Solar Power

Question 1

How much energy in the form of sunlight that reaches Earth is sufficient to power humanity’s energy needs for a YEAR

Answer 1

One hour of Sun exposure is sufficient

Question 2

How much energy from the Sun reaches Earth?

Answer 2

A portion.
Some gets reflected back
Some gets absorbed in the air

Question 3

When was the first practical solar cell established and by who?

Answer 3

In 1954 by Bell Labs

Question 4

What sizes do Solar cells come in?

Answer 4

They range from the size of a stamp to being 12cm in length

Question 5

Describe how a solar cell produces electricity

Answer 5

1. Sunlight reaches the 2 layers of the solar cell
2. This knocks some electrons
3. They flow from the bottom to top layer and to a load through metal contacts
4. The negative of the load is connected to bottom layer and process repeats

Question 6

A typical coal plant produces ____ of power

Answer 6

500MW

Question 7

Solar panels work best when they ___ the Sun

Answer 7

face

Question 8

How much KWh does on electric lightbulb rated at 40W operating for 5 hours a day?

Answer 8

0.2 kWh

40W*5h = 200Wh = 0.2kWh

Question 9

Capacitors ___ DC signals and ___ AC signals

Answer 9

Block

Transmit

Question 10

When will we run out of fossil fuels?

Answer 10

In 100 years

Question 11

What effect does doping the solar panels have?

Answer 11

It creates a positive and negative charge to the 2 semiconductor slices

Question 12

What does CSP stand for?

Answer 12

Concentrated Solar Power

Question 13

During doping, phosphorus is added to the top layer giving it _____ electrons. A positive charge of boron added to bottom layer giving it ____ electrons

Answer 13

additional

less

Question 14

Which kind of solar panel was widely used before being surpassed with a new technology?

Answer 14

Monocrystalline was the market leader before being surpassed by polycrystalline

Question 15

Which type of panels are more efficient mono or polycrystalline panels?

Answer 15

None. Inefficiency is IDENTICAL

Question 16

Due to technological advancements, the 60-cell polycrystalline panel has been buffed from ___ W to ___ W

Answer 16

240

300

Question 17

The output of thin film cells started at ___ % (a few years ago) but now stands at ___ %

Answer 17

1

10-15

Question 18

Monocrystalline panels come with a ___ year long warranty

Answer 18

25

They are very inert and durable and will likely last more than 25 years

Question 19

How do PWM solar charger controllers work?

Answer 19

They are fitted between the solar array and battery bank DIRECTLY. The capacity of the solar array MUST match the battery’s capacity. E.g. 12V panel charging a 12V battery.

Question 20

Which is better? PWM or MPPT solar charger controllers and why?

Answer 20

MPPT. They provide 30% more power and are versatile with the fact that PV panel capacity doesn’t have to match the load.

Question 21

What does Download Depth (DoD) mean and give an example?

Answer 21

It refers to how much power you can extract from a battery. Some charge must be retained in it.
For example, a 80% DoD on a 10kWh battery means you should use more than 8kWh before recharging

Question 22

Expand on what 80% round trip efficiency means?

Answer 22

It means 4kWh / 5kWh = 80%.

4kWh is the output capacity of the battery DESPITE feeding it 5kWh.

It’s a measure of losses pertaining to the converter and other electrical lossses

Question 23

What’s the average usable life for a solar battery?

Answer 23

5 - 15 years

Wow, the actual solar panel lasts 25 years+

Question 24

Nominal solar panel rating is 12V but how much is it designed to output?

Answer 24

16 - 18V

Question 25

Panels which track the sun produce __% more electricity during winter and __% more during summer

Answer 25

15 | 35

Question 26

If you work at home or day or have a pool pump, expect your solar panels to provide __ % of your energy needs

Answer 26

65. | The other 35% you export

Question 27

Avoid any solar company that offers a _______________________

Answer 27

100% solar self-consumption reimbursement

Question 28

East-facing panels will provide the most electricity during the _____. West-facing panels peak during the _____ North-facing panels perform the best around _____

Answer 28

a) morning b) afternoon c) midday

Question 29

Expect a payback period to be around ______.

Answer 29

4 - 7 years. This varies with system size and electricity consumption

Question 30

By how much will batteries reduce your dependency on the grid?

Answer 30

95%

Question 31

What's the payback period for solar batteries?

Answer 31

15 years

Question 32

Labor costs account for more than ___ of the total cost of a solar PV system

Answer 32

50%

Question 33

A single solar panel costs of ___ _____ ____

Answer 33

60 silicon wafers

Question 34

To ensure the ______ remains the same, the panels must be mounted in the same ___ and ___

Answer 34

a) voltage output b) angle c) height

Question 35

Solar prices have dropped by how much in the last decade?

Answer 35

+70%

Question 36

How often should you clean your solar panels?

Answer 36

2-4 times a year

Question 37

If the temperature is above ___, the panels lose about ____ per degree of output.

Answer 37

a) 90 degrees Celsius | b) 1%