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DESIGN +[]- A +[]- PV System
8 Day Mini-Course For Foote School

Students will learn the basics of photovoltaic (Solar Electrical) components, and be able to identify what they're called, and what function they perform. An understanding of DC, AC, Watts, Voltage, and Amperage is also included. The goal of the course is to teach kids to calculate energy consumption and design photovoltaic systems.

Day One.
How does the Sun produce electrical energy? Find out what kind of energy the sun can produce (light, heat, radiation) and discover what the sun is made of (hydrogen and helium). It's a giant nuclear reactor in the sky!

Then travel 8 minutes to see how solar energy reaches the earth. It would take a million earths to fill the volume that the sun does. We will conduct an exercise [PDF] designed by NASA which requires 65 feet of space.

We'll take a look at a few basic atoms (boron and phosphorus).
We will conduct a class exercise called "Electron Swap."

For assignment, the kids will be provided with an exercise workbook with some questions in the last page to look at, which reinforce the work from the first session.

Day Two.
Today we're going to figure out how to parallel and series circuits.
We're going to take a look at the principles of Electricity. With parallel and series circuitry, we should be able to match a number of panels to an inverter.

For assignment, the kids are going to go home and make a list of electrical items in their house that they use all the time, and try to name a few that they don't use very often.

Day Three
Now that we're able to match panels to inverters, we're going to completely switch perspectives, and start looking at home consumption. How much power do you use? What's a utility rate, and how is it determined (kWh VS kW)?

We're going to first go over the assignment.

We will take a look at a few examples using one standard form, and a series of exercises. These exercises will teach us how to examine our own consumption (the "one sock in a dryer" story) as well as many other human habits that we come across subconsciously, which would be considered impractical from a conservational perspective.

This day is important, because over the next few days, we're going to design systems that will work on their houses. Knowing how much energy the household uses is important for this, because we will need to know how much we will be producing extra for the neighborhood during the day.

Day Four

Components of a Solar Electrical System. What they look like, what they do, what they're called. The booklet Parts [link] will be handed out on day four.

Inverters will be discussed the most. Other items (disconnects, meters) will only be mentioned breifly. A drawing exercise will be provided to establish that the students can remember the correct chronological order in which the components of the system are wired.

assignment: With the help of your parents, try to illustrate an aerial view of your home. Use online sattelite maps, if it helps (Google Earth, for example). Keep into account a broad approximation of trees in the yard, as well as roof pitch. A checklist [link] will be provided.

Day Five

Now that we've gotten this far, we're going to start designing the system for their houses. How many panels will fit, and how much power will that provide?

This will answer many of the questions asked the days before, such as how the roof production. Accuracy of the layout is not important. What will matter is using the provided layout dimensions (again, regardless of accuracy) to design a theoretical system that will fit in that space. The student, using techniques established in the previous classes, should be able to determine the amount of power that the area can provide.

Day Six

The first half of day six will be spent reviewing the material that we have gone over thus far. There is a checklist of concepts that the kids must grasp. A test will be provided, at this point, verifying that the kids can successfully and independently accomplish all of the tasks that have been presented to them, which includes the following list. After the test, there will not be assigned assignment.

Day Seven

Day seven we'll begin by looking at slideshows of photovolatic installations around the state of Connecticut. I'll tell stories about things that happened, and explain answer questions.

After this, we will take a walk around the school and try to establish the best places for solar on the school. Day 8 will be a class project for designing the school electrical system, and the kids will be made aware of this on day 7, so they have some time to think about the options.

No assignment for day seven other than to give day 8 some consideration.

Day Eight

Take all of the information that has been provided, and design a system for the school. Using the area that we designated on the previous day, we will do another rendition of the previous class exercise, in which we used their homes. In the group project, we can verify accuracy and come to a consensus on the best design.

At the end, each student will be given a "Solar Exercises" booklet. The URL to the answers for the booklet are written only in the booklet.


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