How a solar panel makes electricity
Light in, electricity out: solar cells, and what shade, dust and angle do to them.
Planned. This module is part of the plan and is not written yet.
Why it matters
Every lesson on the Lantern's stations runs on sunlight caught by its own panels, so keeping them clean, unshaded and well angled helps keep the school open.
Draft outline · in review- For
- Level 8–9 · JSS 2 to JSS 3 (BECE)
- Inside
- 5 lessons and a test · about 60 minutes
- Topic
- Solar power and mini-grids · foundation, 1 of 4
Inside the module.
5 lessons in order, about 60 minutes in all, then a short test. Learners go at their own pace; the minutes are a guide, not a timetable.
Draft outline · in review
Lesson 1: From light to electricity
Light knocks electrons loose in a silicon cell, and the cell's built-in field pushes them round a circuit.
Explain15 min, from minute 0
Lesson 2: Angle, shade, heat and dust
A simulation: tilt, shade, heat and dirty a panel, and watch its output change.
Investigate15 min, from minute 15
Lesson 3: Inside the Lantern's solar system
Panels, charge control, battery and inverter: what each part does.
Explain15 min, from minute 30
Lesson 4: Panel detective
Spot what is wrong in pictures of badly placed or dirty panels.
Practice10 min, from minute 45
Lesson 5: Check your skills
Short questions on cells, panels and the Lantern's parts.
Review5 min, from minute 55
End-of-module test
Explain how a solar cell works, describe what changes a panel's output, and name the parts of the Lantern's solar system and their jobs.
Mastered at 85% or more. Retake it until you pass; nothing is lost, and each try gives feedback.
Already know it? A Challenge Test (planned) clears the whole module: 90% overall, no objective below 75%.
Last stageafter about 60 min
Practicalities
Draft outline · in reviewBuilt to run offline
Planned to run on the Lantern's own computer, with no internet needed.
Languages
Planned first in English; every module aims to reach all of the Lantern's languages.
Try a question.
One question from the module, as a learner would meet it. Have a go, then open the worked solution a step at a time.
Draft outline · in review
Which part of the Lantern's power system turns direct current from the battery into the alternating current that its computers and air conditioners use?
Particulars
Where it sits
What a learner can do after it
- Explain how a solar cell turns light into electricity.
- Describe how angle, shade, heat and dust change a panel's output.
- Name the parts of the Lantern's solar system and what each does.
Needs first
We suggest first (never a lock)
Level
Level 8–9 · JSS 2 to JSS 3 (BECE)
Level mappings are approximate. A qualified teacher or lecturer in each country must check them before they appear in the app.
Difficulty for its level
1 of 4 · Foundation
Time
About 60 minutes
Alignments
- Aligned to NaCCApartial · in reviewGhana Basic 7–9 Science: renewable energy (descriptive ref)
Alignment in review until a qualified teacher or lecturer checks it. No exam body, university or vendor endorses us; learners still sit the real exam.
Challenge Test
Planned: a Challenge Test to prove you know it and skip it. Pass at 90% overall, with no objective below 75%.
University courses it previews
Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Renewable Energy Engineering
On these pathways
The route here.
Everything this module builds on, drawn as a route from its foundations. Solid lanes must be mastered first, or cleared by a Challenge Test; dashed lanes are suggestions that never lock anything.
- SC-ENV-SOL-01Energy from the sun: the LanternSciences · Primary 6 to JSS 3 (BECE) (Level 6–9) · Planned · recommended
- SC-PHY-ELC-01Circuits and currentSciences · JSS 1 to JSS 2 (Level 7–8) · Planned
- EG-ELE-SOL-01How a solar panel makes electricityEngineering · JSS 2 to JSS 3 (BECE) (Level 8–9) · Planned · the destination Needs Circuits and current (required), Energy from the sun: the Lantern (recommended).
Help light the room where this is learned.
Every route on this map starts in a classroom with 24 stations, a tutor that works offline and a facilitator upstairs. Four are planned and waiting for light.