theory and application of solar tracker?
599982
The idea is to provide more solar intensity for a longer time on the solar cells thus yield more watt hours of energy than a  fixed array. (You generate power earlier and later in the day than a fixed array). It costs more to install than a fixed array and you will need to do your homework to determine how long it will take for payback (Cost of equipment vs KWH increase). Generally in the very long run it is worth installing a solar tracker if you have the bucks.\n\nVisit www.homepower.com to learn more.
939391
The big expense is the cost of setting up.  Solar power is not particularly efficient at the moment so you have a lot of infrastructure that you have to put in.  Australia has just started funding a solar project recently\n\nhttp://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20645117-28737,00.html\nhttp://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/international/news/20061025p2g00m0in017000c.html\n\nThese are a few articles on it.  The other costs are the drawbacks.  You have to store the power because power usually peaks at night time and solar power peaks during the day.  So you have the cost of energy storage on top of the plant costs.  To be totally honest with you I don't think anybody has a very accurate idea yet on how much it will cost to produce solar power.  It is an older technology but it has not until recently been investigated on the scale that people are looking producing today.  So there are costs of unforseen problems that will have to be factored in.  These costs should drop over time as solar power becomes more common but the initial outlay may be substantial.\n\nAnyway I wish I had more to say, Good luck with your research project.
42028
Yes, all the answers above are correct. But here's a link. Remember to be safe when out in the sun though!
779719
Try NASA's site:\nhttp://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/index.html\n\nor Wikipedia links from:\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planets
816879
Have you tried http://www.sunsite.com ?\nAlso, if you use google to search for what you want, you will be able to find everything.
413368
Energy demand will keep on increasing. So there will be substitute sources of energy like solar cell and water. A lot of research is going on to make this alternate sources working and cheaper than the conventional ones like mineral fuels.
9993
The major applications of solar thermal energy at present are heating swimming pools, heating water for domestic use, and space heating of buildings. For these purposes, the general practice is to use flat-plate solar energy or evacuated tube collectors with a fixed orientation (position).\n\nThe highest efficiency with a fixed flat-plate collector or evacuated tube collector is obtained if it faces toward the equator and slopes at an angle to the horizon equal to the latitude plus about 10 degrees. Solar collectors fall into two general categories: nonconcentrating and concentrating.\n\nIn the nonconcentrating type, the collector area (i.e. the area that intercepts the solar radiation) is the same as the absorber area (i.e., the area absorbing the radiation).
351351
Since no material can survive at the sorts of temperatures you're talking about, you can't use a probe of any sort. Temperatures have to be measured indirectly by e.g. measuring radiation.\n\nI've used a device similar in principle to a thermal imaging camera to measure the temperature of molten metals - this works on the basis of the well understood science of "black body radiation", this would work well for a few thousand degrees\n\nI guess you could apply a similar technique to estimate the temperature of the sun's surface. You'd need to know how far away it is, and how much radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere, but other than those complications by simply measuring the sun's brightness, some simple physics would give you a working figure.\n\nI suspect that figures from a particle accelerator are derived from scientific models of what's going on in there, along with known measurements (e.g. overall energy input/ output, amount of matter present etc.) rather than direct measurements, although again it may be possible to measure radiant output from the "reaction"
1128812
Concentrates and absorbs solar irradiation!
117670
A method for making really cheap solarcells from sand and a way to transport the elctricity the generate without any loss. The amount of energy that falls on the Sahara during a year could cover the worlds entire energy needs 50 times over even using standard photocells that convert only a few percent of the light to electricity. With such an abundant and cheap energy source we could replace ALL other energysources as electricity can be converted to any other form of energy and fuel. We could even keep gasoline cars because gasoline could be manufactured from CO2 (from the air) and hydrogen (from water). There would be alot less pollution if I could invent these things.
630789
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
716085
You can't make a perpetual-motion machine, if that's what you're getting at. Whatever loop you make, you'll always end up losing energy until it stops, unless you are putting energy in (solar) but then what's the point?
794529
Wow! Thanks for the "heads up".  I wasn't aware of that.  I'm in Florida, so around 2pm here I should be able to set up some equipment so that the whole office can see it.  We have a lot of optical equipment here so it'll be a great opportunity.\n\nFor Jessi:\nYou can take a telescope and point it towards the sun. (Don't look through the telescope)  Then project the sun's image onto a blank sheet of paper and focus until you see the sun's image.  You'll be able to see sunspots and Mercury passing from right to left along the bottom side of the image.  It should last from about 2pm edt until sunset.
394049
I'm guessing that PV stands for Photo-Voltaic, so this would be a reflective magnifier for photovoltaic solar cells, to greate electricity from solar power.\n\nAny old satellite dish is parabolic, but that's a saucer cicle shape.  If you want a trough, you'll need to construct one by calculating a parabolic arc and getting reflective material in that shape.  Here's a funny article about someone who made a solar reflector, maybe it will help you:\n\nhttp://www.cockeyed.com/incredible/parabola/parabola.html
591558
depends on your latitude. You have to find a sun-path chart for your latitude.
719073
As taken from the EERE Solar energy basics website:\n\n"Sunlight—solar energy—can be used to generate electricity, provide hot water, and to heat, cool, and light buildings.\n\nPhotovoltaic (solar cell) systems convert sunlight directly into electricity. A solar or PV cell consists of semiconducting material that absorbs the sunlight. The solar energy knocks electrons loose from their atoms, allowing the electrons to flow through the material to produce electricity. PV cells are typically combined into modules that hold about 40 cells. About 10 of these modules are mounted in PV arrays. PV arrays can be used to generate electricity for a single building or, in large numbers, for a power plant. A power plant can also use a concentrating solar power system, which uses the sun's heat to generate electricity. The sunlight is collected and focused with mirrors to create a high-intensity heat source. This heat source produces steam or mechanical power to run a generator that creates electricity."
988898
PV tech is expensive and only works when the sun is shining. Not the best solution when we have a delivery infrastructure for bulk power. Don't forget about all the batteries a solar set-up needs. Where do they go when they no longer hold a charge?\n\nNuclear is the best solution.