TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Photovoltaic Efficiency
Through a series of four lessons, students are introduced to many factors that affect the power output of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. Factors such as the angle of the sun, temperature of the panels, specific circuit characteristics,...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Exploring Solar Power
This unit provides students the opportunity to explore methods engineers have devised for harnessing sunlight to generate power. Students will initially explore heat transfer and heat storage through the construction, testing, and...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Energy Resources and Systems
Several activities are included to teach and research the differences between renewable and non-renewable resources and various energy resources. Learners work with a quantitative, but simple model of energy resources to show how rapidly...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Off the Grid
Students learn and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of renewable and non-renewable energy sources. They also learn about our nation's electric power grid and what it means for a residential home to be "off the grid."
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Passive Solar Design
Young scholars are introduced to passive solar design for buildings--an approach that uses the sun's energy and the surrounding climate to provide natural heating and cooling. They learn about some of the disadvantage of conventional...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Solar Angles and Tracking Systems
Students learn about the daily and annual cycles of solar angles used in power calculations to maximize photovoltaic power generation. They gain an overview of solar tracking systems that improve PV panel efficiency by following the sun...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: The Temperature Effect
Students explore how the efficiency of a solar photovoltaic (PV) panel is affected by the ambient temperature. They learn how engineers predict the power output of a PV panel at different temperatures and examine some real-world...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Maximum Power Point
Students learn how to find the maximum power point (MPP) of a photovoltaic (PV) panel in order to optimize its efficiency at creating solar power. They also learn about real-world applications and technologies that use this technique, as...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Concentrated Solar Power
Students learn how the total solar irradiance hitting a photovoltaic (PV) panel can be increased through the use of a concentrating device, such as a reflector or lens. This is the final lesson in the Photovoltaic Efficiency unit and is...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Solar Power
Students learn about solar energy and how to calculate the amount of solar energy available at a given location and time of day on Earth. The importance of determining incoming solar energy for solar devices is discussed.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Our Amazing, Powerful Sun
Middle schoolers are introduced to the Sun by exploring various aspects of it, including its composition, interior workings, and relationship to the Earth.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Using Heat From the Sun
In this lesson, students will first discuss where energy comes from, including sources such as fossil fuels, nuclear, and such renewable technologies as solar. After this initial exploration, students will investigate the three main...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Designing a Winning Guest Village in the Saguaro National Park
The Challenge Question of the Legacy Cycle draws the student into considering the engineering ingenuity of nature. It will force him to analyze, appreciate and understand the wisdom of these designs as the student team focuses on meeting...
Other
U.s. Department of Energy: Photovoltaics
This site has an overview of PV technology, impact, system application and design. Information is provided on how to select the best solar system for various needs.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Lab 3: Discovering Local Data
An investigation that is part of a series of lab lessons that expose learners to Earth Systems through research, data, and visulazations. This lab specifically has students using a database to gather and graph data to understand the role...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Lab 7: A Year in the Life of the Earth System
An investigation that is part of a series of lab lessons that expose students to Earth Systems through research, data, and visualizations. In this lab, students will observe how the Earth has changed over time to understand the Earth as...
University of Arizona
Pulse: Health Friendly Energy Production
A cross curricular project where students conduct a moot court to explore the role government policy plays in protecting our health. The focus of the unit is how our power effects our environmental health. Students use their knowledge of...
US Energy Information Administration
U.s. Eia Energy Kids: Energy Sources: Renewable
Find out what renewable energy is and the role it plays in meeting energy needs. Renewable energy sources include biomass, hydropower, geothermal, wind, and solar.
US Department of Energy
U.s. Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Access to information, policy initiatives, advice, and analysis on issues of energy efficiency and renewable energy, from the U.S. Department of Energy. Its network is responsible for tracking the technological, economic, and...
US Department of Energy
U.s. Department of Energy: Solar Energy Technologies Program: Solar Multimedia
Browse and download from this multimedia collection which contains photographs, videos, B-roll, graphics, and animations related to solar technologies, research, and projects.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Our Friend, the Sun
Understand the role of the sun as the source of heat and light for living things on earth.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Don't Marry the Mole!
Activities will demonstrate the power of solar energy.
NASA
Nasa: Solar Energy for Space Exploration
This activity book includes lessons and objectives for students to explore solar energy for space exploration. Students will play an active part in decision making for space exploration.
State Energy Conservation Office-Texas
State Energy Conservation Office: Feasibility of Photovoltaic Systems [Pdf]
Summarizes how a photovoltaic or PV system works to convert solar energy into electricity. Explains how to estimate what size of PV system is needed and what the cost would be, and provides a worksheet with formulas for calculating...