The Effect of Panel Color and Angle of Elevation on the Voltage of Solar Cells
The purpose of this research was to determine which set of factors, between the color of the panel and the angle of elevation of the panel, creates the highest voltage of custom-made dye-sensitized solar cells. As the planet’s supply of natural resources are slowly depleting, renewable energy is becoming increasingly important. Seeing as photovoltaic cells are one of the most promising forms of renewable energy, it is important to ensure that it is possible to maximize the amount of energy produced by them.
In order to collect data, a set of three dye-sensitized solar cells were created. One was transparent and the other two were painted with a thin coat of colored paint: one with violet and the other with red. These cells were then placed at different angles of elevation, and the voltage caused by a fixed light source was measured on a multimeter. These voltage values were collected as the data for this experiment which was analyzed using a Two-Factor Design of Experiment statistical analysis. It was found that both the panel color and angle of elevation were significant factors, while the interaction effect of the two was insignificant. The hypothesis, which theorized that the highest factor of the two variables, a violet panel color placed at a 0° angle of elevation, would produce the highest voltage, was accepted. The highest average voltage was 11.04 milliVolts, while the lowest was 4.70 milliVolts, which came when both of the low factors (red panel color placed at a 60° angle of elevation) were used.
Research Conducted By:
Dean Lawrence
Warren Woods Tower High School
Arjun Muralidharan
Sterling Heights High School
Warren Consolidated Schools