Sun is shining in Kandersteg and not just from that
big bright thing in the sky. We are rolling into summer
with many bright ideas,
from Alternative Energy Workshops to the upcoming Solar Workshop 21st July – 17th August. This is a great opportunity to talk about solar
power and not just how it works but how KISC is active in its usage.
Solar Energy is on
the rise as renewable energy. In March, it was reported that solar energy was just as
cheap as conventional energy in both Italy and Germany, with France and Mexico
close behind that. This is a big deal seeing that Germany is one of the largest
users of solar panels in Europe. Increased incentives and lower costs
encourages sun drenched countries to the
south to use more.
But How Do
Solar Panels Work?Solar panels that are commonly seen are called Photovoltaic Solar Panels (photo means light and voltaic means electricity in Greek). These simply convert sunlight into electrical energy. But how?
This process is called the photoelectric effect, the idea that certain metals or materials produce an electrical current when exposed to light. This started out simple but has grown over the years into a more efficient and affordable use of general usage.
A PV Solar Panel is much like a sandwich, a sandwich of Silicon that is. One of the two layers of silicon is less stable, so it has too many electrons and wants to get rid of them. The layer underneath has too few electrons and there needs to be a transition of balance between the two.
This is what the
inside of a solar cell looks like, all protected in a glass covering. When
photons (or sunlight) hits the top layer, the electrons built up in the top
layer of Silicon (negatively charged) get excited and move to the bottom layer
(positively charged), which creates an electrical current. Then there are some contacts on the end so the electricity
can be transferred.
One problem is that
there are two types of electricity. The electricity produced by the solar cell
is DC (direct current) and most electricity in modern uses is AC (alternating
current). A device called all a inverter
is placed into the system so it can be converted from DC to AC in order be used
properly. For more technical version of how this works, see a explanation here.
Here At KISCWe use solar panels here at KISC. Our upper hut, Ueschinenhütte, is run off a solar panel for the little energy it needs. Solafrica and Greenpeace Youth Support Center visits from 21st July – 17th August for their Solar Workshop to teach our guests about solar panels and other uses of solar energy. Scout leaders can get training in solar energy.
Additionally Solar Expert is having a Solar Factory on the 14th - 20th of June where Solar Scout Gadgets are developed and built at KISC.
If your group is coming this summer around that time, contact the programme department at programme@kisc.ch to sign up for a free morning or afternoon eco activity.
Combined with wind, hydro and thermal, solar power is one part of the solution in an ever green world.
Tad (US)
Eco Assistant
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