Solar Energy Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. What does a solar power plant's capacity factor compare?
Its module area with the total area of the site
Its actual energy production with the energy it could produce by running at rated power continuously
Its battery voltage with its inverter voltage
Its installation cost with the retail price of electricity
2. One module in a conventional series-connected solar string is heavily shaded while the others receive full sun. What is the most likely immediate effect?
Only the shaded module stops contributing, with no possible effect on the rest of the string
The entire array begins producing alternating current directly
The unshaded modules automatically double their voltage to compensate
The shaded module's output falls and may restrict the current of the series string
3. Under ideal conditions, a 5-kilowatt solar array operates at full rated power for one hour. How much energy does it produce?
1 kilowatt-hour
5 kilowatts per hour
5 kilowatt-hours
25 kilowatt-hours
4. A standard grid-tied solar system has no battery backup or special backup equipment. What will it usually do during a utility outage?
Continue powering the entire building whenever sunlight is available
Automatically store all production inside the photovoltaic cells
Send extra voltage into the grid to restart it
Shut down to avoid energizing utility lines during the outage
5. What normally happens to a photovoltaic array's electricity production on a cloudy day?
It falls to exactly zero whenever the sun is hidden
It reverses direction and draws electricity from the building
It remains at rated output because clouds block heat but not light
It usually continues at a reduced level because diffuse sunlight can still reach the modules
6. A 400-watt module receives the equivalent of five peak-sun hours in a day. Ignoring system losses, approximately how much electrical energy would it produce?
0.08 kilowatt-hours
0.4 kilowatt-hours
2 kilowatt-hours
5 kilowatt-hours
7. How does a solar thermal collector differ from a photovoltaic module?
A solar thermal collector captures heat, while a photovoltaic module generates electricity
A solar thermal collector stores electricity, while a photovoltaic module stores heat
A solar thermal collector works only at night, while a photovoltaic module works during the day
A solar thermal collector requires wind, while a photovoltaic module requires direct sunlight
8. In general, what does net metering or a similar energy-credit arrangement do?
It accounts for electricity sent to the grid so it can offset consumption according to local rules
It guarantees that a solar array will eliminate every electricity charge
It converts exported solar electricity into stored heat at the utility
It measures only the electricity consumed while the solar array is offline
9. Why are fixed solar modules commonly installed at a deliberate tilt rather than simply following the roof or ground surface without evaluation?
Tilt allows photovoltaic cells to create energy after sunset
Tilt changes direct current into alternating current without an inverter
A suitable tilt can improve how directly sunlight reaches the modules over the target period
Tilt ensures that shading can never affect the array
10. What process allows a photovoltaic solar cell to generate electricity from sunlight?
Photons transfer energy to electrons, creating an electric current
Sunlight heats water that turns a turbine inside the cell
Solar radiation magnetizes the cell's metal contacts
The cell stores sunlight chemically and burns it later
11. For an unshaded fixed array in most of the Northern Hemisphere, which direction generally provides the strongest year-round solar exposure?
North
East
South
West
12. Which statement best describes the environmental impact of photovoltaic electricity over its full life cycle?
Photovoltaic modules have no environmental impact at any stage of their life cycle
Manufacturing and transport have impacts, but operation produces electricity without direct fuel combustion
Most photovoltaic emissions come from burning fuel inside the modules during use
Photovoltaic systems consume more electricity than they can generate because silicon absorbs energy
13. Two identical crystalline-silicon solar modules receive the same sunlight, but one is much hotter. How will the hotter module generally perform?
It will produce more power because heat always increases electrical efficiency
It will stop generating direct current and begin generating alternating current
It will produce exactly the same power because temperature affects only batteries
It will usually operate less efficiently and produce somewhat less power
14. What is the main role of an inverter in a typical solar photovoltaic system?
To concentrate sunlight onto the photovoltaic modules
To convert direct current from the modules into usable alternating current
To store surplus electricity for use after sunset
To circulate heat-transfer fluid through the modules
15. What is the primary purpose of adding a battery to a solar photovoltaic system?
To store electrical energy for use at another time
To increase the amount of sunlight striking each module
To convert alternating current into sunlight
To prevent the modules from warming in direct sun
16. Several solar modules are connected in series. Which electrical quantity is most directly constrained by the lowest-current module in that series string?
The amount of sunlight reaching every module
The current flowing through the string
The operating frequency of the utility grid
The battery's total storage capacity