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Activity: SetupActivity: Setup
2-14-1
í Equipment
Solar Cell Panel (Operating Voltage: 5V max.) Magnetic Compass
Rain Cover Wood Block
Voltage Measurement Setup (EA-200, graphic scientific calculator, data communication
cable, voltage probe)
Optical Measurement Setup (EA-200, graphic scientific calculator, data communication
cable, optical probe)
í Preliminary Setup
u Standing in a location that is exposed to sunlight, hold the equipment in your hands and
point the solar cell panel and optical probe towards the sun.
í Setting Up
u Fix the optical probe and solar cell panel so they are pointing in the direction and at the
angle you determined during the preliminary measurement.
This activity studies how change in the amount of sunlight available per day affects the
electromotive force of a solar cell, with a view to understanding the characteristics of power
generation by a solar cell.
Solar cells have been receiving a great deal of attention in recent years as one source of
renewable, environmentally-friendly energy. One problem with solar cells, however, is the
fact that the amount of power that can be generated is unstable, because the quantity of
sunlight hitting the solar cell panel surface is affected by weather and other factors. In order
to maximize power generation efficiency, it is necessary to design a system that is able to
change the orientation of the solar cell panel to suit changes in the angle of the sun due to
the rotation and revolution of the Earth, and seasonal changes. The diagram below shows
the optimum orientation of a solar cell panel in relation to the sun.
In spite of the above, most solar cell panels are pointed in a fixed direction, because it costs
too much to be continually changing their orientation. With this activity, we will investigate
the correlation between the amount of sunlight per day picked up by a fixed solar cell panel
and the electromotive force of a solar cell.
Sunlight and Solar Cells
Theory
1 Sun
2 Morning
3 Afternoon
4 Evening
5 Solar Cell Panel Surface
6 Magnetic Compass
θ
(°): Angle of Inclination
1 Sun
2 Solar Cell Panel
3 Voltage Probe
4 Optical Probe
5 Angle adjustment
block
6 Transparent Rain
Cover
7 CH1
8 CH2
9 EA-200
1 Solar Cell Panel
2 Voltage Probe
(CH1)
3 Optical Probe
(CH2)
4 EA-200