Resources for Solar Cell Lab:
Solar Cells:
Solar Cells: Here is a very basic description of how a solar cell works. This seems like a good starting place. Be careful about the destinction between energy and power that we have been working with throughout the term.
The Shading Problem: This page will give you a sense of the shading problem that we will explore a little in the lab. We will only see one of several impacts of shading on solar cell performance.
Interactive Shading: Take a look at this site and play with the shading. We will gather data that reinforces this result. This website is a tremendous overall resource for solar energy that we will use at other times as well. If you are ever thinking about installing some form of solar energy I would start on this website. There is a remarkable amount you could learn if you wanted to.