Youtube Exercise » English Grammar Homework

How do solar panels work? – Richard Komp

TED-Ed

26.7M views 10 years ago

Warm-up Questions

When you hear the title “How do solar panels work?”, what parts or materials do you think are inside a solar panel?
What are two everyday things you think could be powered by solar energy?
Do you think the whole world could one day rely completely on solar energy? Why or why not?

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How do solar panels work? – Richard Komp

Solar power and how a solar cell creates electricity (00:00 – 02:36)

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1. What are solar panels made up of?

Thin glass mirrors
Batteries called modules
Smaller units called solar cells

2. What happens when a photon hits the silicon cell with enough energy?

It cools the cell down
It creates more silicon atoms
It knocks an electron from its bond, leaving a hole

3. Why can solar cells last for decades, according to the video?

They repair themselves at night
They have no moving parts at all
Electrons are the only moving parts and nothing gets worn out or used up

How do solar panels work? – Richard Komp

Challenges: distribution, inconsistency, storage, and efficiency (02:36 – 03:43)

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1. What is described as the most obvious physical/logistical challenge for solar energy?

Solar panels only work in deserts
Solar energy is unevenly distributed across the planet
Solar panels cannot be produced fast enough

2. What would total reliance on solar power require (according to this segment)?

Efficient ways to move electricity and effective storage of energy
Only replacing lightbulbs with LED lights
More coal plants as backup

3. About how efficient are most commercial solar systems currently?

80–90%
15–20%
46%

How do solar panels work? – Richard Komp

Is powering the world possible? Space, cost, innovation, and access (03:43 – 04:59)

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1. According to the video, what would be needed to power the entire world with today’s solar technology?

A ban on all other energy sources
A single giant solar panel in the ocean
Funding to build infrastructure and a good deal of space

2. What example is used to show that the required area might be possible?

Greenland has endless sunlight year-round
The Sahara Desert is over 3 million square miles
Antarctica is covered with solar farms

3. For over a billion people without reliable access to an electric grid, solar can be cheaper and safer than which alternative mentioned?

Natural gas
Kerosene
Nuclear power

How do solar panels work? – Richard Komp

Transcript will load here…

1. In simple terms, what is the main job of a solar panel?

To store electricity inside silicon atoms
To create sunlight from heat
To turn solar energy into electrical energy

2. Which statement best matches the video’s overall message?

Solar power is already perfectly efficient everywhere
Solar power works, but there are physical, logistical, and political challenges to full reliance
Solar power is impossible to use on a large scale

3. Why is energy storage important for solar power?

Because solar panels break when it rains
Because solar energy is inconsistent (for example at night or on cloudy days)
Because photons are dangerous to humans

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

How do solar panels work? – Richard Komp

The video mentions both political and physical/logistical challenges. Which do you think is harder to solve, and why?
If your city wanted to increase solar power, where could panels be placed (rooftops, deserts, floating farms, etc.)? What problems might come up?
Should governments invest more in solar infrastructure even if it requires a lot of space? Explain your opinion.
In areas without a reliable electric grid, what benefits and risks might come with switching from fuels like kerosene to solar energy?