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Question
How does solar power generation affect the environment
compared to other means of power generation? Will a solar beater
work with the same power as an electric beater?
Hypothesis
We believe that if we put solar panels to a beater it would
waste less energy and won’t contaminate the world, and the solar
beater will work the same as an electric powered beater.
Independent variable: sunlight
dependent variable: power
Research
The traditional forms of electricity generation mostly used in the US are: natural gas,
nuclear power plants, coal fired power plants and oil. All these sources are known to
contaminate the planet. For example coal, natural gas and nuclear power all pollute water,
and this can harm wild life very much, they also generate a lot of emissions witch are bad
for the air we breath. Solar energy production does not pollute water and does not
generate harmful emissions.
The most common forms of traditional energy production -- coal,
natural gas and nuclear -- all utilize water during mining processes and
for cooling during combustion. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency states that water removal for traditional energy use can damage
wildlife populations of rivers and lakes. Solar, wind and geothermal
systems require little or no water and often reuse water supplies to
minimize impact. (1)
Solar
About This Technology
Solar energy is a renewable resource because it is continuously supplied to the earth by
the sun. There are two common ways to convert solar energy into electricity:
photovoltaic and solar-thermal technologies. Photovoltaic systems consist of wafers
made of silicon or other conductive materials. When sunlight hits the wafers, a chemical
reaction occurs, resulting in the release of electricity. Solar-thermal technologies
concentrate the sun's rays with mirrors or other reflective devices to heat a liquid to
create steam, which is then used to turn a generator and create electricity.
Reserves
Solar resources are available everywhere in the United States, although some areas
receive less sunlight than others, depending on the climate and seasons. The greatest
solar resources are located in the Southwestern states, where sufficient solar energy falls
on an area of 100 miles by 100 miles to provide all of the nation's electricity
requirements.2
Environmental Impacts
Air Emissions
Emissions associated with generating electricity from solar technologies are negligible
because no fuels are combusted.(2)
Water Resource Use
Photovoltaic systems do not require the use of any water to create electricity. Solar-thermal
technologies may tap local water resources if the liquid that is being heated to create steam
is water. In this case, the water can be re-used after it has been condensed from steam back
into water.
Water Discharges
Solar technologies do not discharge any water while creating electricity.
Solid Waste Generation
Solar-thermal technologies do not produce any substantial amount of solid waste while
creating electricity. The production of photovoltaic wafers creates very small amounts of
hazardous materials that must be handled properly to avert risk to the environment or to
people.
Land Resource Use
Photovoltaic systems require a negligible amount of land area because they are typically
placed on existing structures. In contrast, solar-thermal technologies may require a
significant amount of land, depending upon the specific solar-thermal technology used.
Solar energy installations do not usually damage the land they occupy, but they prevent it
from being used for other purposes. In addition, photovoltaic systems can negatively affect
wildlife habitat because of the amount of land area the technology requires.(2)
Materials
-
4 solar cells
1 motor of 9 volts
Soft balso (13 & 14.5 cm)
A small beater
10 or more small wires
1 soldering iron
Welding
A small tube or holder
Tape
Procedure
1. Draw out the plans of a circuit
2. Gather materials
3. Make the circuit with the panels and
the wires
4. Test your circuit with a voltmeter and
see how many volts you get (about 9
volts)
5. Connect and weld the motor to the
circuit
6. Test the motor (if it doesn’t work do
steps 1,3,4 and 5)
7. Connect the small beater to the motor
8. Make the structure
Conclusion
Our hypothesis was right, solar power generation is the most
environment friendly form of energy generation and the
beater with solar panel works the same as a normal beater,
just that it depends on the amount of sun. When the sun
illuminates the panels and when you connect the motor it
takes about 30 sec. for the motor to start moving, but the solar
beater works the same as a normal beater. The amount of
sunlight does affect the quality of the beater, the more sun,
the better it works. A source of error was that we had a bad
panel so it took us very long to make the beater work, this can
be improved by making sure all the panels work measuring
their voltage. We learned that if we put solar panels to things
that use electricity we would waste less electricity and we
wouldn’t contaminate the world.
1. Traditional Energy Sources vs. Green Power Sources
by Dawn Walls-Thumma, Demand Media
http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/traditional-energy-sources-vsgreen-power-sources-2442.html
2. US Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/non-hydro.html