Chasing the Sun
The first iteration of a prototype.Copyright 2022 Aubriel Sweeney
Solar energy has almost limitless potential to power our needs, and best of all it is exceptionally clean! However, the challenge lays in how to harness that energy in an effective manner—and that’s where engineers come in. In this activity, students learn how the sun can help us make electricity with a device called a solar panel. They are then presented with the challenge of the stationary solar panel versus the moving sun. Using the behavior of a sunflower following the sun throughout the day, students build upon and apply their knowledge of solar patterns, solar energy and plant needs as they engineer model solar panels that move to follow the path of the sun.
Engineers design technologies that maximize the efficiency of clean energy. Environmental engineers, mechanical engineers and materials engineers all contribute to the process of developing the potential of solar panels. Examining nature and the natural processes can help engineers develop solutions to real-world problems. Students step into the role of these professions as they go through the engineering design process of applying their scientific knowledge on the sun and plants to making their own mobile solar panel units. Students are engaging in solving this real-world problem of maximizing the efficiency of clean energy.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Explain how and why a sunflower follows the sun.
- Describe the sequence the sun travels through the sky throughout the day.
- Discuss ways to maximize sun exposure for a solar panel.
- Engineer a stand that allows their “solar panel” to follow the path of the sun.