STUDENT-DESIGNED INVESTIGATION: THE EFFECT OF CLOUDS AND SOLID POLLUTANTS ON A SOLAR CELL

NAME: ______CLASS: ______DATE: ______

Inquiry question

How is the power output of a photovoltaic cell affected by clouds and by dirt and other solid pollutants?

Advice

1 Use the Investigation Planner to plan your investigation.

2 You will be provided with the following materials:

• STELR solar cell panel

• 2 digital multimeters

• 2 STELR light sources

• Power pack

• Connecting cables with ‘piggy-back’ banana plugs

3 As you plan your investigation, these are some of the decisions you will need to make:

• How will you simulate cloud cover? Remember some light passes through clouds.

• What materials will you need to simulate cloud cover?

• How you will measure the effect of percentage cloud cover on the power produced?

• How will you simulate solid pollutants in a way that will not damage the solar panel?

• What materials will you need to simulate solid pollutants?

• How will you measure the extent to which the cell is covered by pollutants so you can measure the effect of percentage cover on the power produced?

Discussion

Discuss the implications of your findings for grids of solar panels on top of buildings that are exposed to dust, dirt, leaves and so on, as well as to clouds.

STUDENT-DESIGNED INVESTIGATION:
THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON A SOLAR CELL

NAME: ______CLASS: ______DATE: ______

Inquiry question

How is the voltage delivered by a solar panel affected by the temperature of its environment?

Advice

1 Use the Investigation Planner to plan your investigation.

2 You will be provided with the following materials:

• STELR solar cell panel

• Digital multimeter

• 2 STELR light sources

• STELR infrared thermometer

• Power pack

• Connecting cables with ‘piggy-back’ banana plugs

3 As you plan your investigation, these are some of the decisions you will need to make:

• What factors will cause a change in the temperature of a solar panel?

• How will you change the temperature of the environment in which the solar panel is situated, without changing other variables?

• How will you ensure that you measure the temperature in a consistent way?

Discussion

Discuss the implications of your findings for installing solar panels in different regions that have different climates, and for the performance of solar panels in a given region when the air temperature changes significantly over the year.

STUDENT-DESIGNED INVESTIGATION:
THE EFFECT OF ANGLE AND DIRECTION OF A SOLAR CELL

NAME: ______CLASS: ______DATE: ______

Inquiry question

What is the best direction and angle for mounting a solar panel?

1 Use the Investigation Planner to plan your investigation.

2 You will be provided with the following materials:

• STELR solar cell panel

• 2 digital multimeters

• 2 STELR light sources

• Power pack

• Connecting cables with ‘piggy-back’ banana plugs

• Protractor

3 As you plan your investigation, these are some of the decisions you will need to make:

• What will be the best measure of the performance of the solar cell – voltage, current, electrical power or electrical energy?

• Will you use the lamps as the light source or the Sun?

• How will you measure the angle of the solar panel?

• How will you measure its direction?

Discussion

Discuss the implications of your findings for installing grids of solar panels on top of a building or elsewhere.

STUDENT-DESIGNED INVESTIGATION:
THE BEST DESIGN FOR A WIND TURBINE

NAME: ______CLASS: ______DATE: ______

Inquiry questions

1 What is the maximum power you can produce using the STELR wind turbine?

2 What is your best design for a wind turbine?

Advice

1 Use the Investigation Planner to plan your investigation.

2 You will be provided with the following materials:

• fan • 2 x digital multimeters

• STELR testing station • STELR wind turbine

• STELR hub • Pack of wooden dowels

• Retort stand and clamp • Connecting cables with ‘piggy-back’ banana plugs

You need to decide what else you will need.

3 As you plan your investigation, these are some of the decisions you will need to make:

• How will you measure the power delivered by the wind turbines?

• How will you best use the results of your class investigation of different variables that affect the performance of a wind turbine to save ‘reinventing the wheel’?

• What materials and shapes might you try using for the blades of the wind turbine you make?

Discussion

Discuss the implications of your findings for designing wind turbines for a wind farm.