Solar power is a hot-button topic in the modern world of skyrocketing energy costs. From using solar panels to heat entire homes, to dependency on solar electricity, there are numerous facets of this industry. A school project on solar power can run the gamut, from innovative new ideas on using solar energy to incorporate solar power into your existing energy usage.
Using Solar Energy To Help Plants Grow In Cold Weather
Conduct an experiment on how well solar energy helps plants to grow during months when there is traditionally less sun, such as during the winter. Form a hypothesis and then conduct your experiment with two plants. Place one plant in front of a solar panel during the winter and leave the other in a natural outdoor environment. Track the difference in growth patterns between the two. Then, write a research report on how the two different plants performed, with particular attention to the one that was grown with solar power.
Determine The Benefits of Solar Power For The Home
Do a school project on the benefits of solar power for the home and how solar panels installed above and around the home affect energy savings. Interview a local utility representative and conduct in-depth research on the process of solar power and its benefits and drawbacks for a home. Form a hypothesis as to whether or not you think solar panels on the home will make a difference and interview homeowners that have made the switch to back up your research.
Build A Solar Toy
Choose a toy that is normally powered by electricity or battery power and try to convert it to solar power. This may take some research, so it might not be the best project to choose if you are pressed for time. However, if you have several weeks, install solar power panels on the toy and charge them in the sunlight, to harness and store the sun's energy. Then, figure out if you can make the toy operate via the solar panels instead of through traditional electricity.
Greater Concentration of Sun Effects On A Solar Panel
Determine how much sun is needed on a solar panel to increase its output of energy. You can do this by creating a homemade reflector that projects even more light onto a solar panel. Then, measure the output of the solar panel before and after the reflector is used. You can hypothesize that the greater concentration of solar energy will reflect in greater output or that it won't; after you conduct the experiment and come to your conclusion, then build your backboard using your homemade reflector and one of your solar panels.
