Suppose the average solar fl ux reaching the United States is 200 W/m2. This average is taken over a whole year, and takes into account seasonal effects and weather (clouds), and assumes fi xed solar cells. (a) Find the total energy produced in one year by a 1-m2 cell producing energy with an effi ciency of 15%. (b) How much area would have to be covered with these solar cells to supply the United States with all its electricity, if the yearly electrical energy consumption in the United States is about 4.0 x 1012 kW * h? (c) Real solar arrays require about 2.5 times as much area as you found in (b) in order to keep one array of cells from shading another. What fraction of the land area of the United States (about 9 x 106 km2) would have to be covered with solar cells to meet the nation’s energy requirements?
Suppose the average solar fl ux reaching the United States is 200 W/m2. This average is taken over a whole year, and takes into account seasonal effects and weather (clouds), and assumes fi xed solar cells.
(a) Find the total energy produced in one year by a 1-m2 cell producing energy with an effi ciency of 15%.
(b) How much area would have to be covered with these solar cells to supply the United States with all its electricity, if the yearly electrical energy consumption in the United States is about 4.0 x 1012 kW * h?
(c) Real solar arrays require about 2.5 times as much area as you found in (b) in order to keep one array of cells from shading another. What fraction of the land area of the United States (about 9 x 106 km2) would have to be covered with solar cells to meet the nation’s energy requirements?
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