Solar Energy By: Fatima, Riah, Tannia, Aimee, and Angela

How is it used to make energy? There are 3 main ways. 1.Solar Cells (Photovoltaic Cells) turn light directly into energy. 2.Glass panels, that are attached to roofs, collect the suns rays to heat water. This way you don’t need gas or electricity. 3.Solar furnaces use a variety of mirrors to absorb the sun’s energy. They are cut into small mirrors that produce very high temperatures.

Continued the sun can make electricity by a process called photovoltaics or PV. Photo refers to light and voltaic to voltage. The solar energy can be used to heat your home. The sun has special effects that go on in order to make electricity, the sun is like a big collector that turns sunlight into natural forces such as wind, rain and growing plants.

How much does it cost? How much energy does it produce? The solar energy is free. The equipment costs several thousand dollars. It produces watts per panel if it comes to money the sun does cost any dollar it’s just nature. What it means by it’s space or movement or something like that it uses a lot of space you cant see it but it weighs a lot it takes up pretty much a lot of space. When you aren’t that close to the sun you don’t know how heavy, big, hot..

Environment and health concerns Most of the concerns are types of skin cancer. Skin cancer Melanoma Nonmelanoma skin cancers Cataracts and other eye damage And more Toxic chemicals are put into solar panels. Solar panels don’t last forever sooner or later we would have to throw it out WITH the toxic chemicals.

Possible Solutions People are working on making it last longer. Solar panels currently last 25 years.

Disadvantages/Negative Too many clouds lessen the UV rays. Pollution effects the Photovoltaic Cells. The equipment is very pricey. When the sun isn’t out then we can’t get any power. (Solar batteries help though)

How much of Canada’s power comes from it It can’t just randomly get power from any where. The sun gives us a lot of energy every day in our lives.

Advantages/Positive It does not pollute the air. It doesn’t produce carbon dioxide. When we use glass panels to heat water we cause very little impact on the environment. It is renewable and almost always available to use.

Reliability The solar panels work well when the sun is up and shining, but when there are clouds and when it’s nighttime it doesn’t work. If the solar panels are blocked then it won’t work well.

In what ways do you think using power from the sun changes the environment. What is different is that we don’t plug any thing in. Instead of using cables and that the sun is there with nothing else on it but heat.

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Thank you