This week our experiment looked at solar panels, and their relationship to different intensities and colors of light. Each team had an NXT CPU, a solar panel, a flash light, and 3 distinct color filters. The purpose of the experiment was to better understand voltage as a function of light, color, and distance.
Solar panel capacity and efficiency are quite relevant to our course goals, it involves the conservation and educated use of energy. The experiment is also relevant because it gives us a better understanding of solar panels in general, and their potential role in the critical renewable energy industry. We have already seen how market fluctuations and political gesturing can effect the potential of green technology to have an impact, so a better understanding of the science behind solar technology is highly useful going forward.

Procedure : To determine the relationship of distance to the intensity of light we used flashlights on our solar panels at distances of 0, 10, 30, and 40 cms. We performed this step once with NO filter, and once with each colored filter. The NO filter table gave us a solid baseline of how much energy the solar panel was taking in at each distance.

We ran the same experiment again, to the best of our ability, with each colored filter (GREEN, BLUE, ORANGE)

We concluded that there was a positive correlation between proximity and intensity. In other words, the closer the panel is to the source, the more energy it will receive.

There was a noticeable, but relatively insignificant discrepancy between the intensity produced by the color filters.

As we learned through the Solyndra “scandal” , the materials that are used to manufacture solar panels can have dramatic impact on marketability and cost effectiveness. A steep drop in the price of silicon had a grave effect on the price model of Solyndras high-tech solar panels. Solyndra, which had previously been injected with hundreds of millions of government dollars, went under despite its effective, quality product. This raises some intriguing questions about the future of solar panel technology. How can experimentation with different kinds of materials, and placement of solar panels, help them to be more effective and or easier to produce. It seems to me that solar energy is unmatched in its promise as a green technology. Maximizing use of solar energy could hypothetically END the search for renewables, and dependence on coal and gas. This would be an endgame, far down the road, but the promise is so great that further government funded experimentation with solar techniques is imperative.

Our data from the experiment is below.
Conclusions : Proximity is positively correlated with intensity (voltage), Reddish light showed the strongest resistance to intensity-decay over distance. The materials, placement, manufacturing, and all physical aspects of solar panels should be constantly tested to find ways to improve their effectiveness. Natural phenomena (strength of red light, proximity=intensity, magnification) should be exploited to the maximum to improve solar energy efficiency.

RESULTS :