0By Andres Martinic

Unit 3 technology
AOI (area of interaction): Environment
4/21/2014
Guiding question

1. How much would solar panels cost?
With Wholesale Solars current pricing (Oct. 2013), a medium sized gritty
system that generates about 815 kWh a month this would cost about $10,210. This
particular system includes twenty four solar panels. Without tax credit would take
the cost down to $7,147. This price does not include racking or installation, which
varies tremendously by locale. Most home sized systems are rated in the 1000 to
10,000 watt range and therefore cost between about $8000 and $100,000 dollars
to install. 2. How much energy do solar panels produce/ gather? What are solar
panels made of?
2. How much energy do solar panels produce/ gather? What are solar
panels made of?
Solar power is produced by collecting sunlight and converting it into
electricity. This is done by using solar panels, which are large flat panels made up
of many individual solar cells. It is most often used in remote locations, although it
is becoming more popular in urban areas as well.



3. How would my project help the environment?
My project would help the environment because the building would not
depend of any resources that would harm the environment, all of the energy that is
needed for the building to function will come from renewable energy, energy that
would not harm the environment.
4. So do you maintain solar panels?
A. Get a cleaning kit. It should have liquid soap, a wiper, a small brush and a
big brush. These items are similar to what you use to clean your car, so if you
cannot purchase a cleaning kit that is specifically designed for cleaning solar panels
then you can substitute it with your car cleaning equipment instead.
B. The amount that needs to be mixed should be mentioned on the bottle of
liquid soap. Usually it is about the same amount that you use when cleaning your
car.
C. If you have the panels divided into smaller arrangements then you should
be able to get the job done with a small handheld brush. However, for larger
arrangements it can be difficult to reach the panels in the middle so you will need
to use the brush with the longer handle.
D. At times, the wiper is attached at the back of the brush. It is important
that you don't allow the soap to dry on the solar panels since this will block the
amount of sunlight that they can absorb and make them inefficient.
E. Sometimes it can be difficult to reach all the panels while in other cases
you may have certain stains such as the stains of bird droppings that can be very
difficult to clean. It is better to hire a professional than to risk damaging your solar
panels.
5. How much energy do windmills produce? How much does it cost to
install a windmill?
To purchase and install of a system large enough to power an entire home
costs around $30,000, but the price can range from $10,000 to $70,000 depending
on system size, height, and installation. Small turbines generally cost $4,000 to
$9,000, and a 100-kW turbine can cost $350,000.
6. After designing this new technology how would it used in the future
Using the new technology that I have designed we would not need to depend on
non-renewable energy, and also I would help the environment to heal from its past
damages that were done from using the non-renewable energy.
Design Brief and Specification

Design brief
For this unit the class had to come up with an idea, the idea is to be design
something that can be sustained by renewable energy, for example: a computer
that has solar panels as its energy source, or a motorbike that is powered by solar
panels as well, or even a building that is powered by solar panels windmills and
other systems that produce renewable energy. The design that I have chosen for
this unit is the building, I want to design a building because it could be a valuable
asset In the future. In todays generation buildings are the most common al around
the world, but as you know, the world is running out of energy resources to power
all the cities in the world but specifically the buildings in the cities. The reasons I
find this design to be helpful to the world is because it would allow us not only save
money but also help the environment as well.
The reason that I have chosen this design was because throughout the world, the
people of the generation have misused the resources that are all around us, ad for
that reason I would like to design a building that would not need the support of
fossil fuels but it powered by resource that could never run out in other words a
renewable energy.

Specification
1. I will be using Google sketch up to design the building.
2. I will be using some of the examples on the internet so I can have an idea on
what I would like my building to look like

Bibliography
1.http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generating-energy/Choosing-a-renewable-
technology/Wind-turbines
"Wind Turbines for Homes Explained - Benefits, Costs, Savings, Earnings,
Suitability." Wind Turbines for Homes Explained - Benefits, Costs, Savings,
Earnings, Suitability. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.
2. http://www.sunrun.com/solar-lease/cost-of-solar/
"Cost of Home Solar Power Systems." Cost of Home Solar Power Systems. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014
3. http://www.yourturn.ca/solar/solar-power/how-do-solar-panels-make-electricity/
"How Do Solar Panels Make Electricity?" Your Turn. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.
4. https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070523070138AABBb4f
"How Much, an Average If Possible, Does It Cost to Install a Windmill?" Yahoo!
Answers. Yahoo!, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.