Kinesthetically connecting students to power produced by photovoltaic panels

Educating the public about photovoltaics as a power-producing technology has proven to be challenging. Qualities a person associates with power production like motion, sound, smoke, and vibration are not present with photovoltaics panels as there are none of the moving parts commonly associated with power production. To assist students in connecting with solar power, we help them feel the power by pedaling a bike to power a generator and then comparing their output to that of a nearby solar panel. This connects the student kinesthetically instead of through the abstraction of power represented by numbers and units.