of voltage within the two structures. Since the p-value=0.288337> .1, there is no significant
Flat Convex
Mean 0.0528 0.0326
Variance 0.0000087 1.93E-05
Observations 5 5
Pooled Variance 0.000014
Hypothesized Mean Difference 0
Df 8
t Stat 8.536057973
P(T<=t) one-tail 1.36494E-05
t Critical one-tail 1.859548038
P(T<=t) two-tail 2.72989E-05
t Critical two-tail 2.306004135
Table 6. Comparative Analysis between Flat and Convex structure using t-Test: Two-Sample
The null hypothesis states that between the two structures there is no significant difference.
While the alternative hypothesis states that there is a significant difference between the amounts
of voltage within the two structures. Since the p-value=2.72989E-05< .01, there is a high
Conclusion
The research was conducted to prove the effectiveness of the prototype in terms of
producing electricity and to determine if there is a significant difference between the amounts of
voltage produce by each of the Blu-Code structures. The researchers used voltmeter to measure
the energy produced for one hour. Based on the information gathered, the three structures are
effective and has acquired a voltage that has been measured. There was a high significant
difference between the amounts of voltage in the three structures based on the data generated.
The researchers conclude that it is an effective source of electricity and that the flat structure was
Recommendations
The researchers Blu-Code as an alternative solar panel can still have many improvements
given enough knowledge and time. The researchers gathered only a tiny amount of electricity but
there are still dozens of possibilities in making it more efficient. For it to generate more voltage
try palcing more Blu-Code disc that can be enough to store in a battery. The researchers estimate
it up to more than 40 discs. Having more zener diodes can also affect the increase flow of
electricity in the panel. Also having more copper coils in the disc can be the reason of less output
for the reason that the further electricity travels it loses voltage in the way to the output. So using
less copper coils might help. One more important thing is to have an expert of this field to guide
Based solar cells: Good for the environment, Good for the Consumer. (n.d). Retrieved
from https://www.copper.org/publications/newsletters/innovations/2007/05/solarenergy.html
Fellman, M. (n.d). Blu-Ray Disc Can Be Used to Improve Solar Cell Performance.
Retrieved from: https://new.northwestern.edu/stories/2014/11/blu-ray-disc-can-be-used-to-
improve-solar-cell-perfoemance/
Liay, L.C (2016, April 3). Energy Crisis in the Philippines: An Electricity or Presidential
Power Shortage? Retrieved from: https://asiafoundation.org/2015/03/18/energy-crisis-in-the-
philippines-an-electricity-or-presidential-power-shortage/
Patel, Prashant. (2018). Solar Panel Using Blu-Ray (BR) Light Trapping Technology.
Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330508795_Solar_Panel_Using_BluRay_BR_Light_Tr
apping_Technology
Rizwan, Mohd &Waghmare, Santosh & Labade, Suvarna & Fuke, Pooja & Tekale, Anil.
(2017). A Review Paper on Electricity Generation from Solar Energy. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320735235_A_Review_Paper_on_Electricty_Generati
on_from_Solar_Energy
Sta. Ana, G. K. (2019). An experimental study on light sensitive direct current motor to
produce electricity for lighting purposes. Baguio City: Saint Louis School, Inc.
SunPower, (2019, June 26). A Complete Guide to 7 Renewable Energy Sources.
Retrieved from: https://us.sunpower.com/complete-guide-7-renewable-energy-sources
SunPower, (2019, June 26). What is Solar Energy and How Do Solar Panel Works
Retrieved from: https://us.sunpower.com/what-solar-energy-and-how-do-solar-panel-work
Times, J. M. T. (2014, November 25). How Your Blu-Ray Discs Could Improve Solar
Cells. Retrieved from https://www.techtimes.com/articles/20946/20141125/how-your-blu-ray-
discs-could-improve-solar-cells.htm.
APPENDICES
1:30 PM 2:15 PM
1:45 PM 2:30 PM
2:00 PM
Appendix B. Concave Structure
1:30 PM 2:15 PM
1:45 PM 2:30 PM
2:00 PM
Appendix C. Convex Structure
1:30 PM 1:45 PM
2:00 PM 2:15 PM
2:30 PM
MARIFEL VERSOZA BONGLOY
November 2019
September 2019
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Outstanding Student
Junior High School
With honors
SKILLS
Writing
Self-Management
LANGUAGES
AFFILIATION
PERSONAL INFORMATIONS
Nationality: Filipino
CHARACTER REFERENCES
Adviser/ Teacher
November 2019
September 2019
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
SKILLS
Writing
Self-Management
Work Ethics
Has the ability to work with others well; willing to learn and aims for excellence; seeks
LANGUAGES
Filipino – Proficient (Spoken and Written)
AFFILIATION
PERSONAL PARTICULARS
Nationality: Filipino
CHARACTER REFERENCES
Adviser/ Teacher
November 2019
September 2019
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Senior High School (Present)
Irisan, Harvester
Sablan
SKILLS
Writing
Self-Management
Team Management
Effective in leading and managing teams to make sure projects are completed successfully
Work Ethics
LANGUAGES
AFFILIATION
PERSONAL INFORMATIONS
Nationality: Filipino
CHARACTER REFERENCES
Adviser/ Teacher