Low Cost Alternative Energy Lab

Fall 2011 Meeting of WAPTBy

Roger Hanke –NTC (Retired)

Goals

• Provide Hands-on Experience With Solar Power

• Introduce Students to Basic Terminology Associated with Solar Panels

• Provide Students with a Lab Experience that Differentiates between Published Data and Real Life Data

• Provide Students an Outside Lab in Spring

Challenges

• Cost– Firmly believe in small lab groups (four or less)

• Storage Space

Solar Panels from Northern Tool

Polycrystalline (item #336608)• 11 watts• 12 volts• $99.99 ($79.99)

Amorphous (item #121186)• 5 watts• 12 volts• $59.99

Final Lab Setup

• Polycrystalline • Amorphous

Equipment Needed

• Two Millimeters• One 25 ohm power resistor• One Polycrystalline Panel Mounted on a Variable Angle

Stand• One Amorphous Panel Mounted on a Variable Angle

Stand• One Laminated 2’ x2’ sheet Giving Azimuth Angles

Ranging from 90o to 270o

• Sun Angle Chart for That Day• Blackboard Protractor

Sun Angles

Sun Angle Chartsolardat.uoregon.edu/SunchartProgram.php

Lab Procedure

• Part 1– Set Panel Angle to the Complement of Sun Angle for

that Time of Day– Take Current and Voltage reading for Azimuth angles

90o to 270o in 10 o increments• Part 2– Set Azimuth Angle to the Azimuth Angle for that

Time of Day– Take Current and Voltage reading for Panel Angles 0o

to 90o in 10 o increments

Results-Part 1

Results – Part 2

Challenges/Improvements

• Hard to Read Computer Screens Outside• Cloudless Sky Helps• Read Current and Voltage Directly with the

Computer using Vernier Probes– Have the Voltage Probe– Need High Current Probe

• Need to Experiment With Different Size Power Resistors

Low Cost Wind Tunnel