Solar Power Reshad, Gabbie, Jacob

History Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect in 1839 Solar Cell was created by Russell Ohl in 1941 The usage of solar power has increased about 76% every year for the past 7 years

How it Works Solar panels work by collecting photons of light energy from the Sun. For optimum efficiency solar panels should be dark and coated glass to decrease the light reflection and to increase absorption Photovoltaic cells, which make up solar panels, convert sunlight energy into a direct current When sunlight hits the photovoltaic cells they release a set of electrons to create a direct current

Advantages Clean Inexhaustible Cheap Incentives

Disadvantages Low output Weak Efficiency Inconsistent

Affordability Over a billion people don’t have electricity While the upfront costs may be a lot, solar power is becoming cheaper and cheaper to maintain. The cost of solar energy has decreased 45% and is continuing to decrease as changes in technology make it more affordable

Formula for Solar Energy The formula to estimate the annual amount of electricity generated in output of a photovoltaic system is : E = A * r * H * PR E = Energy in kilowatt hours A = Total solar panel array area in meters squared r = Solar panel efficiency (%) H = Annual average solar radiation on the tilted panels PR = Performance ratio of the panels

Sankey Diagram

Sources http://www.electronicshub.org/solar-energy-advantages-and-disadvantages/ http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/renewable-energy/rooftop-solar-panels-benefits-costs-policies#.WNkzeTvyvIU http://www.seia.org/policy/finance-tax/solar-investment-tax-credit http://www.energymatters.com.au/panels-modules/ https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2002/solarcells http://www.nwwindandsolar.com/solar-power-in-seattle-and-the-northwest/how-do-solar-systems-produce-energy/ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/jan/05/solar-power-billion-without-electricity https://ibphysclimate.wikispaces.com/Energy+degradation