Can solar energy actually be a source to replace our energy and solve environmental problems?


Some people overestimate the power that solar panels have. The purpose of this experiment is to demonstrate the actual power generated by solar panels . We will use a multimeter to measure how much electricity one solar panel produces per hour, and then by day, and what hours of the day are optimal for solar energy production. Then, we will calculate how much electricity is used in a house per day and then calculate the size of the solar operation needed to fulfill those needs. The second part of the experiment will show the safety issues such as production of greenhouse gases, the melting of metal and use of chemicals involved in the creation and maintenance of solar energy in large scales.

Hypothesis

Solar panels can only convert energy based on the amount of solar energy available; therefore, in the morning, photovoltaic energy should be less, and increase towards midday, and fall towards the evening. Also, any meteorological phenomena that obscures the sky will inherently lower the amount of solar energy available, and therefore, will decrease the amount of photovoltaic output.

Procedures
  1. Gather all materials
  2. Pick up small sized solar panel
  3. Connect solar panel to multimeter using measuring probes
  4. Turn multimeter to 200 volts
  5. Hold solar panel up, faced toward the sun.
  6. Record first measurement at 6:00 AM
  7. Repeat every 30 minutes (6:30, 7:00, 7:30, etc.) until 6:00 PM

 

 

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