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Solar Power! By: Maude, Lili, Dider Advantages Source is the sun The sun is not burning out anytime soon Renewable (cannot be used up) Clean (leaves virtually no waste) Carbon-free Easy to maintain panels (no mechanical parts) Free energy (after initial cost) Advantages cont. Solar power industry is an international industry Helps grow economies Provides jobs “Nearly 175,000 people” Disadvantages Limited to climates that have high exposure to sunlight Steep initial cost ($25000) Only can gather power during daylight hours Low power output (compared to input) Around 40% is converted Requires large, mostly flat areas How they work... The way solar panels work is by harnessing the power of the sun it is able to convert it to thermal energy. First the photovoltaic cells are able to capture the sunlight due to the liquid silicon within each cell. Each panel is sprayed with a thin anti-reflective sheet which stops the photons from the light rays to bounce out cause even more energy loss. After the photons are captured the energy is converted in to direct current. Then an inverter will convert the direct current into alternating current and is fed into homes across America. The excess energy will then be stored in a grid or battery. Calculating the Cost of Solar Panels A 5kW system on an ordinary house costs $25,000-$35,000 to install For a house in St. Louis, Missouri with 4.38 hours of peak sunlight, a cost of $0.10 per kWh from the normal power company, a 5kW size solar system, and a power bill of $500, the solar panels would save $1.75 per day, $638.75 per year So, it would take 40 years for the savings from the solar panels to pay themselves off Suffice to say, St. Louis is not a great place for Solar Panels Fun Facts Fastest growing industry in the US Solar Star is the largest solar power plant and generates 579 MW of energy Yay Solar P wer!