Skip Navigation

TECH: Alternative Energy - Photovoltaics (Energy)Module

Time Frame

1 class periods of 45 minutes each

Group Size

Pairs

Life Skills

  • Thinking & Reasoning
  • Communication
  • Employability

Authors

MICHAEL BREEN

Summary

New ...pdf. update in January 2012. This is an update of the original TLC module (now CTE Intro) using the original parts in a modified form to protect them. Included on page 14 of the updated PDF are sources for building your own. Students will identify uses of photovoltaic solar cells in our society today. Students will discover the potential of solar cells by using them to produce electricity in different applications. Students will make observations and measurements.


Materials

Teachers will need the original parts to the Solarex Photovoltaic Demonstration Kit or they will need to order parts from other suggested vendors which are on page 14 -15 of the Teacher Resources. The information on how the original parts were converted are found in the Teacher Resources PDF file. To convert the original kit into a lasting module, a sheet of Kortron and T-mold for the box and some Radio Shack switches were used.


Background for Teachers

In the Spring of 1994, when it was learned that the parts for the Solarex photovoltaic demonstration kit were not going to be readily available anymore, the technology teachers in the Weber School District decided that a way was needed to protect the components. The connecting wires in the original kit were the most frustrating as they were constantly broken. It was decided to take the original components and have them mounted and hard wired. We came up with a modification that has worked quite well. The images on this document come from a variety of sources. They are either public domain, royalty fee, created by the author, or used by arrangement with the copyright holders. No permission is granted for the copying or re-use of any images used in this document, copyrighted or otherwise. Alternative Energy - Photovoltaics© Mike Breen - Author of document. USOE has purchased rights to the document which gives individual teachers within the state of Utah rights to print this document for use in their classes.


Student Prior Knowledge

They need to be able to read, write, and be able to do some arithmetic.


Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will identify uses of photovoltaic solar cells in our society today. Students will discover the potential of solar cells by using them to produce electricity in different applications. Students will make observations and measurements.


Instructional Procedures

Attachments

  • AlternativeEnergyPhotovotaics_Cover_Page.pdf
    Photovoltaic Cover Page that may be used to make booklets for reading as a class.
  • Photovoltaics_TeacherResources.pdf
    This is the same file with the addition of detailed teacher resources that are used in this described curriculum. Password information - click on the author's name below. Then click on the CTE Intro tab.
  • PhotovoltaicsStudentPages.pdf
    This curriculum was updated in January 2012! This is the student pages only. The computer can be set to read the pages of the curriculum to the non-reader, struggling reader, or Special Needs Student. The document will need to be saved to the computer. After the file is saved, Open the document in Adobe Reader. To have the computer read the entire document use Shift+Ctrl+B. To read 1 page of the document the shortcut is Shift+Ctrl+V

Websites

  • Adobe.com
    Adobe Reader Downloads
  • Photovoltaic Video - Large MPEG format
    Direct download of U.S. Department of Energy Large MPEG format of video used in this curriculum. If you have a faster connection speed this is a bigger screen. Download and save to your computer.
  • Photovoltaic video - Small MPEG
    Direct download of U.S. Department of Energy MPEG video that is used in this curriculum. If you have a slower connection speed use this link to download and save on your computer.
  • Photovoltaic Video - Small QuickTime
    Direct download of U.S. Department of Energy QuickTime Video used in this curriculum. Use this link if you have a slower connection speed. Download and save to your computer.
  • Photovoltaics video - Large QuickTime
    Direct download of U.S. Department of Energy Large QuickTime format of video used in this curriculum. If you have a faster connection speed this is a bigger screen. Download and save to your computer.
  • Solar Multimedia - Thin-Film Manufacturing
    Video of Thin-Film Manufacturing. No Sound. Shows the manufacturing process with robotics in the plant. Used as enrichment.
  • U. S. Department of Energy
    This is the link for the a new 2010 video that the students may watch in the curriculum. It is available in Quick Time or MPEG formats. If it is put on your blog it needs to be credited with the links from the department of energy site.
  • U.S. Department of Energy - Solar Technolgies Program
    The main page of the Solar Technologies Program with links to Photovoltaic's and Solar Heating and lighting.

Students will need to read the booklet and answer questions as they do the activity. Students will need to perform the experiments that are required to answer the questions. The teacher needs to have the photovoltaic demonstrator out for students and ready for use.


Assessment Plan

The student will complete a worksheet, and perform the experiments with photovoltaic cells. They will take measurements of amperage and voltage.


Bibliography

Barclay, N. Airman 1st Class, U. S. Airforce (Photographer) (October 10, 2007). 70,000 Solar panels await activation. [ Photograph] Inside Nellis AFB. Nellis airforce base department of public affairs. Retrieved December 12, 2011, from http://www.nellis.af.mil/ shared/media/photodb/photos/071009-F-0136B-001.jpg Bureau of labor statistics, U.S. Department of labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Engineers, Retrieved January 14, 2012, from http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm Bureau of labor statistics, U.S. Department of labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2002-03 Edition, Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers, Retrieved October 15, 2002 from http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos227.htm Careeronestop, U.S. department of labor, Electronics engineers, except computer, America's career infonet, 2010 statistics, Retrieved January 14, 2012 from http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_ rep.asp?next=occ_rep&Level=&optstatus=010110000&jobfam=17&id=1&nodeid=2&socco de=172072&stfips=49&x=38&y=9 Harms, H., & Swernofsky, N., (1999). Electricity and electronics, Technology interactions. pp. 208-307. New York, New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Glynn, M. (September 16, 2010). Looking for U.S. to step up on solar. The Buffalo News. Retrieved January 15, 2012, from http://www.solarliberty.com/news/37-looking-for-us-to-step-up-on- solar.html Gretz, W. (Photographer) (July 1, 1999) Dangling rope marina, lake powell, Utah. [Photograph] National renewable energy laboratory photographic information exchange. Retrieved October 26, 2002, from http://www.nrel.gov/data/pix/Jpegs/08056.jpg Gretz, W. (Photographer) (June 23, 1998) Installation of PV shingles at the Outdoor Test Facility (OTF) [Photograph] National renewable energy laboratory photographic information exchange. Retrieved March 11, 2006, from http://www.nrel.gov/data/pix/Jpegs/06286.jpg Gretz, W. (Photographer) (May 8, 2002) Walkway lights at NREL. [Photograph] National renewable energy laboratory photographic information exchange. Retrieved October 10, 2003, from http://www.nrel.gov/data/pix/Jpegs/11106.jpg Grubitzsch, W. (Dec. 5, 2011) Solar Energy. The New York Times, Retrieved December 15, 2012 from http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/energy-environment/solar-energy/index.html Richard, J. 2nd Lt., U.S. Airforce (October 10, 2007). Solar panels connect to base electric grid Inside Nellis AFB. Nellis airforce base department of public affairs. Retrieved December 12, 2011, from http://www.nellis.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123071269 NASA (September 11, 2000) S106-E-5116: This view of the international space station was taken while it was docked with the space shuttle atlantis [Photograph] National aeronautics & space administration. Human space flight. STS-106 shuttle mission imagery. Retrieved December 28, 2011 from http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-106/ hires/s106e5116.jpg Ovonic, U. S. (November 2, 2004) FLX flexible PV panels.[Photograph] National renewable energy laboratory photographic information exchange. Retrieved January 15, 2012, from http://www.nrel.gov/data/pix/Jpegs/13568.jpg Thode, B., Thode, T. (2002) Technology in Action. (p287.). Peoria: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Paltera, S. (Photographer) (May 12, 2005) The 2003 American solar challenge. [Photograph] National renewable energy laboratory photographic information exchange. Retrieved December 12, 2011, from http://www.nrel.gov/data/pix/Jpegs/13907.jpg Williamson, R. (Photographer) (March 1, 2000) Rooftop PV system on the Zion visitor center. [Photograph] National renewable energy laboratory photographic information exchange. Retrieved October 26, 2002, from http://www.nrel.gov/data/pix/Jpegs/09227.jpg U.S. Department of Energy, Turning sunlight into electricity. [MPEG or Quick Time Movie] Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: Solar Energy Technologies Program: Solar Multimedia Presentations., Retrieved March 10, 2006, from http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/multimedia.html Utah Vocational Core Curriculum. (1986). Photovoltaics. Salt Lake City: Utah State Office of Education Utah Vocational Core Curriculum. (1992). Photovoltaics. Salt Lake City: Utah State Office of Education


Created: 04/15/2003
Updated: 03/31/2021
16569
/>