Solar Panels should face west or south. Facing a solar panel south makes sense since we're in the Northern Hemisphere. Why west though? Is it because the air in the west is warmer (having been warmed by more daylight) and therefore absorbs less sunlight, letting more energy get to the solar panel???
202371
Solar panels should never be pointed west or east. They should be set to absorb as much day time solar energy as possible from both east and west so that means SOUTH only! Be sure there is no shading from trees in your location or you woun't benefit from full energy output.  I recommend you pick up a issue of "HOME POWER" magazine and become familiar with how to do installations. In addition many solar supply houses have free information for the installation of solar power systems.
302873
i want to see the daily path of the sun on the sky:\n\nrising from east and setting to west as everywhere on earth but going through north at noon not south as in northern hemisphere. must be fascinating to see: all shadows at noon pointing south instead of north\n\nlove your beaches too
8669
shorter ... im not sure what you put as the last letter is right.  In the summer the angle that the earth is tilted makes the shadows (in the northern hemisphere) SHORTER than in winter.
244396
NO, angle of the earth on it's axis limits sunlight for a few months. The days never warm up.
640266
Yes, everything's upside down from down under!\n\nIf you're facing south looking at an early crescent setting in the northern hemisphere, the Moon is on your right, and the Sun is further to the right (west), so the right (west) side of the Moon is illuminated.  From the southern hemisphere, you're facing north, and west is on your left.  The western side of the Moon is still illuminated, but now you see it on the left. The Moon, of course, appears upside down.
204890
They have done studies that unless the lights are in the South West there is not enough sunlight throughout the year to make an efficient product. I think it was England who first attempted to use the solar powered lights. But they have far more foggy/cloudy days. So I am sorry solar powered traffic lights are not a good idea.
12922
depends on the climate. Certain weather conditions such as cloudy days, rain and light and dark hours affect how effective the photoelectric cell collectors are. Usually such collectors are built in places with very low probability of adverse weather and very high number of intense sunny days. Countries such as Norway may not be able to harness such energy as they have very little sun light days and countries in the equator fare better in utilizing such technologies.
407481
Not as long as the earth's axis remains tilted at 23° 27’ (lets call this 24°) with respect to its orbit plane around the sun. \n\nThat is why any part of the earth north of  66° lattitude (= 90°- 24°), the Arctic Circle,  is exposed to the sun all 24 hours in the summer when the earth is leaning toward the sun. This is called the "midnight sun".\n\nHope this helps!
357836
Actually, the sun is at a focus of the ellipse not at the center, so there is only one closest and one farthest point. \n\nBut that has nothing to do with summers and winters! In fact, the summer in the northern hemisphere is when the earth is farthest from the sun! The tilt of the earth's axis is what makes the seasons. As we go around the sun, the northern hemisphere is sometimes pointed in the general direction of the sun (giving summer then) and at other times it is pointed away from the sun (giving winter then). When the northern hemisphere is having summer (because it is pointed toward the sun), the southern hemisphere is having winter (because it is pointed away).
7647
Since this is for school, I think you should do your own research, don't you?  Here's a link that may help answer your question.  Also bear in mind that seasons in the Southern Hemisphere are opposite of the Northern--it's summer in Australia right now!
542825
Think of it this way.  The earth has 4 sides, just because ONE OF THEM is looking at the moon and the Sun is facing another side, means nothing.  There is over 90,000,000 miles between the earth and the sun, so we only get a fraction of a percent of its total output of energy.  The Moon while it is in space going around us, is no longer "blocked" by the earth and can now receive its share of light from the sun.  HOWEVER, you may be surprised to learn that the albedo (reflection of light) from the moon is mostly caused by the Earth as much as the Sun.  That is, where it is now daylight on Earth is relecting off of the moon also.
460410
I do agree,they claim el nino is responsible,some claim global warming. The semi cold weather with wet,cloudy days is depressing not to mention it brings on aches and pains......Illness The cold snowy days seem to bring excitement, to cold for the germs. My personal theory is the whole Earth has shifted orbit just enough to mess the weather up. Scientifically I would go with global warming or the green house effect. We have used and released so much freon or R-12 into the atmosphere, plus other pollutants its really damaged are enviorment all for comfort. Maybe we should go back to horse and buggies..lol
529721
It's generally true that the further the Earth were from the Sun, the colder it would be, and the closer the warmer.  However, this is not necessarily the most important factor.  For example, the Earth is closer to the Sun when it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, not further.  But the winter is cold because the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the Sun at this time.  In a nearly circular orbit, the tilt of the axis is a stronger effect than the orbit's eccentricity.  However, with all other things equal, the planet's temperature would vary with distance from the Sun.\n\nThe Sun has a range of orbits around it that are considered a "habitable zone."  The Earth could have different orbital distances within this range, and life on Earth could theoretically continue, but probably with great disruption to the ecosystem.  Not all species would survive.  Humans would have a good shot because we could use technology to warm or cool our enviornment as needed.  Closer to the Sun that the habitabile zone, the heat and radiation are too intense for life as we know it.  Further away, the heat and light available are insufficient to sustain life.\n\nEarth could quite possibly exist as a habitable planet in the orbits current occupied by Venus and Mars.  Venus is extremely hot, but much of that comes from Venus' runaway greenhouse effect that makes its surface hotter than that of Mercury, which is closer to the Sun.  Mars is rather cold, but that is partly due to the planet's lack of greenhouse gases, preventing it from retaining the Sun's energy to the extent that Earth does.
369126
The tilt of the earth on its axis. When it is tiled one way, the sun hits more directly. When it is tilted the other way, it is more spread out.\n\nAgainst what you may think, the earth is actually closer to the sun in the winter than in the summer.
145557
why nuclear why not solar. NASA had a solor UAV years ago.
189335
in Solar Battery!!\n\nmuahahahahahahaha
173861
One major reason is that more of the southern hemisphere is actually ocean, so it serves as more of a heat sink and keeps the temperatures more stable.\n\nIn addition to that, if you look a globe, you'll notice that the majority of the land in the southern hemisphere (except for Antarctica) is a lot closer to the Equator than the land in the northern hemisphere is.  On most maps you don't really notice it as much because they don't bother printing the whole strip of landless ocean and a lot of Antarctica.\n\nUpdate:  In response to itchybeard below, the Earth's perihelion (closest approach to the sun) occurs in January (this year it was January 4, at about 3 pm GMT).  Thus we are actually closer to the sun during the northern hemisphere's winter, not during the southern hemisphere's.  This would be reason why the summers in the southern hemisphere tend to be hotter than ours, but not why our winters are colder.