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Water
mirrors
prisms
satellites
Correct!
Solar collectors use mirrors to focus sunlight onto pipes filled with fluid. The hot fluid is used to boil water. The steam from the boiling water turns a turbine that runs a generator that produces energy.
Definition: energy from the Sun that can be collected and turned into electricity
Carbon Dioxide Emissions: None!
Cost: getting cheaper (vs. other energy sources)
Location: works best in areas that receive strong, consistent sunlight
Current Use: Solar power provides less than 1% of the world's energy, but this is growing rapidly.
Cool Fact: Solar panels are popular in Kenya. They power things like TVs, fans, and cell phones.
Solar collectors use _____ to focus sunlight.
Solar power is:
limited
non-renewable
renewable
Correct!
Solar power is renewable and unlimited. Whenever the Sun is shining, we have solar power. Scientists are working on effective ways to store solar power overnight and during cloudy weather.
In the United States, most large solar power plants are found in:
Alaska
California
Minnesota
Correct!
In fact, large solar power plants have been in operation in California since the 1970s. The vast sunny deserts of southwest California are an ideal location for solar power plants.
Solar power is not convenient for people living in cities, where there's limited room for solar panels.
Fact
OR
Fiction
?
Fiction
Solar panels can be installed on city rooftops. And solar concentrators can power plants in urban areas.
Every hour, the Sun provides Earth with enough energy to meet the world's energy needs for one year.
Fact
OR
Fiction
?
Fact
But solar panels work best in sunny spots, like deserts. In the future, high-voltage electrical lines could carry electricity from remote solar plants to communities.