Solar Energy

Hi there! This is my last post before I finish my time at San Juan Del Puerto and return to my home country, England. Before I post my last activity, I would like to take a moment to thank the Staff and the Students for making me feel so welcome here in San Juan! It has been a pleasure to come in to school on a daily basis and help out the staff as an assistant as well as work with the students helping them out with their English. My own Spanish has improved so I have also learnt a lot from both the staff and students. Here is the last activity I will post. It is a reading exercise complete with questions on Solar Energy. Please read the text slowly and answer as many questions at the end as possible. Thank you very much, I hope you have all enjoyed my time here as I have. Thanks again and I will miss you all! 

Solar energy

The Sun is a renewable energy resource. As long as it exists and continues to shine, it will release energy.

Solar cells

A solar cell is a device that converts light energy directly into electrical energy. Some pocket calculators use solar cells, and you may have seen large panels of solar cells on house roofs.

Solar panels on the roof of a modern house

You may have seen solar cells powering road signs in remote areas. Very large arrays are used to power satellites in orbit around Earth.

Solar heating

Do not confuse solar cells with solar panels, which use energy from the Sun to heat up water. These may also be put onto house roofs so that they can absorb the Sun’s energy.

Advantages

·         Solar energy is a renewable energy resource.

·         There are no fuel costs and no harmful polluting gases are produced.

·         Solar cells can provide electricity in remote locations where there is no mains electricity.

Disadvantages

·         Solar cells are expensive and inefficient, so the cost of their electricity is high.

·         Solar cells do not work at night and not as well when it is cloudy.

Questions:

1.       Solar energy is energy that comes from what?

2.       What is a solar cell and where can you find them?

3.       What is a solar panel and why is it different to a solar cell?

4.       Name 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages of solar energy.

5.       Complete the following sentence:

You may have seen solar cells …………. road signs in remote areas. Very large arrays are used to power ………….  in orbit around Earth.