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Questions for Discussion: Pennsylvania Energy: Energy from the Sun

You can use the University of Oregon’s Solar Radiation Monitoring Laboratory's “Sun Chart” program: http://solardat.uoregon.edu/SunChartProgram.html to chart a sun path chart for your town/school. Create and print or save a chart for your school. You need to know your zip code or longitude and latitude, and what time zone you are in. Then create and print or save a chart for a school far north of you and one far south of you. Compare the charts to see when the sun is at its peak in different places.
Given that all schools installed exactly the same solar panels, discuss places in the world where schools with solar panels would collect more or less energy than ones you install at your school.
What months will give your school the greatest energy from the sun? Pick a place in the world that is the same distance from the equator as your school, but in the opposite direction, and decide what months would give that place the greatest energy from the sun.
To implement the use of solar energy using current technology, you will need to make some adjustments to your daily routines and try to live a less energy- intensive lifestyle. What energy intensive devices would you be willing to give up? What devices do you consider essential?