Final answer:
To calculate the power output of 10 m² solar panels with 20% efficiency in Cleveland, multiply the solar flux of 160 W/m² by the area, resulting in 1600 W, then apply the efficiency to get a power output of 320 W under ideal conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the amount of energy that can be generated by solar panels with a certain efficiency, given an average solar flux. To calculate the power output of solar panels, we need to consider the average solar flux in Cleveland, the area of the solar panels, and their efficiency.
Given that the annual average solar flux in Cleveland is 160 W/m² and that we have 10 m² of solar panels operating at 20 percent efficiency, we can calculate the power output. First, we multiply the solar flux by the surface area of the panels to get the total power available from the sun: 160 W/m² x 10 m² = 1600 W. Then we account for the 20% efficiency of the solar panels, which gives us 1600 W x 0.20 = 320 W. This is the power that these solar panels would produce under ideal conditions in Cleveland.