Question How does solar power generation affect the environment compared to other means of power generation? Will a solar beater work with the same power as an electric beater? Hypothesis We believe that if we put solar panels to a beater it would waste less energy and won’t contaminate the world, and the solar beater will work the same as an electric powered beater. Independent variable: sunlight dependent variable: power

Research The traditional forms of electricity generation mostly used in the US are: natural gas, nuclear power plants, coal fired power plants and oil. All these sources are known to contaminate the planet. For example coal, natural gas and nuclear power all pollute water, and this can harm wild life very much, they also generate a lot of emissions witch are bad for the air we breath. Solar energy production does not pollute water and does not generate harmful emissions. The most common forms of traditional energy production -- coal, natural gas and nuclear -- all utilize water during mining processes and for cooling during combustion. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that water removal for traditional energy use can damage wildlife populations of rivers and lakes. Solar, wind and geothermal systems require little or no water and often reuse water supplies to minimize impact. (1)

Solar About This Technology Solar energy is a renewable resource because it is continuously supplied to the earth by the sun. There are two common ways to convert solar energy into electricity: photovoltaic and solar-thermal technologies. Photovoltaic systems consist of wafers made of silicon or other conductive materials. When sunlight hits the wafers, a chemical reaction occurs, resulting in the release of electricity. Solar-thermal technologies concentrate the sun's rays with mirrors or other reflective devices to heat a liquid to create steam, which is then used to turn a generator and create electricity. Reserves Solar resources are available everywhere in the United States, although some areas receive less sunlight than others, depending on the climate and seasons. The greatest solar resources are located in the Southwestern states, where sufficient solar energy falls on an area of 100 miles by 100 miles to provide all of the nation's electricity requirements.2 Environmental Impacts Air Emissions Emissions associated with generating electricity from solar technologies are negligible because no fuels are combusted.(2)

Water Resource Use Photovoltaic systems do not require the use of any water to create electricity. Solar-thermal technologies may tap local water resources if the liquid that is being heated to create steam is water. In this case, the water can be re-used after it has been condensed from steam back into water. Water Discharges Solar technologies do not discharge any water while creating electricity. Solid Waste Generation Solar-thermal technologies do not produce any substantial amount of solid waste while creating electricity. The production of photovoltaic wafers creates very small amounts of hazardous materials that must be handled properly to avert risk to the environment or to people. Land Resource Use Photovoltaic systems require a negligible amount of land area because they are typically placed on existing structures. In contrast, solar-thermal technologies may require a significant amount of land, depending upon the specific solar-thermal technology used. Solar energy installations do not usually damage the land they occupy, but they prevent it from being used for other purposes. In addition, photovoltaic systems can negatively affect wildlife habitat because of the amount of land area the technology requires.(2)

Materials - 4 solar cells -1 motor of 9 volts -Soft balso (13 & 14.5 cm) -A small beater -10 or more small wires -1 soldering iron -Welding -A small tube or holder -Tape Procedure 1.Draw out the plans of a circuit 2.Gather materials 3.Make the circuit with the panels and the wires 4.Test your circuit with a voltmeter and see how many volts you get (about 9 volts) 5.Connect and weld the motor to the circuit 6.Test the motor (if it doesn’t work do steps 1,3,4 and 5) 7.Connect the small beater to the motor 8.Make the structure

Conclusion Our hypothesis was right, solar power generation is the most environment friendly form of energy generation and the beater with solar panel works the same as a normal beater, just that it depends on the amount of sun. When the sun illuminates the panels and when you connect the motor it takes about 30 sec. for the motor to start moving, but the solar beater works the same as a normal beater. The amount of sunlight does affect the quality of the beater, the more sun, the better it works. A source of error was that we had a bad panel so it took us very long to make the beater work, this can be improved by making sure all the panels work measuring their voltage. We learned that if we put solar panels to things that use electricity we would waste less electricity and we wouldn’t contaminate the world.

Traditional Energy Sources vs. Green Power Sources by Dawn Walls-Thumma, Demand Media green-power-sources-2442.html 1. US Environmental Protection Agency 2.