Michaela Gaffke / Winonan

A class of elementary education students combined seven homemade solar panels to power a small fan. This was an idea they got from a field trip in October to DreamAcres Farm in Spring Valley, an off-the-grid organic farm that uses solar panels to power the entire farm.

“We were studying electricity, and solar panels were a great way to study some of the properties,” student Emily Solum said.

Each student in the Winona State University investigative science I: physical science class assembled their own solar panel. It took seven solar panels to power one small fan, and there were two groups total, so the class put their 14 panels to use by powering a second small fan.

“We assembled it by taking a picture frame, three panels, which, is where the sun reflects into them and goes through these wires, silicon absorbs the sunlight and travels through the panels and connects them. Then it travels to the edges where we have a string, and another string that connects to the positive and negative sides. One is connected to the green for negative and to the red for positive, and then it connects to a voltage reader and we can read how many volts we have,” student Bryn Rademaker explained.

Each student brought tools to class, assembling them at the beginning of the week. On Wednesday of that week, they successfully tested them.

“It was a challenge to put them together, we had to be very careful with the panels. Other than that it was the coolest thing that we’ve done in that class so far. We’ve done circuits and other activities, but that was the most fun we’ve had in the class,” Rademaker said.

She said their group had to figure out how to connect the panels together and that was a challenge, but it was fun to experiment.

“Sometimes we argued a little bit, but once we figured it out we were all excited and forgot about what happened,” Rademaker said.

Rademaker went on to say how the sun generates so much power and electricity, and it was shocking and surprising that “this tiny little thing” reflects sunlight and can power a fan.

Solum stated how the students learned more details on how solar panels are made and implemented, as well as how they work.

Each of the students kept their solar panels after the activity. Rademaker wants to experiment and see if it will charge her cell phone.

“It might not be enough, but it will be fun to experiment,” Rademaker said.

-By Michaela Gaffke