Tiny solar PV thang for the school fair

[DamonHD]

Hi,

I've tried to put something really simple together about solar PV that kids can get, and my two (3 & 6) seem to:

http://www.earth.org.uk/solar-powered-schools.html#meter1

Just a little solar/panel that I have wired to an analog meter (plus an LED in there to protect the meter to some extent).  Everything visible in a clear plastic box.

Cover the panel with your hand or move into the dark and the meter drops to zero: getting the idea that it's light hitting the solar panel that makes electricity to move the meter.

I'm hoping to have a couple of other small things for the fair too...

Rgds

Damon

[Rob Beckers]

Seeing an inert, still object making electricity always has something magical. Especially for kids.

For a solar fair we took an 80W/12V panel (ie. the ones used for offgrid battery charging), bought a string of LEDs (they sell strings of 5 or 6 small coloured LEDs attached together for a few bucks), and hooked it directly to the panel. Even in an indoor room with artificial light they light up brightly, and when someone stands in front of the module they get less bright etc. With obviously nothing else attached it vividly illustrates what a PV module does. People really liked it.

-RoB-

[DamonHD]

Hmm, thanks for that: you may just have simplified exhibit 2!  B^>

Rgds

Damon