SOLAR IQ TEST

Test Your Solar-Power IQ ; Everybody's talking about solar power. But do you know what they're talking about?
Yuliya Chernova, May 10, 2010 (Wall Street Journal)

"1. Which of these locations gets the most electricity from solar power?…Arizona…Denmark… Germany…Spain…New Jersey…Answer…more electricity is generated by solar panels in Germany than anywhere else, even though it's not exactly a sunny place. In 2009…about three gigawatts…more than half of the total capacity installed world-wide last year. In the U.S., California leads, with New Jersey second.

"2. Which of these U.S. presidents installed solar panels at the White House?…Richard Nixon…Jimmy Carter…Ronald Reagan…Bill Clinton…George W. Bush…Answer…In 1979, President Carter's White House installed solar panels on the roof of the West Wing to heat water. They were removed in 1986 during the Reagan administration when the roof was being repaired, and were never replaced. In 2002, new solar panels were placed on the White House grounds [during the G.W. Bush first term] to heat water and generate electricity."

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"3. How much electricity would a solar panel rated at 100 watts produce on a sunny day in Washington, D.C.? …100 watts…85 watts…60 watts…50 watts…Answer…A solar panel should produce about 85% of its rated wattage [85 watts] in strong sunlight in the Washington area, with the rest lost to various inefficiencies…The total will differ…[by] location…

"4. Which famous scientist received a Nobel Prize for his work in solar energy?…Thomas Edison…Albert Einstein…Nikola Tesla…Georg Ohm…Answer…In 1921 the Nobel Prize in physics went to Albert Einstein for his explanation of the photoelectric effect—the ejection of electrons from the surface of a metal in response to light. In a solar photovoltaic panel, sunlight hitting the surface causes electrons to flow, which creates an electrical current.

"5. Which country or region leads in manufacturing solar panels?… China …Europe…Japan…North America…Answer…In 2009 China produced about 36% of all solar panels made world-wide…Europe… had an 18% share. Japan was third at 16% and North America, primarily the U.S., fourth at 8%."

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"6. In the U.S., solar power is most commonly used to do what?… Provide electricity in the home…Power large retail centers…Deliver electricity to the grid…Heat water for swimming pools…Heat water for household use…Answer…As of the end of 2008, about 7,000 megawatts of solar power was installed for heating pools, compared with 1,100 megawatts for all other uses.

"7. What is the approximate cost to produce electricity from solar power in the U.S.?… Five cents per kilowatt-hour…10 cents per kilowatt-hour…25 cents per kilowatt-hour…35 cents per kilowatt-hour…Answer…25 cents per kilowatt-hour…more than twice the [below 10 cents per kilowatt-hour] cost of power generated by [wind,] coal and natural gas…[although the] price of solar power depends largely on where it is produced."