Chemistry Project 2009
ECoS Faculty: John Asbury
ECoS Graduate Student Mentor: Kyle Banyas
The Chemistry of Affordable Solar Power
This research project will explore approaches to make solar energy
an affordable alternative energy source. For the capstone of the
project, students will work together to construct a functioning solar
cell and to power a device of their choosing. Students will balance the
‘cost’ of the materials used to construct the solar cell with the
‘costs’ of their device to be powered by the cell in order to best
utilize the ‘funds’ allotted to the project. In preparation for the
capstone of the project, students will actively explore the properties
of light including color, wavelength and frequency. Students will also
examine the interaction of light with materials including the concepts
of absorption, reflection, and refractive index. The molecular nature
of matter followed by key chemical reactions that occur in solar cells
will be discussed. Students will then use their knowledge to chose the
set of materials with which to construct their solar cell and to
explore its ability to power their device. Junior students are
preferred for this project.