Physics 162 Second Homework Assignment

  1. Recently, two new versions of solar power are starting to exhibit real promise. These are:

    Do some research on how these devices work and what current and potential future power plant projects will incorporate these technologies.

  2. A company called First Solar is currently the leading producer in the world of PV panels and are frequently cited as a good company to invest in.

  3. The data below indicated how much solar radiation is available averaged over a month for Eugene Oregon and Bend Oregon. The units are KWH per square meter per day.

    So, for example, we see that in March there are 3.8 KWH per square meter per day. Therefore if we had 100 square meters we would receive 3.8 x 100 x 30 (days per month) 11400 KWH of energy over that month. But, we have to factor in PV panel efficiency and if we assume it to be 10% in this case then our output is 1140 KWHs of energy for that month.

    Using this procedure combined with the data below, approximately how big of PV array (in units of square kilometers) would be needed in order to power Eugene for a year if you built it in Eugene compared to if you built it in Bend.

    To do this you need to sum up all the individual months output for your array size. Show all work.

    The target number your trying to reach with the output of your PV array is an annual output of 3 Billion KWHs.

    Note: this problem is not difficult - its easy to setup in a spreadsheet. Your guessing at the size of the array - so pick a size, determine each month's yield for that size (e.g. at 100 meters the March yield in eugene is 1140 KWHs) and sum up the 12 months can compare that the target value of 3 Billion KWHs. If your less than that, you need a bigger array.

    Finally, at a cost of 400$ per square meter what is the total cost of your array in Eugene and your array in Bend?



    City	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC
    Eugene	2.0	2.7	3.8	4.7	5.3	5.5	6.2	6.0	5.5	3.8	2.1	1.6
    Bend	3.0	3.8	4.9	5.7	6.2	6.4	7.0	6.9	6.4	5.1	3.2	2.7