Conceptual Physics (12th Edition)

Published by Addison-Wesley
ISBN 10: 0321909100
ISBN 13: 978-0-32190-910-7

Chapter 16 - Think and Solve - Page 317: 38

Answer

Each square meter of collector receives 200 watts of solar power on average, but because of the 10% efficiency, it only supplies 20 W of electrical power. So to meet the average 3 kW requirement, you'll require $\frac{3000 W}{20 W/m^{2}} = 150 m^{2}$ of collector area. This is the area of a square that is 12.2 m on a side. It might fit in a yard, but is larger than most roofs can accommodate.
Update this answer!

You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this answer.

Update this answer

After you claim an answer you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback.