Solar Energy is everywhere
The sun gives off more energy in one second, than people have used from the beginning of time .It is bigger than anything we can really imagine -- a million planet earths would fit inside it! It takes millions of years for the energy from the center of the sun to reach the sun’s surface. And then just eight minutes for it to travel the 93 million miles to earth.
Temperature Graph September October 2011
25
Temperature in degrees Celcius
20
15 Series1 Series2 Series3 10
5
0 Day
27th
28th
29th
1st
6th
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11th
Days of the month
We harvested lots of solar energy in September and October. On two days the temperature of the water increased by 8 ºC. The lowest increase of temperature was 2º C on the 28th of September. The average increase in temperature was 5.5º C We were very successful harvesting solar energy in September and October.
Harvesting solar energy outside
Checking the temperature in the large black tin
Solar Energy Dictionary Electricity
A kind of energy used for lighting, heating and making machines work.
Evaporate
Change from liquid into steam or vapour
Fossil fuel
Coal, natural gas and oil made by decaying and harden into rock.
Fuel
Something that is burned to make heat or power, such as coal and oil.
Global warming
The increase in the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere, caused by the greenhouse effect.
Photovoltaic (PV)
Ia method of generating electrical power by converting solar energy into electrical power.
Pollution
To make a place or thing dirty or impure.
Solar
1 To do with the sun. 2 powered by the sun’s energy.
Sustainable
To keep something going
Thermal
Adjective to do with heat ; using heat
Vapour
A visible gas to which something can be converted by heat. For example steam or mist
By Shauna Doyle and Jamie O’Moore
Using Solar Energy to Purify Water We put 600ml of salty water into a plastic container. We used food colouring to turn the water red.
Then we put a small bowl standing in the middle of the plastic container
We used cling wrap to cover the container. We used an eraser to weigh down the centre of the cling wrap. We put in the window facing the sun. After a while we noticed drops of moisture on the cling wrap. The moisture dropped into the small bowl. We collected a small amount of clean water. By Laura Kelly
Solar House
We built this eco-house in class it took one day to build. It has a fan on one side of the roof and an alarm on the other side. It has a ladder on the right side of the house and a fence surrounding the house. You can use it in solar mode but due to limited power supply only one electric consuming part such as the windmill and alarm . The solar panel cannot hold solar energy inside it. So we have to use batteries as a back up
Solar Lamp
Our teacher brought in a lamp that works on solar energy. We put the lamp in the window and used the energy from the sun to recharge the battery. The next day we put the lamp on our table to see how long the energy would last.
Harvesting Solar Energy January 2012 Date 11th 12th 13th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 30th
Water temp at 10 a.m. 9ºC 9 ºC 5 ºC 6 ºC 11 ºC 11 ºC 6 ºC 9 ºC 8 ºC 11 ºC 10 ºC 5 ºC 5 ºC 4 ºC
Water temp.at 2 p.m. 11 ºC 12 ºC 7 ºC 7 ºC 11 ºC 12 ºC 9 ºC 11 ºC 8 ºC 12 ºC 11 ºC 7 ºC 8 ºC 6 ºC
Difference 2 ºC 3 ºC 2 ºC 1 ºC 0 ºC 1 ºC 3 ºC 2 ºC 0 ºC 1 ºC 1 ºC 2 ºC 3 ºC 2 ºC
Weather Partly cloudy Partly cloudy Sunny but cold Cloudy Cloudy Cloudy Drizzle Partly cloudy Fairly cold Drizzle Cold Cold Dry Rainy
Change in Temperature in January 14
Temperature in Degrees Celsius
12
10
8 Morning temperature Afternoon temperature 6
4
2
0 11th
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Dates
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