Tag: solar

This is an update on my personal solar energy exploration. When the weather was warmer I have used a solar panel to power much of the writing I did in a gazebo located next to our house. I explain the project in previous posts (description, power saved).

While it is now too cold for me to work outside without running a space heater. I decided that I could continue to use the solar panel and just transfer power to my devices using a portable battery pack. This is not a very efficient system, but it works and keeps the project going.

I have always wondered how those with solar power deal with the accumulation of snow on their roof panels. I can’t say I know, but the sun does penetrate a thin layer of ice. Laptops and tablets don’t use much power. There must be some variant of this setup that would make a great classroom project.

Back in April I started a project that I decided to conclude today. The project was an effort to experiment with solar energy and energy consumption. I promoted this project as an example of what educators might find a way to explore both electricity and clean energy.

Here is a brief overview. I have a gazebo outside my house and I like to read and write in this structure when the temperature in Minnesota permits. Some years ago I purchased a solar panel and the equipment necessary to save the power generated from this panel to a battery and convert the DC to AC for use. I did very little with the equipment, but in April I purchased a device allowing the recording of the amount of energy flowing through an outlet. I decided to make use of my solar equipment to power my laptop and Amazon Echo when spending time reading and writing in this gazebo. The details of the equipment are described in the initial post.

Today, I took the final readings to conclude the project. During the 187 hours I spent in the gazebo, I used 3.43 kilowatts of energy. The value of this electricity is about $.35. Laptops and the Echo are inexpensive to operate.