LESSON PLAN SNAPSHOT DRAFT: 3.4.12
EXPLORING SOLAR CURRICULUM
45 minutes
SUMMARY
LESSON THREE: Basic Electricity and Solar Orientation
TOPIC(S):
Introduction to electricity
Solar design & orientation principles
Extended Activity Learning:
Planning for Solar Energy at your School
TIME: Plus extended learning
Projector
MATERIALS Notebooks & paper
NEEDED: Activity handouts
Multi-meter, compass
ESSENTIAL What are the basics of electricity?
What are important solar orientation principles?
QUESTIONS:
Students understand the basics principles and vocabulary related to electricity.
OBJECTIVES: Students understand the importance of solar orientation, eliminating shade and how to use a multi-meter.
ADDITIONAL INFO
ACTIVITY
ESTIMATED TIME
EXERCISE
DESCRIPTION
5 min.
WARM-UP DISCUSSION
What is the latitude of your city or town? What angle should you set
your solar panels at to get the most sun?
20 min.
PRESENTATION
PowerPoint: Basic Electricity, Solar Orientation & Load Analysis
15 min.
TEAM ACTIVITY
Solar Panel Testing Lab Activity
5 min.
CLOSING QUESTIONS
Where would be a good place to put solar panels at your school that
doesn’t have shade obstacles?
45 min.
EXTENDED LEARNING
Planning for Solar Energy at your School
SUGGESTED Do students understand basic electricity vocabulary?
Do students understand the importance of solar orientation factors?
ASSESSMENTS Did students participate in the activities and class discussions?
VOCABULARY
Electrical Energy
Electricity
Watt
Voltage
Atom
Electron
P-N Junction
Radiant energy
Circuits
Amperage
Photon
Neutron
Proton
Direct Current (DC)
Alternating Current (AC)
Solar Orientation
Solar Pathfinder
Latitude
Multi-meter
pg. 1
TEACHER GUIDE:
Classroom discussion & Materials Needed
SOLAR PANEL TESTING LAB ACTIVITY (pg. 5)
MATERIALS NEEDED FOR SOLAR PANEL TESTING LAB ACTIVITY:
1. Multi-meter
2. Compass
3. 3V solar panel or Solar panel from your solar car kit
4. Wires with alligator clips
5. Protractor
6. Aluminum foil
QUESTIONS:
1. Where would be a good place to put solar panels at your school that doesn’t have shade obstacles?
Have students brainstorm site possibilities or walk around the school. The school roof and sidewalk shade structures could be
possibilities. Avoid shade obstacles and determine if the panels should be visible from the street or hidden. Some schools use a pole
mount system in an un-shaded area to assure full sun.
2. What is the Latitude of your city or town? At what angle should you set your solar panels?
Students can use Google to find out their sites latitude. Austin’s latitude is 30 and that is the best year-round angle to set solar
panels in Austin.
pg. 2
Basic Electricity
DID YOU KNOW? The average North American uses six times more energy than the global average!
In the United States, we use more than $1,000,000 (one million) of energy each minute! Source: (EPA)
BASIC ELECTRICITY VOCABULARY
Electrical Energy: is delivered by tiny charged particles called
electrons, typically moving through a wire. Example: Electrical
energy is stored in a cell phone and in a car battery. It also
travels though power lines and into your home.
Radiant Energy: is electromagnetic energy that travels in waves,
including visible light, radio waves, x-rays and gamma rays.
Example: Sunshine is radiant energy, provides warmth and fuel
that makes all life on earth possible.
Electricity: has its own set of units. The three most basic in
electrical systems are voltage, current, and resistance. A Multimeter is an instrument used to measure electrical quantities.
Circuits: are how electricity travels in closed loops. It must have
a complete path before the electrons can move. If a circuit is
open, the electrons cannot flow. When we flip on a light-switch,
we close a circuit. The electricity flows from an electric wire,
through the light bulb, and back out another wire.
Amperage: or current is the amount of electrical flow.
Measured in amperes (amps).
Kilowatt hour: is a unit of energy equal to 1000 watt hours. It is
the unit commonly used by electric utilities to bill consumers.
(1kWh=1000 watt-hour)
Watts: are units of power. (1000 watts = 1 kW)
Volts x Amps = Watts
Voltage: is the measurement of the "push" of electric current.
Rate at which energy flows. Measured in volts.
Atoms: are the basic units of a chemical element.
Photon: are basic unit of light. A photon carries energy but has
zero rest mass.
Electron: is a stable subatomic particle with a charge of negative
electricity found in all atoms. Acts as the primary carrier of
electricity in solids.
Neutrons: are subatomic particles of about the same mass as a
proton but without an electric charge. Present in all atomic
nuclei except those of ordinary hydrogen.
P – N Junction: such as a solar cell is the area where electricity is
first generated in a semiconductor. More specifically, it is the
boundary between p-type and n-type materials in a
semiconductor device and functions as a rectifier, or conversion
space, for electrical generation.
Protons: are a stable subatomic particle occurring in all atomic
nuclei with a positive electric charge equal in magnitude to that
of an electron, but of opposite sign.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AC AND DC ELECTRICITY
Thomas Edison discovered
Direct Current (DC) where the
flow of electricity is in one
direction only and substantially
constant in value. Direct current
runs though battery powered
devices, solar cells, and LED
lights.
Nikola Tesla discovered Alternating
Current (AC) where the electric charge
periodically reverses direction at regularly
recurring intervals and is transmitted to
customers by a transformer. Alternating
current runs though car motors, radio
signals and appliances.
Source: good.is
pg. 3
SOLAR DESIGN INFO SHEET
Solar Design Orientation Guide
Designing a solar energy system starts with calculating the amount of energy you would like to have the system produce. A solar
energy engineer/designer will match a system’s energy output to a variety of important solar components like solar panels,
batteries, charge controllers, inverters, and breakers.
A south facing solar array is the
best position to absorb the most
sunlight for the northern
hemisphere. The sun’s angle
changes +15 in the summer and 15 in the winter.
Shade obstacles: Solar panels
should be free of shade from trees
or buildings from 9am-3pm or their
performance will be reduced
significantly. A Solar Pathfinder
device is used to analyze exactly
where the shadows will be at
different times of the day so the
solar array is placed in the best
spot.
The angle at which a solar array is
set towards the sun is based on
your latitude. In the winter it
should be 15 more and summer
15 less or it should be fixed at the
location’s latitude.
pg. 4
SOLAR DESIGN WORSHEET
Solar Panel Testing Lab Activity
Use this lab activity to become familiar with the effects of shadows and solar panel angle on the total solar panel energy output.
 Test the effects of shadows and tilt on the
output and efficiency of a small solar panel.
 Work outside or in a sunny window in
groups of 3-4 with a 3V solar panel, wires
with alligator clips, multi-meter and a
protractor.
 If you have a smart phone, download the
free Solar Checker app or use a compass.
 Follow the steps below
SOLAR LAB ACTIVITY
Effects of Shadows
1. Using the alligator clips, attach the leads of the solar panel to a multi-meter.
2. Test out how shadows affect the output of your panel. What do you notice?
3. Shade your solar panel to varying degrees by covering it with you hands or other material.
4. Record the corresponding power output with the multi-meter.
(Activity Source: Solar1.org)
Effects of the Solar Panel Angle
1. Determine the angel of incidence of the sun. To do this, point the solar panel directly at the sun.
2. Hold the panel in place and use a protractor to estimate the angle you have tilted the panel. The angle of incidence
should give you the highest output of electricity.
3. Use aluminum foil to reflect light onto the solar panel. How does this affect the output?
4. Record the corresponding power output with the multi-meter.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS



Where would be a good place to put solar panels at your school that doesn’t have shade obstacles?
What is the Latitude of your city? At what angle should your schools solar panels be installed?
Draw a site plan of where you would put solar panels at your school and at what angle they should be installed.
Extended Activity Learning
pg. 5
Solar Action Plan: Planning for Solar Energy at your School
Activity Source: Earth Day Network, US Department of Energy, NEA
Students from around the world are working to get solar panels installed on their school. Here is a list of steps to follow
to help your school go solar.
Step 1. Form a Team
Success happens when people come together. Think of all the amazing scientists in the world. They don’t work alone.
They work with other scientists, researchers and students to produce their results. To build your own team, start with
the people you know. Do you have any friends interested in helping the environment? What about a teacher, mentor
or family member? Focus on building a core team of people who are interested in energy issues and can help you take
action. Keep in mind that obtaining a photovoltaic solar panel system for your school will take time and a lot of hard
work, so be passionate (and patient!).
Step 2. Set a Goal
After you have assembled your core team, schedule a meeting to establish a clear goal that will provide a vision and
focus for your group. This goal will help keep everyone on track, and help you track your progress and success. Here are
a few examples:
 Purchase solar energy to cover 25% of the school’s energy usage.
 Raise enough money to install a photovoltaic solar array at your school.
 Make an overall commitment that your school system will purchase 25% of its energy from renewable energy
sources (such as solar) by 2020.
Step 3. Do Some Research
As you’ve noticed, there are several ways to go solar. Which one is right for your school? That answer will require some
research! Thankfully, some of the work has already been done for you. The U.S. Department of Energy is helping to
catalogue this information through their Solar America Communities Program
(http://solaramericacommunities.energy.gov/solaramericacities) and the Solar Energies Technology Program
(http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar). This could be a good place to start.
Step 4. Develop Key Messages
Any successful campaign needs key messages that help others understand why your goal is important. Here are a few
suggestions:
 “Solar energy will save the school money.”
 “Solar energy will reduce pollution.”
 “An on-site solar system will help our school learn more about energy.”
Step 5. Plan for Success
It’s important to plan out the stages of your campaign from beginning to end. Have strategy meetings each month. For
instance, in the first month you could assemble your team, develop your messaging, and work on fundraising. In the
second month, you might meet with a solar vendor and start spreading your message. Your strategy will be specific to
your school and your goal. Figure out what will work best for you and be creative!
pg. 6
Websites and Resources:
Solar Basics Energy for Kids – U.S. Energy Information Administration
http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=electricity_home-basics
Solar and Photovoltaic cells – U.S. Department of Energy
energy.gov/energysources/solar.htm
Flat-Plate Photovoltaic Systems – U.S. Department of Energy
eere.energy.gov/basics/renewable_energy/flat_plate_pv_systems.html
Solar Energy by cooler planet
solar.coolerplanet.com
I-phone apps
Ohmulator
Solar checker
SolMetric
SunFinder
Sketchbook
pg. 7