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How does the Sun produce energy?
Nuclear Fusion in it's core.
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What is a Parabolic Trough?
A long reflecting trough that focuses sunlight into a fluid-circulating pipe.
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What is Concentrated Solar Power?
Technologies that require a continuous supply of strong sunlight (found in hot dry regions such as deserts).
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What is Solar Energy?
Radiant energy made by the sun.
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Where does radiant energy from the Sun go after reaching Earth's surface?
Reflected back into space (15%), Evaporates water (30%), is absorbed by plants, land and oceans, and the rest could be used for energy needs.
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How is Solar Energy most frequently used today?
It is used to heat air in buildings as well as heat water and generate electricity.
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The four conditions that affect how much Solar Energy is recieved by a location are:
The time of day, season of the year, cloudiness of the sky, and latitude of the area.
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What are the key components of a passive solar home?
House operates as a solar collector, doesn't use any special equipment, relies on properly placed windows (south facing), awnings and shade used to keep house cool.
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A well constructed passive solar home can satisfy about:
50% to 80% of it's heating needs.
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How does a passive solar home become a hybrid solar home?
When special equipment (fans, pumps, boilers, ect.) are added on to a passive solar home, it becomes a hybrid.
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What are the key components of an active solar home?
It uses mechanical equipment, special collector boxes, warm air is transported through the house by the collectors, usually connectors are placed on the roof to get the most sunlight.
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Why is it important for solar buildings to store solar heat? How do both passive and active solar homes do this?
This is important becuase without the ability to store heat, the buildings and homes would be cold on rainy days and at night. In a passive solar home, think insulation (masonary, stone, concrete) absorbs heat and sends it back into the room. In an active solar home, the heat can be stored either by filling a tank with liquid used to store the heat or rock bins can store heat under the building or home.
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About how many years does it take to pay off solar water heaters in homes?
About 5 years.
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What are the two ways to generate Electricity from Solar Energy?
Photovoltaics and Concentrated Solar Power.
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What does PV stand for?
Photovoltaic
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What are some common items powered by PV cells?
Solar powered calculators, toys, and telephone boxes (doctor who ftw)
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What three elements make up a PV cell?
Silicon, Phosphorous, and Boron.
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How efficient are today's PV cells?
only 10% to 20% efficient.
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How efficient are today's fossil fuels?
30% to 40% efficient.
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What are the four advantages of using Solar Energy?
It is a renewable resource, is a good investment (will pay for itself), doesn't produce pollutant gases, and it doesn't have to be mined for.
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What are the disadvantages of using Solar Energy?
Photovaltaic cells aren't very efficient, photovoltaic cell creation consumes silicon and creates waste, solar farms can damage desert ecosystems, and places that get less sunlight (or just at night) will have less energy.
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What creates the seasons?
The angle of insolation and the number of daylight hours.
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What is insolation?
Incoming Solar Radiation.
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The speed of light is:
186,000 miles/sec.
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Small energy packets are called:
Photons
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Passive Solar designs include:
South facing windows, awnings, deciduous trees in the south and carniferous trees in the north.
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What is the name of the day with the longest amount of daylight hours?
The Summer solstice.
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What is the name of the day with the least amount of daylight hours?
The Winter Solstice.
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What is the formula for finding how many kiloWatt hours solar panels produce?
- (average insolation) / (24)= x
- (x) (amt. of efficiency)= amt. of kiloWatt hours solar panels produce.
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The higher the angle of Insolation, the ______ direct the sunrays hit the earth.
less
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The lower the angle of insolation, the ______ direct the sun rays will be.
more.
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Electricity from PV cells must be converted from:
AC to DC
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A device used to collect solar energy is called:
A collector.
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