Virtual Array Tour Lessons

The first four School Power…Naturally lessons are introductory lessons to help teachers and students familiarize themselves with the PV system and data it generates, as well as prepare them for the energy lessons that follow. Click here for a more complete description of the Data Acquisition System (DAS), software, and photovoltaic system. The DAS provides information on system operation within schools and among schools in real time and in archival form. The four virtual array tour lessons are numbered using Roman numerals I-V, and have the following titles:

• Introduction to the School Power Naturally Solar Learning Lab™—Virtual Array Tour: Lesson I in the Series
• Introduction to the School Power Naturally Solar Learning Lab™—Virtual Array Tour: Lesson II in the Series
• Introduction to the School Power Naturally Solar Learning Lab™—Virtual Array Tour: Lesson III in the Series
• Introduction to the School Power Naturally Solar Learning Lab™—Lesson IV: A Lesson Related to the Virtual Array Tour Series

Lesson I (1.31MB .pdf) (1.43MB .doc) is the first in a series of three tour lessons that make use of the Heliotronics SunViewer™ software application. Lesson I in the series features a virtual array tour that includes screen shots and commentary. Topics include:

• Components and function of a solar array
• The process of scientific inquiry
• History of electric power including those who shaped it
• Monopolies: the good, the bad and the ugly
• Ohm’s Law and its uses

Lessons II and III include a projected set of images and pages that relate to data display.

Topics for lesson II (574kb .pdf) (724kb .doc) include:

• Methods of power generation
• Tradeoffs among the various power generation methods

Topics for Lesson III (1.45MB .pdf) (1.72MB .doc) include:

• Impact of the Environment on solar power production
• The relationship between power and energy
• Energy efficiency
• Energy conservation

In lesson IV, (1.63MB .pdf) (3.2MB .doc) such things as portions of the software application that display real time and stored operational data are explored. This separate lesson makes use of inquiry teaching and learning, using the online School Power Naturally database [SunViewer.net™] developed by Heliotronics. This database presents and archives data from each school’s solar array and that of other participating schools throughout New York State. Topics include:

• Using the computer skills of manipulation, presentation and understanding the purpose of data display
• Using online data to determine the temperature response of a solar module to temperature
• Exploring factors that determine solar array output, including seasonal and environmental factors

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