Solar Power Flashcards
What is solar power
Conversion of sun energy into electrical energy
What does photothermal mean
light and heat
What do photothermal cells use sunlight for
Heats water and increases temperature
Never boils the water
True or false, photothermal cells produce electrictity
False
What do photothermal cells do
Pump water up and down the cell to increase surface area : volume ratio and produce thermal energy
What is the thermal energy produced by photothermal cells used for
- Space heating
- Clothes and personal washinng
What is passive solar architecture
Buildings designed to store and distribute solar energy, in the form of heat in the winter and reject and reflect solar energy in the summer
How can passive solar architecture be used to heat a building
- Have lots of windows on the S facing side of the house (where the most intense sunlight is)
- Dark absorbent surfaces to absorb the heat and increase temperatures
How can passive solar architecture be used to cool a building
- Use light reflective surfaces to reflect heat and decrease temperatures
- Have little to no windows on the S facing side to reduce heat
What is a solar assisted heat pump
How does a solar assisted heat pump work
- Heat pump contains liquid with very low boiling point
- Liquid turns into gas at low temp (sometimes even minus temps)
- Liquid raises it temp in the panel
- Gas goes to compressor + increased pressure forces it back into a liquid which releases energy in the form of heat
- Heat goes into heat exchanger & is used to heat water
Does a heat pump produce electricity
Yes
What is a photovoltaic cell
How does a photovoltaic cell work
True or false, Photovoltaic cells generate electricity
True
