Power to the People!

Power to the People! is a display of energy generation and use, for Eco-Annandale October 2012. The controversy over carbon tax, climate change and electricity price increases have obscured the simple facts of how is generated.

This display shows a photovoltaic panel (a so called "solar panel") connected to an electricity meter and light emitting diodes (LEDs). The available light indoors has less than one thousandth the power of the noon day sun, but is still sufficient to light three ultra efficient LEDs. An analogue multimeter set to read current is used. Unlike a digital meter, which requires a battery, the ammeter needle is powered purely from the current being measured. The display is positioned so that as the visitor approaces, they will shade the sloar panel, causing the LEDs to dim and meter needle to flicker, thus showing the relationship between light and energy.

Taking power to the people, you can buy install your own solar panels, multimeter and LEDs for small scale power generation.

The solar panel generates electrical power, the wires conduct the electricity to the lights and the meter measures the power used.

ps: I will speaking on "A Green Computing Professional Education Course Online using eBooks", in the Innovation in Education Showcase, 12:30pm, 19 September 2012, in the Ethel Tory Centre, at the Australian National University in Canberra.