Photovoltaic Science Fair Projects

Finding Inspiration

One of the most difficult parts of completing a science fair project is coming up with an interesting topic. One way you can do this is to simply browse through a science glossary. Look for interesting sounding words and then find out what these words mean. They may lead you to a subject that you can build a great project around.

Objectives/Goals

The purpose of my project is to determine which type of reflector will make a photovoltaic solar cell gain the most solar energy. My hypothesis is: If light rays are directed from a magnifying glass, mirrors, or a parabolic reflector, the solar energy absorbed by a photovoltaic solar cell would then increase.

Fuel Cell Car	Power House Experiments Science Kit	SCR-125 Snap Circuits Green Alternative Energy	Solar Energy Science Fair Projects Kits
Age 12 and up	Ages 10 and up	Age 8 and up	Ages 9 and up	All ages.

Methods/Materials

The experiment was performed at the same time, in the same place, on five separate days. A magnifying glass, one mirror, then two mirrors, and a parabolic reflector were reflected onto a photovoltaic solar cell to determine which reflector would cause the greatest gain on a DCAmp 200mA voltage meter.

Results

The parabolic reflector generated the greatest energy gain in the photovoltaic solar cell because it was very reflective. The two mirrors generated the second highest energy gain. The one mirror showed the third highest gain. The magnifying glass showed the lowest energy gain. The magnifying glass showed less energy gain than the control because the shadow of the magnifying glass itself, blocked the sun's rays.

Conclusions/Discussion

My conclusion is that parabolic reflectors should be used whenever possible when solar cell panels are being installed. Parabolic reflectors increase the amount of energy the solar cells absorb. 3rd party contributor