PHSC 1014 Activity Sheet
Solar Energy
Name:
Session ID number: ___________
Area Kwhr Therms CO2Elect. Cost Gas Cost
Heating
Cooling
Hot Water
Major Appliances
Lighting
Miscellaneous
Total
Average Solar Energy (ASE) at your location = _________ kwhr/m2
Average Solar Panel Output (ASPO) at your location = ASE/5 = ________ kwhr/m2
Size of solar panel needed for your location = Total Kwhr (from table)/ASPO = _______ m2
Average cost of 1-m2 commercial solar panel = $_______
Estimated cost of home solar system = Size of solar panel x average cost = $_______
1) The average solar panel system should last about 25-30 years before it needs to be replaced. If you
were to keep paying the same cost for electricity that you do now, how does the total cost of a solar
system compare to what you will pay over that time span?
2) As oil prices continue to increase, it is expected that all energy costs will go up. If this happens, you
can expect to pay more for electricity in the future. If the cost were to double over the next decade, how
would this affect your answer to question 1?
3) If you used less electricity, you could put in a smaller solar system, thereby reducing your total cost.
Go back to the calculator (remember your Session ID number) and make the following changes a)
increase summer thermostat settings by 2 degrees, b) decrease winter thermostat settings by 2 degrees,
c) reduce dryer loads to 0 (use a clothesline), and d) reduce dishwasher loads to 0 (wash dishes by
hand). All of these changes will cost you no money. By how much did this decrease the amount of
electricity you used? By how much did the size of your solar system decrease? Is your system more
reasonable now?
