Unless you're Ms. Wizard or Mr. Brainiac, we're sure you have at least one burning question about this hot sun stuff. We have already collected a bunch of questions from students like yourself and even from ones much older than you (like your teachers, moms and dads). See if your question is listed below. If your question isn't there, you can e-mail it to one of the School Project Partners for your school.

1. Why are the panels facing the way they are?
To capture as much sunlight as they can.

2. How do you make a solar cell?
You grow a crystal, or rock, from silica and cut it in super-thin slices with a laser beam.

3. Who is America's Energy Partner?
AEP.

4. Why do we want to make electricity from solar cells?
Electricity from the sun doesn't pollute and doesn't cost much to make once you have the equipment.

5. Who causes pollution?
Everybody contributes to pollution. That's why we're looking at many different ways to reduce it.

6. How much electricity does the panel make?
The most it makes is 2,000 watts, about half the amount an average house uses. That's enough to power 20 100-watt lightbulbs.

7. Will it catch on fire from the sun?
No, it's made out of metal and glass, the same kind of glass that is in your car windshield.

8. Will I get a shock if I touch it?
No, the electricity it creates goes through cables into the school. But you might get burned on a hot sunny day!

9. How long did it take to build?
Four days.

10. How slanted does it get?
In the winter it is slanted at 60 degrees, and in the summer it's at about 30 degrees.

11. In a bad storm could anything hurt the solar panels?
The solar panels have glass on them that can withstand hail the size of baseballs. It also has no moving parts.

12. Does it make electricity when it's cloudy?
Yes, but not as much as on a sunny day.

13. How much power can it make?
The panel can convert about 15 percent of the sunlight it collects into electricity.

14. How much electricity does one panel make?
About 75 watts.

15. How much power is lost before it gets to the school?
It's capable of making 2,250 watts, but some of it is used in the inverter (the device that converts the DC, or direct current energy, into AC, or alternating current energy), and some is lost when the electricity travels through the 45 feet of cables to the school.

16. How much does a panel cost?
From $4 to $7 a watt, but as crystals become more efficient to make, the cost might only be about $1 per watt.

17. Are there other schools with solar panels?
Yes, but Bluffsview is one of the first to be able to graph its electricity production on a Web site.

18. Will the solar energy project help our school?
Yes, by reducing the amount of electricity the school needs to purchase by about one percent.

19. What's cool about the solar project?
It's the first one in Ohio.

20. What will we learn?
We will learn about making energy with coal, the sun and other resources.

21. How do the solar panels work?
When sunlight strikes the silica in the solar cell, it causes electrons to move around, creating an electrical current. Want to know more? Go to the grade 7-12 InfoBook in Power Pie for a more detailed explanation.

22. How are we going to find out how much energy is used by the school?
The graphs on this Web site tell us how much is used every day.

23. Can we tell the difference in electricity made on a cloudy or sunny day?
Yes, by choosing "days to graph" and by going to the weather Web site.

24. Can we see the graphs only on our computers at school?
No, you and your parents can look at the AEP Web site on your home computer or on computers in your public library if it has an Internet connection.

25. How will this project help proficiency test scores?
In regards to current test results, energy is one of the weakest areas. The solar project and Web site should help improve those scores.

26. Where can I learn more about Solar Energy?
Check out the solar training and education offerings at the Sandia National Laboratories Photovoltaics Program Web site.