Solar Panels
------------

Sunlight provides 1,000 watts (1 kW) for every square meter of panel over one
hour. However, most solar panels have around 20% efficiency. Depending on how
much space we have for the addition of solar panels to the design, we need to
figure out how much energy is required to run :index:`Raspberry Pi`, power the
flash of the camera, and play the radio.

It is also a good idea to consider alternate options for power when the solar
panels do not work, (eg. if it is cloudy, night, etc.) Batteries need to be
used.

Looking at the :index:`Raspberry Pi` website, different models will use
different amounts of energy, which would affect how many solar panels we would
need. For example: In the Raspberry Pi 5, it takes 25W, the website recommends
using a high-quality 5V 5A USB-C power supply. We need to figure out if this is
within the amount of energy that would be required to run our :index:`Raspberry
Pi`, radio, and flash.

The value of a solar panel is usually measured by dollars per Watt it produces.
If size isn't a problem, then we can go with a lower efficiency solar panel
that is cheaper (lower dollars per Watt value).

Info found @ https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-5/