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I wouldn't try using concave mirrors (which is what I think you mean  
by solar collectors).  I intuit, without any real experience, that  
this could be dangerous.

Eric Siegel
esiegel at nyscience dot org



On Feb 22, 2009, at 1:14 PM, Eric Yuan wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
> institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
>
> What a great idea!
>
> If you are worried about off-target mirrors being a nuisance, you  
> could ask
> each school to build their own solar collector.  That way you have  
> 50 or so
> solar collectors focusing light onto a central solar panel, instead  
> of 1000
> individual students to monitor.  I would try prototyping the idea  
> with a
> high school class to get an idea of how it would work large-scale:  
> testing
> things like distance to solar panels, focusing without a background,  
> how hot
> the panel gets, crystalline vs. flexible roofing panels.
>
> Linking solar energy to the amplifier volume might be tricky.  But I  
> second
> resisting the urge to fake it.  The solar panels could be hooked up  
> to an
> inverter and a small battery that would die out quickly.  This alone  
> would
> provide an ON-OFF response with that dying-out sound of unplugging an
> amplifier while it's on.  You could use a microcontroller to vary  
> the volume
> of the amps according to the battery level (sort of like an efficiency
> measure). You would still be driving the amps using solar power, but  
> you
> would get a more fulfilling feedback for the audience.
>
> Would this be slated for a few songs?  If so, it might be fun to  
> have other
> things that the audience can control, such as lighting effects and  
> disco
> balls, kinetic sculptures, cooling fans, and of course a big gauge  
> showing
> battery level.
>
> You should also check out bicycle-powered concerts that have been  
> held.
> http://tinyurl.com/5fctn9
> "Entitled "Power by the People," the concert featured participants  
> pedaling
> on six bikes generating power for the concert's lights, instruments  
> and
> sound equipment."
>
> Having created a bike-powered exhibit where kids can barely run a  
> blender, I
> wonder how much the six bikes are really contributing.
>
> Let us know how it works out!
>
> -Eric
>
> *****************************************
> Eric Yuan
> Exhibit Developer
> Children's Museum of New Hampshire
> 6 Washington St
> Dover, NH 03820
> (603) 742-2002
> www.childrens-museum.org
> *****************************************
>
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