Hard homework problem I don’t understand.
Above the Earth’s atmosphere, we receive about 1400 W=m2 of energy from the Sun. If you could convert 100
per cent of this energy into usable electricity, how large a collecting area of solar cells would be necessary to
produce a 1-gigawatt power plant?
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
We can not convert 100% of that energy. The max. thermodynamic efficiency of solar cells is around 95%. Extra points if you know why.
This problem is actually very simple if you think about it.
1 gigawatt =1,000,000,0000 watts
Now just divide 1,000,000,000 by 1400 watts/m^2 (watts per square meter)
and you end up with about 714,285.71 m^2 of collecting area.
The energy received by 1 m² = 1400 watt
Energy required to be produced = 1 giga-watt = 1 x 10^12
The area reqd. = 1×10^12 / 1400 = 714285714 m²
……………… ………………….. ………..= 714 .28 Km²
……………. ………………….. ……………===========