Solar Energy Exam Questions
and Answers
What contributes to passive solar heating? - Answer- Thermal inertia, insulation,
window/roof orientation
What is a solar chimney used for? - Answer- Natural ventilation and seasonal heating
What is the payback time for household solar heating? - Answer- 7-15 years (faster than
PV)
What are the three main types of solar cooling? - Answer- Absorption, adsorption, and
desiccant cooling
What drives an absorption chiller? - Answer- Heat regenerates a refrigerant absorbed in
a liquid
What drives an adsorption chiller? - Answer- Refrigerant adsorbs on a solid and is
regenerated by heat
What affects optimal solar panel tilt? - Answer- Latitude, season, and altitude
What types of solar collectors exist? - Answer- Unglazed, glazed flat plate, evacuated
tubes, concentrated collectors
What is Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)? - Answer- Concentration of sunlight to drive
a thermodynamic cycle
Name four CSP technologies. - Answer- Parabolic dish, parabolic trough, Fresnel
trough, solar tower
Typical efficiency of parabolic dishes? - Answer- Up to ~30%
Minimum insolation for CSP systems? - Answer- ≈200 W/m²
What are the main uses of solar energy? - Answer- PV electricity, domestic hot water,
collective heating, hybrid PV-thermal, and concentrated solar power
and Answers
What contributes to passive solar heating? - Answer- Thermal inertia, insulation,
window/roof orientation
What is a solar chimney used for? - Answer- Natural ventilation and seasonal heating
What is the payback time for household solar heating? - Answer- 7-15 years (faster than
PV)
What are the three main types of solar cooling? - Answer- Absorption, adsorption, and
desiccant cooling
What drives an absorption chiller? - Answer- Heat regenerates a refrigerant absorbed in
a liquid
What drives an adsorption chiller? - Answer- Refrigerant adsorbs on a solid and is
regenerated by heat
What affects optimal solar panel tilt? - Answer- Latitude, season, and altitude
What types of solar collectors exist? - Answer- Unglazed, glazed flat plate, evacuated
tubes, concentrated collectors
What is Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)? - Answer- Concentration of sunlight to drive
a thermodynamic cycle
Name four CSP technologies. - Answer- Parabolic dish, parabolic trough, Fresnel
trough, solar tower
Typical efficiency of parabolic dishes? - Answer- Up to ~30%
Minimum insolation for CSP systems? - Answer- ≈200 W/m²
What are the main uses of solar energy? - Answer- PV electricity, domestic hot water,
collective heating, hybrid PV-thermal, and concentrated solar power
