What, exactly, is solar power? Stated very simply, energy from sunlight is converted to electricity when it contacts photovoltaic (PV) cells. Solar power can be generated bysolar roof shingles and solar panels. Excess energy can be stored in the cells, or occasionally in batteries, to continue providing electrical current after the sun goes down.
If you are a scientist, you can probably understand the explanation of the photovoltaic process set forth by NASA: "Photovoltaics is the direct conversion of light into electricity at the atomic level. Some materials exhibit a property known as the photoelectric effect that causes them to absorb photons of light and release electrons. When these free electrons are captured, an electric current results that can be used as electricity." For the rest of us, it is simple enough to understand that, when ultraviolet (UV) light strikes a solar cell, it activates a thin semiconductor wafer in the cell, which forms an electric field (positive on one side, negative on the other). An electrical current results from the action of sunlight energy knocking electrons away from the atoms in the semiconductor. Well, maybe it is pretty technical after all. Let's turn to some common excuses used by people who are resistant to employ solar power. 1. I don't live in a sunny location! No worries. Energy is still captured by solar cells, even on cloudy or rainy days, because it is ultraviolet light - not necessarily direct sunshine - that produces the necessary PV reaction. Admittedly, the efficiency of the cells is lower on inclement days. But, if you need assurance that you will not have to purchase a home in the desert Southwest to use solar energy, note that Germany is a leading country (second only to Japan) with respect to solar power installations. It certainly isn't the Bahamas. 2. Isn't it too expensive? Not really. While coal-generated electricity is cheaper than solar power in the short run, there are a number of factors which should be considered in determining the bottom line. First, the more people that use solar panels, the less they cost. One estimate is that each time the volume of solar cells doubles, the cost goes down 20%. Plus, solar power installations will increase your home's resale value, according to the Appraisal Institute. It has reported that sellers can expect an additional $20.73 in purchase price for every $1 decrease in annual electric bills. Second, although there is an upfront cost for installation, the energy thereafter is free. More importantly, it is not controlled by supply and policies of a foreign country. Want even more good news? The price for PV cells is estimated to fall 30% over the next four years. Finally, long-term benefits of solar energy cannot be discounted. Reduction of our individual carbon footprints is required to slow the progress of global warming. What price can you put on a polar bear? How about your oceanfront property?
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A great science fair project is to teach your kids how to create a solar cell or solar panel using materials you can buy at a hardware store. Now there are some steps that needs a parents help such as heating metal over the stove. Of course it depends how old the kids are. Older kids may do the heating themselves under a parents supervision, but younger children might just have to stand beside and watch as the parent is perform the heating.
Now if you are creating homemade solar panels for kids, then I would suggest that you go ahead and build your own solar cells from copper. These solar cells doesn't even come near to "real" factory produced solar cells which are made of silicon. The copper solar cells that we are going to do is a very fun alternative but they cannot really be used to produce any greater electricity as we know it. It could be but we would need gigantic amounts of copper that would cost thousands of dollars, and corrode after about 9 months of use. If you want to make homemade solar panels that you can use to power a light bulb for example then you should take a look at this page. Now to start making the solar cell you will need these materials: Sheet of copper2 Alligator clipsMicroampere meterElectric stoveWaterSaltSandpaperMetal shearsPlastic cup You start out by cutting two pieces of copper that can fit into your plastic cup and at the same time can be heated on your stove. Turn the temperature on the highest and heat up one piece of metal. You will se that it will begin to change colors, from red to black. After about 30 minutes: turn off the stove and you will se that the black copper piece is starting to cool down and turn into "copper color" again. When the copper has been cooled for about 20 min then it's time to remove some of the black spots on its surface. You want to be very delicate with this step. If you scrub to hard you can damage the thin red oxide layer you have created with the heating. Try to wash the copper with water and gently use the sand paper to remove the most easiest black spots. Now, it's time to make the solar cell. Take the two pieces of copper sheet, (one is heated the other one is not) and place then in the plastic cup. The are placed apart but still facing each other. Add hot water and a couple of tablespoons of salt to the cup and attach the alligator clips to the copper sheets (one clip for each sheet). Now attach the microampere meter to the two clips and bring the cup out in the sun to see if it produces any electricity. If it does then congratulate your kid for creating their first homemade solar cell. If you want more detailed instructions with pictures then visit this great diy solar cell page which I found. (This is the page where I found out about this project.) Copper is a very expensive material and in order to power a lightbulb it would take lots of copper that would cost you thousands of dollars. The area needed would be enormous compared to a commercial solar cell. Once your kids have made their first solar cell, then perhaps you could buy some factory seconds solar cells off ebay to make a solar panel. This project is a bit more difficult, even for adults so keep in mind that not everyone can pull this project off. To give you more information and some instructions to get started on a real solar panel please see this page. A great science fair project is to teach your kids how to create a solar cell or solar panel using materials you can buy at a hardware store. Now there are some steps that needs a parents help such as heating metal over the stove. Of course it depends how old the kids are. Older kids may do the heating themselves under a parents supervision, but younger children might just have to stand beside and watch as the parent is perform the heating.
Now if you are creating homemade solar panels for kids, then I would suggest that you go ahead and build your own solar cells from copper. These solar cells doesn't even come near to "real" factory produced solar cells which are made of silicon. The copper solar cells that we are going to do is a very fun alternative but they cannot really be used to produce any greater electricity as we know it. It could be but we would need gigantic amounts of copper that would cost thousands of dollars, and corrode after about 9 months of use. If you want to make homemade solar panels that you can use to power a light bulb for example then you should take a look at this page. Now to start making the solar cell you will need these materials: Sheet of copper2 Alligator clipsMicroampere meterElectric stoveWaterSaltSandpaperMetal shearsPlastic cup You start out by cutting two pieces of copper that can fit into your plastic cup and at the same time can be heated on your stove. Turn the temperature on the highest and heat up one piece of metal. You will se that it will begin to change colors, from red to black. After about 30 minutes: turn off the stove and you will se that the black copper piece is starting to cool down and turn into "copper color" again. When the copper has been cooled for about 20 min then it's time to remove some of the black spots on its surface. You want to be very delicate with this step. If you scrub to hard you can damage the thin red oxide layer you have created with the heating. Try to wash the copper with water and gently use the sand paper to remove the most easiest black spots. Now, it's time to make the solar cell. Take the two pieces of copper sheet, (one is heated the other one is not) and place then in the plastic cup. The are placed apart but still facing each other. Add hot water and a couple of tablespoons of salt to the cup and attach the alligator clips to the copper sheets (one clip for each sheet). Now attach the microampere meter to the two clips and bring the cup out in the sun to see if it produces any electricity. If it does then congratulate your kid for creating their first homemade solar cell. If you want more detailed instructions with pictures then visit this great diy solar cell page which I found. (This is the page where I found out about this project.) Copper is a very expensive material and in order to power a lightbulb it would take lots of copper that would cost you thousands of dollars. The area needed would be enormous compared to a commercial solar cell. Once your kids have made their first solar cell, then perhaps you could buy some factory seconds solar cells off ebay to make a solar panel. This project is a bit more difficult, even for adults so keep in mind that not everyone can pull this project off. To give you more information and some instructions to get started on a real solar panel please see this page. What, exactly, is solar power? Stated very simply, energy from sunlight is converted to electricity when it contacts photovoltaic (PV) cells. Solar power can be generated bysolar roof shingles and solar panels. Excess energy can be stored in the cells, or occasionally in batteries, to continue providing electrical current after the sun goes down.
If you are a scientist, you can probably understand the explanation of the photovoltaic process set forth by NASA: "Photovoltaics is the direct conversion of light into electricity at the atomic level. Some materials exhibit a property known as the photoelectric effect that causes them to absorb photons of light and release electrons. When these free electrons are captured, an electric current results that can be used as electricity." For the rest of us, it is simple enough to understand that, when ultraviolet (UV) light strikes a solar cell, it activates a thin semiconductor wafer in the cell, which forms an electric field (positive on one side, negative on the other). An electrical current results from the action of sunlight energy knocking electrons away from the atoms in the semiconductor. Well, maybe it is pretty technical after all. Let's turn to some common excuses used by people who are resistant to employ solar power. 1. I don't live in a sunny location! No worries. Energy is still captured by solar cells, even on cloudy or rainy days, because it is ultraviolet light - not necessarily direct sunshine - that produces the necessary PV reaction. Admittedly, the efficiency of the cells is lower on inclement days. But, if you need assurance that you will not have to purchase a home in the desert Southwest to use solar energy, note that Germany is a leading country (second only to Japan) with respect to solar power installations. It certainly isn't the Bahamas. 2. Isn't it too expensive? Not really. While coal-generated electricity is cheaper than solar power in the short run, there are a number of factors which should be considered in determining the bottom line. First, the more people that use solar panels, the less they cost. One estimate is that each time the volume of solar cells doubles, the cost goes down 20%. Plus, solar power installations will increase your home's resale value, according to the Appraisal Institute. It has reported that sellers can expect an additional $20.73 in purchase price for every $1 decrease in annual electric bills. Second, although there is an upfront cost for installation, the energy thereafter is free. More importantly, it is not controlled by supply and policies of a foreign country. Want even more good news? The price for PV cells is estimated to fall 30% over the next four years. Finally, long-term benefits of solar energy cannot be discounted. Reduction of our individual carbon footprints is required to slow the progress of global warming. What price can you put on a polar bear? How about your oceanfront property? Now everyone can enjoy some solar! These solar panels allow people to heat up food, so they can have good food by killing off some of the dormant bacteria! make sure to watch it all!
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