Clouds and Solar Energy
Solar energy is a clean renewable resource. Using laptop computers, students will determine the most efficient location for solar panels by comparing average cloud coverage of various regions in the U.S.
Program Cost
$225.00
Contact Information
For more information about this program, contact:
Menzel Smith-Jones
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Bldg.400 – P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000
631-344-4495 (phone)
631-344-7089 (fax)
slc@bnl.gov
Course Objective
Cloud systems and other global processes are best understood with the use of modeling. Scientists use satellite data to build computer models of these processes and systems. Students will reproduce the techniques used by research scientists to investigate how atmospheric processes like clouds, affect insolation received by the Earth. They will use NASA data to determine what effect, if any, clouds have on the amount of solar energy received at a specific location on Earth.
Audience for This Program
Middle School/ Jr. High School
Program Benefits
Students will use laptop computers, latitude/longitude coordinate system, and spreadsheet software to calculate the average amount of sun's energy received over the course of one year.