Solar Energy Science: Principles and Applications
Nine inquiry-based learning activities introducing the principles and applications of solar energy science.
This comprehensive unit introduces the principles and applications of solar energy science. It features nine inquiry-based learning activities as follows:
- What Do You Already Know About the Sun?
- Daily Changes of Solar Angles: Navigating Using the Sunrise Direction
- Daily Changes of Solar Angles: Navigating Using Shadow
- Projection Effect: When Is Sunlight the Strongest?
- Solar Panel Tilt Angle: How to Maximize the Output in the Summer?
- Seasonal Changes of Solar Angles: In Which Season Is Sunlight the Strongest?
- Solar Panel Tilt Angle: How to Maximize the Output in the Fall?
- Solar Panel Tilt Angle: How to Maximize the Output of a Year?
- Challenge: Optimize It!
The Optimize It activity challenges students to find a location and orientation for a solar panel around a house to output the most electricity.
Student Documents
Solar Energy Science Worksheets
Teacher Guides
Teacher Slides
Reference Slides
Related Educational Standards
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS): MS-ETS-1, HS-ETS-1
Acknowledgements
The development of this curriculum unit is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant numbers #2131097 and #2301164. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material, however, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF.
