Energy Explained

 

ENERGY - What is it?

• Energy is the capacity to do work.
• Energy cannot be created or destroyed but it can be converted from one form to another.

Energy is the ability to do work. It causes things to happen. Energy can be transformed into another sort of energy, but it cannot be created and it cannot be destroyed.
Energy can be measured in many ways, but Btu and joules are the basic measuring systems used to measure energy.
One Btu, which stands for “British thermal unit”, is the amount of heat energy it takes to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit, at sea level. One joule is the amount of energy needed to lift something weighing one pound to a height of nine inches. So, if you lifted a five-pound sack of sugar from the floor to the top of a counter (27 inches), you would use about 15 joules of energy. A 1,000 joules = 1 Btu. Around the world, scientists measure energy in joules rather than Btus.
Energy can be found in a number of different forms. It can be food energy, chemical energy, electrical energy, thermal energy, light energy, mechanical energy, and nuclear energy, and is divided into two types: Stored energy, called potential energy, and moving energy, called kinetic energy.
Energy makes everything happen.
For information about the solar panels installed at the Greenbank Farm go to the solar panels page.

Alternate Energy Education

Solar Energy International - A valuable set of links to teaching materials on alternate energy.


 

This entry was posted on March 19, 2013 by Jamie Morgan.

There are plenty of ongoing initiatives towards saving our environment and conserving energy, but it simply isn’t enough for only adults to deal with these issues. The truth is that apart from handling it now, we also have to plan for the future. By properly educating children about the importance of green living, we can help to prepare future generations to take care of the environment. Even at a young age, kids can make a marked impact by introducing these values to their families and friends. An easy way to start is by integrating these concepts into lesson plans, or by involving students in hands-on activities. By allowing them to see how they can make a difference, we can continue to keep them motivated.
Solar Energy
Solar power is a wonderful source of energy that does not involve burning natural resources or creating pollutants. While it is still not used widely today, it definitely has the potential to become more common in future. A good way to help children learn about using solar energy is by showing them how solar panels work. This can be done with a solar toy or a small kit.

• The Sun's Energy (PDF) – This lesson plan is a perfect introduction to solar power as a renewable energy source.
• Solar Heating – Teach students about insulation and solar energy as a heat source.
• Solar Energy for K-2 – Follow a series of solar energy lesson plans for younger students that include recipes, coloring pages, stories and more.
• Create a Solar Oven – With these fun resources, kids learn to build their own solar oven.
• Teaching Solar Energy (PDF) – A range of lessons and activities help students to understand the versatility of solar energy.

Water Conservation
To kids, water conservation might seem a bit redundant since there is so much of it out there. However, through targeted lesson plans, they will learn that reducing their water usage can go a long way towards cutting down energy use and water pollution. Before discussing ways to conserve water, teach them how much water ordinary daily tasks consume.

• How We Use Water – Teach students to identify and track the amount of water we use on a daily basis.
• Water Usage Worldwide (DOC) – A lesson plan demonstrates helps students discover the consequences of shortages of clean water around the world.
• Conserving Water – Through an in-class activity, students learn about the availability of consumable water and water shortage.
• Water Lesson Plans for All Ages – Teachers can pick from a variety of lesson plans, all based on water awareness and conservation, sorted by grade level.
• Reducing Our Water Use - Through this lesson, students will learn why it is important to conserve water, and they will develop ideas for water conservation.

Wind Power
To learn about why wind power is important, students should first understand the consequences of burning fossil fuels as our primary energy source. Unlike fossil fuels, wind power is entirely renewable. Even more importantly, it is clean and does not pollute the atmosphere. Students can construct their own wind-powered miniature contraptions in class to get an idea of how this simple concept can actually be quite powerful.

• Wind Power Lessons – Choose from a variety of lesson plans and presentations on wind power and how it can be used.
• Wind-Powered Activities – From building pinwheels to analyzing air density, students of all ages will learn plenty from these lesson plans.
• Lessons on Wind Energy – Pick the appropriate grade level and then select activities and lesson plans focusing on wind energy.
• Wind for Schools – Encourage your school to participate in a program that introduces wind power to the school.
• The Windy Classroom – Download a full, free curriculum on wind energy.

Biofuel
Although the benefits of biofuel might not be immediately apparent to younger students, teaching them about it is important for their futures. Biofuels are created from renewable resources, such as soybeans, and are used to power vehicles and machines. While they still produce emissions, these outputs are not as harmful as those caused by fossil fuels. Students can learn about this by exploring sources of biofuels and comparing the efficiency of biofuels with more traditional energy sources.

• Biofuel Learning Resources – Educators can pick an appropriate lesson plan from a database of biofuel resources, sorted by grade or lesson type.
• Creating Biodiesel – In an exciting activity, students will create their very own biodiesel.
• Biomass Curriculum (PDF) – Teach students about biofuel as an alternative to fossil fuels and its advantages.
• A Biofuel Science Lesson – Older students will compare different types of biomass and biofuels to learn about tradeoffs.
• Biofuel Resources for Educators – Teachers can find a variety of teaching resources, from labs, lesson plans, projects and more.

Geothermal Energy
In comparing alternative energy sources, it is useful to introduce students to geothermal energy as another option. They can explore this concept through miniature models and experiments. Through these types of activities, students will learn that geothermal energy does not emit harmful pollutants or require much fuel to produce it.

• Exploring Geothermal Energy – Download a list of activities based on geothermal energy specifically for middle school grades.
• A Geothermal Experiment (PDF) – By performing a geothermal model experiment, students compare energy outputs.
• Geothermal Teacher Resources (PDF) – Browse lesson plans, curriculums, and interactive teaching aids on geothermal energy.
• Geothermal Energy in Practice – Introduce students to one school’s real life take on geothermal energy that includes a geothermal well.
• Using Geothermal Energy – Although it might sound complicated to use geothermal energy, students can learn about cost savings and the environmental impact when this energy source is put in practice.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized on March 19, 2013 by Jamie Morgan.

 

Energy - Electricity

Electricity is everywhere in our lives, but what is electricity? Where does it come from and how does it work?
Simply put, electricity is the flow of electrons from one place to another. But to understand electricity, you first need to understand about atoms and their structure.
All matter is made up of atoms, and atoms are made up of smaller particles. The three main particles making up an atom are the proton, the neutron and the electron. Electrons contain a negative charge, protons a positive charge and neutrons are neutral – they have neither a positive nor a negative charge.

Some kinds of atoms contain loosely attached electrons. The loosely attached electrons can be made to move easily from one atom to another. When those electrons move between the atoms, a current of electricity is created. The electrons being passed from atom to atom create an electrical current from one end to other. Electrons can flow through any material, but do so more easily in some than in others. How easily it flows is called resistance.

Energy - Static Electricity

In wire, the electrons are passed from atom to atom, creating an electrical current from one end to the other. Electricity "flows" or moves through some things better than others. The measurement of how well something conducts electricity is called its resistance. Resistance in wire depends on how thick and how long it is, and what it's made of. The lower the resistance of a wire, the better it conducts electricity. A heater is an example of how resistance can be used to our advantage. When an electrical current occurs in a piece of metal, the resistance causes friction and the friction causes heat. The higher the resistance, the hotter it can get. So, a coiled wire high in resistance can be very hot.
Another type of electrical energy is static electricity. Unlike current electricity that moves, static electricity stays in one place. But the static electricity can give you a shock. For example, shuffling your feet picks up additional electrons which spread over your body. When you touch a metal doorknob, or something with a positive charge, the electricity jumps across the small gap from your fingers just before you touch the metal knob.
Lightning in a thunder storm is another form of static electricity. Clouds become negatively charged as ice crystals inside the clouds rub up against each other. Meanwhile, on the ground, the positive charge increases. The clouds get so highly charged that the electrons jump between the ground and the cloud, or from one cloud to another cloud. This causes a huge spark of static electricity in the sky that we call lightning.

Solar Panels

Energy - Electric Circuits

Electrons with a negative charge can't "jump" through the air to a positively charged atom. They have to wait for a link or a bridge between the negative area and the positive area. We usually call this bridge a "circuit." When a bridge is created, the electrons begin moving quickly. How fast they can move depends on the resistance of the material making up the bridge. They try to get across as fast as they can.

You can limit the number of electrons crossing over the "circuit," by letting only a certain number through at a time. By limiting the number of electrons, you can make them work for you. An example of this would be making the electrons heat a filament in a bulb, causing it to glow and give off light. When you limit the number of electrons that can cross over a circuit, you are giving it resistance.
If you were to have a light bulb and an on-off switch on a circuit, the light bulb changes the electrical energy into light and heat energy. When you have only one circuit that electrons can go through to get to the other side we call it a "series circuit."
If you set up another circuit next to the first one, you would have two circuits between the charges. These are called"parallel circuits" because they run parallel to each other. You can have as many parallel circuits as you want.
An electric motor is a good example of the use of circuits.

A motor works through electromagnetism. It has a coiled up wire (the circuit) that sits between the north and south poles of a magnet. When current flows through the coiled circuit another magnetic field is produced. The north pole of the fixed magnet attracts the south pole of the coiled wire. The two north poles push away, or repulse, each other. The motor is set up in a way that attraction and repulsion spins the center section with the coiled wire.

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be saved in various forms. One way to store it is in the form of chemical energy in a battery. When connected in a circuit, a battery can produce electricity.
If you look at a battery, it will have two ends; a positive terminal and a negative terminal. If you connect the two terminals with wire, a circuit is formed. Electrons will flow through the wire and a current of electricity is produced. Inside the battery, a reaction between the chemicals takes place.
The energy in the circuit can now be used to do work, like light a light bulb in a flashlight or turn a small motor.
There are other ways of storing energy. Plants, like grass in a meadow, convert the sun's energy through photosynthesis into stored chemical energy. This energy is stored in the plant cells is used by the plant to grow, repair itself and reproduce itself. Animals eat the energy stored in the grass or grain and convert that energy into stored energy in their bodies. When we eat meat and other animal products, we in turn, store that energy in our own bodies. We use the stored energy to fuel our bodies.



 

After electricity is produced in power plants, it must make its way to consumers through the electricity transmission system (or electric power transmission system). In the U.K., the transmission system is known as the "national grid". In the US, the system is simply known as "the grid".

There are three main power grids in North America: The Western Interconnection, The Eastern Interconnection, and the Texas Interconnection.
The map below shows in detail all of the main power distribution routes in the United States.
 

(image courtesy FEMA)

(image courtesy HowStuffWorks.com)

To get from the power plants to your power outlets at home, electricity must make its way through a series of different electrical equipment.
 

(image courtesy United States Department of Energy)

As soon as power is ready to be sent to customers, it must go through a “step up” transformer, which increases the voltage for transmission. Higher voltages travel long distances more efficiently. The “step up” transformer sends it through transmission lines (which can be hundreds of miles long) to a “step down” transformer, which decreases the voltage. (If the electricity hadn’t run through a step up transformer, it would never have made it to the step down transformer.) The step down transformer is in a power substation. The substation takes the power received from the power plant, and sends it along local power lines.
Power then must go through another step down transformer often found near the tops of power poles. This transformer decreases voltage to the levels that we are most familiar with: 110-220 volts (and sometimes 120-240 volts). From there, electricity travels through a power meter, which measures your power usage, and then into your home.
This long and complicated process enables citizens to easily harness the power of electricity to do work.


 

What are Fossil Fuels?

There are three forms of fossil fuels: coal, oil and natural gas. All three were formed up to hundreds of millions of years ago, even before the time of the dinosaurs.
 

Coal

Coal is a hard, black colored rock-like substance. It is made up of carbon, but can also contain some hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and varying amounts of sulphur. Anthracite coal is the hardest and has more carbon, which gives it a higher energy content. Lignite is the softest and is low in carbon but high in hydrogen and oxygen content. Bituminous is in between. Today, the precursor to coal—peat—is still found in many countries and is also used as an energy source.
A lot of the worlds coal was laid down in the Carboniferous geological era.
When coal is used for electricity, it is usually pulverized and then combusted (burned) in a furnace with a boiler. The furnace heat converts boiler water to steam which is then used to spin turbines, that turn generators to create electricity. Simple cycle steam turbines have topped out with some of the most advanced reaching about 35% thermodynamic efficiency for the entire process. Increasing the combustion temperature can boost this efficiency even further. Older coal power plants are significantly less efficient and produce higher levels of pollution. At least 40% of the world's electricity comes from coal, and in 2008 approximately 49% of the United States' electricity came from coal. World coal consumption was about 6.75 billion short tons in 2006 and is expected to increase.
Environmental effects Coal-fired power plants shortened nearly 24,000 lives a year in the United States, including 2,800 from lung cancer. Release of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, causes climate change and global warming according to the IPCC and the EPA. Coal is the largest contributor to the human-made increase of CO2 in the air.
 

Oil

Oil is liquid fossil fuel. It was formed in the subsurface up to about 300 million years ago. Scientists have shown that most of the oil is formed from the remains of tiny creatures. Usually are sea creatures the size of a pin head, like diatoms. They were created using the suns energy, as all life is, and the complex organic compounds that were in their bodies were degraded by heat and pressure over long periods of time (millions of years).
Oil has been used for more than 5,000-6,000 years. The ancient Sumerians, Assyrians and Babylonians used crude oil and asphalt ("pitch") collected from large seeps at Tuttul (modern-day Hit) on the Euphrates River. A seep is a place on the ground where the oil leaks up from below ground. The ancient Egyptians, used liquid oil as a medicine for wounds, and oil has been used in lamps to provide light.
Oil is found in 18 of the 58 counties in California. Kern County, the County where Bakersfield is found, is one of the largest oil production places in the country. Most of the US oil production comes from Texas, Alaska, California, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. An increasing amount of US oil consumption comes from other countries. In the entire U.S., more than 50 percent of all the oil we use comes from outside the country... most of it from the Middle East. Drilling for oil can affect the environment at every stage of the process, from finding oil reserves to waste disposal. Marine life, birds, terrestrial wildlife and workers are all affected, as well as the landscape itself.

The environmental impact of petroleum is often negative because when it is burned the byproducts can be toxic to almost all forms of life. For example, carbon dioxide is closely linked climate change. Petroleum has become a dominant product to virtually all aspects of present society energy is vital to our society, especially for transportation and heating for both homes and for commercial activities.



 

Natural Gas

Sometime between 6,000 to 2,000 years BCE (Before the Common Era), the first discoveries of natural gas seeps were made in Iran. Many early writers described the natural petroleum and gas seeps in the Middle East, especially in the Baku region of what is now Azerbaijan. The gas seeps, probably first ignited by lightning, provided the fuel for the "eternal fires" of the fire-worshiping religion of the ancient Persians.
Natural gas is a mixture of light, gaseous hydrocarbons, predominantly methane (CH4) but it also contains hydrocarbons such as ethane and propane and sometimes other gases such as nitrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and water vapor. It is usually delivered through a pipeline system.
Natural gas accounts for approximately one quarter of the energy used in the United States. Of this, about one third goes to residential and commercial uses, one third to industrial uses, and one third to electric power production. Only about one tenth of one percent is currently used for transportation fuel.
Energy Safety! If you smell a rotten egg smell in your house, tell your folks and get out of the house quickly. Don't turn on any lights or other electrical devices. A spark from a light switch can ignite the gas very easily. Go to a neighbor's house and call 9-1-1 for emergency help.


 

Natural Gas is a fossil fuel that burns efficiently in combustion engines and other assorted appliances. It is extracted rom the subsurface like oil. Drilling rigs are used to penetrate the geologic zones where the gas has accumulated, and pipes are required to remove it from the rocks to the surface. The raw form of natural gas that we use for energy is made up of methane and other substances such as butane, propane and ethane. The heavier elements are removed before natural gas reaches homes and businesses. In its purest state, natural gas is odorless, colorless and tasteless. A harmless chemical (the most common is mercaptan) is added to natural gas to make it smell and easier to detect when leaks occur. It is moved through smaller pipes and meters until it reaches appliances in your house that require the right amount of gas mixed with air to work properly.
Natural gas and gasoline are two completely different things and should not be confused. Gasoline is refined oil and is a liquid, while natural gas is gaseous. Natural Gas can be used in cars that are designed for it, and its much cleaner to burn than the average gasoline and oil. In fact, natural gas is the cleanest, most efficient fossil fuel—and a key energy source for reducing pollution and maintaining a healthier environment. When natural gas is used in place of other fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by as much as 50 percent. Though it is still not a renewable resource and I would still recommend a cleaner source of energy.


 

Biomass energy is cheap and efficient. It is made up of organic waste material, such as wood chips, decaying plants, non-recyclable paper and cardboard, and other household trash. Biomass is shipped to a biomass power plant where it is burned to produce steam, which rotate turbines and create electricity. Another use of biomass energy is to extract methane gas is collected in pipes at a sealed landfill or a large animal farm facility and then is used to create electricity either to power the farm or a larger area. The positive aspects of biomass energy include reduced landfills, and using replaceable biomass plants replanted over and over do not cause global warming. A negative aspect of biomass energy is that there are environment damaging contaminants in the smoke when it is burned.
 

Energy - Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is energy from the Earth. The Earth’s mantle heats up ground water which is forced up through cracks in the earth’s crust. Throughout the ages, people have used geothermal energy to bathe, to cook, and even to heat their homes. Nowadays people still use geothermal energy to power homes and other places. Geologists search for hot springs and then pipe the hot water up to a geothermal power plant where the boiling water turns the turbines, which create electricity. A positive aspect of geothermal energy is that it is a clean energy source that does not cause pollution like power plants that burn fossil fuels. The negative aspects of geothermal energy is that it can be expensive to start up a power plant and also that geothermal energy is not available in all locations.

Energy - Hydro Power

Hydro means water. Hydro-electric means making electricity from water power. Hydroelectric power uses the kinetic energy of moving water to make electricity.
A hydro dam works by the water behind the dam flowing through the intake and into a pipe called a penstock. The water pushes against blades in a turbine, causing them to turn. The turbine spins a generator to produce electricity. The electricity can then travel over long distance electric lines to homes, schools, factories, businesses, etc.
Hydro power is one of the largest producers of electricity in the United States. Hydro power supplies about 10 percent of the entire electricity that we use. In states with high mountains and lots of rivers, even more electricity if made by hydro power.
The state of Washington leads the nation in hydroelectricity. The Grand Coulee, Chief Joseph and John Day dams are three of six major dams on the Columbia River. About 87 percent of the electricity made in Washington state is produced by these hydroelectric power plants. Some of the electricity produced is exported to other states.

Energy - Nuclear Energy

Another major form of energy is nuclear energy, the energy that is trapped inside each atom. One of the laws of the universe is that matter and energy can't be created nor destroyed, but they can be changed in form. Matter can be changed into energy.
An atom's nucleus can be split apart, this is called fission. When this is done, a tremendous amount of energy is released. Inside the reactor of an atomic power plant, uranium atoms are split apart in a controlled chain reaction. In this chain reaction, particles released by the splitting of the atom go off and strike other uranium atoms splitting those. Those particles given off split still other atoms in a chain reaction. This chain reaction gives off heat energy. Uranium 235 is the fuel most commonly used, because U-235 can be split into fragments using low-energy neutrons. During nuclear fission more energy is produced than consumed. This exothermic reaction then becomes self-sustaining, i.e., a chain reaction. When a neutron is absorbed by nuclear fuel, the nucleus deforms and splits. The products are neutrons and two unequal fragments called “daughter material.” Neutrons released by the splitting of the atom strike other atoms, splitting them in turn, and soon, the daughter material contains too many neutrons and quickly begins to decay. The radioactive daughter material is the source of nuclear waste with water to make steam. This water from around the nuclear core is then sent to another section of the power plant. Here, in the heat exchanger, it heats another set of pipes filled with water to make steam. The steam in this second set of pipes turns a turbine to generate electricity. So, instead of burning a fuel, nuclear power plants use the chain reaction of atoms splitting to change the energy of atoms into heat energy.
Another form of nuclear energy is called fusion. Fusion means joining smaller nuclei (the plural of nucleus) to make a larger nucleus. An example is the sun. The sun uses nuclear fusion of hydrogen atoms into helium atoms. This gives off heat and light and other radiation. Also given off in fusion reaction is energy.
Scientists have been working on controlling nuclear fusion for a long time, trying to make a fusion reactor to produce electricity. But they have been having trouble learning how to control the reaction in a contained space. Nuclear fusion is better in that it creates less radioactive material than fission, and its supply of fuel can last longer than the sun.

Energy - Ocean Energy

The sea can be harnessed for energy in three basic ways: using wave power, using tidal power, and using ocean water temperature variations in a process called “ocean thermal energy conversion”
Proponents say that ocean energy is preferable to wind because tides are constant and predictable and that water’s higher density requires fewer turbines than are needed to produce the same amount of wind power. Given the difficulty and cost of building tidal arrays at sea and getting the energy back to land, however, ocean technologies are still mostly experimental. But as the industry matures, costs will drop and some analysts think the ocean could power nearly two percent of U.S. energy needs.

Environmental and Economic Challenges

Tidal power plants that dam estuaries can impede sea life migration, and silt build-ups behind such facilities can impact local ecosystems. Tidal fences may also disturb sea life migration. Newly developed tidal turbines may prove ultimately to be the least environmentally damaging of the tidal power technologies because they don't block migratory paths.

Wave Energy

Kinetic energy (movement) exists in the moving waves of the ocean. That energy can be used to power a turbine. In this simple example, to the right, the wave rises into a chamber. The rising water forces the air out of the chamber. The moving air spins a turbine which can turn a generator.
When the wave goes down, air flows through the turbine and back into the chamber through doors that are normally closed.
This is only one type of wave-energy system. Others actually use the up and down motion of the wave to power a piston that moves up and down inside a cylinder. That piston can also turn a generator.
Most wave-energy systems are very small. But, they can be used to power a warning buoy or a small light house.

Tidal Energy

Tidal energy is one of the oldest forms of energy used by humans. Indeed, tide mills, in use on the Spanish, French and British coasts, date back to 787 A.D.. Tide mills consisted of a storage pond, filled by the incoming (flood) tide through a sluice and emptied during the outgoing (ebb) tide through a water wheel. The tides turned waterwheels, producing mechanical power to mill grain. We even have one remaining in New York- which worked well into the 20th century.

When tides comes into the shore, they can be trapped in reservoirs behind dams. Then when the tide drops, the water behind the dam can be let out just like a regular hydroelectric power plant. You need large increases in tides. An increase of at least 12 feet between low tide to high tide is needed. There are only a few places where this tide change occurs on earth. Some power plants are already operating using this idea. One plant in France makes enough energy from tides to power 240,000 homes.

Tidal Turbine

Tidal turbines look like wind turbines. They are arrayed underwater in rows, as in some wind farms. The turbines function best where coastal currents run at between 3.6 and 4.9 knots (4 and 5.5 mph). In currents of that speed, a 15-meter (49.2-feet) diameter tidal turbine can generate as much energy as a 60-meter (197-feet) diameter wind turbine. Ideal locations for tidal turbine farms are close to shore in water depths of 20–30 meters (65.5–98.5 feet).The waters off the Pacific Northwest are ideal for tapping into an ocean of power using newly developed undersea turbines. The tides along the Northwest coast fluctuate dramatically, as much as 12 feet a day. The coasts of Alaska, British Columbia and Washington, in particular, have exceptional energy-producing potential. On the Atlantic seaboard, Maine is also an excellent candidate. The undersea environment is hostile so the machinery will have to be robust.

Ocean Thermal

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion. Known as OTEC, this technology leverages the ocean’s natural thermal gradient to generate power.
In geographical areas with warm surface water and cold deep water, the temperature difference can be leveraged to drive a steam cycle that turns a turbine and produces power. Warm surface sea water passes through a heat exchanger, vaporizing a low boiling point working fluid to drive a turbine generator, producing electricity.
In small island nations, the benefits of OTEC include self-sufficiency, minimal environmental impacts, and improved sanitation and nutrition, which result from the greater availability of desalinated water and mariculture products.
The economics of energy production today have delayed the financing of a permanent, continuously operating OTEC plant. However, OTEC is very promising as an alternative energy resource for tropical island communities that rely heavily on imported fuel. OTEC plants in these markets could provide islanders with much-needed power, as well as desalinated water

Energy - Solar Energy

Go to solar.

Energy - Wind Energy

Wind power is captured using a wind electric turbine. On each wind turbine there are several large blades, similar to a large fan. These blades can be as long as 30 feet. As wind passes over these blades, the kinetic energy in the wind causes the blades to turn. The turning blades cause a shaft inside the turbine to turn at the same speed of the blades. Thus the kinetic energy of the wind becomes rotational energy. This rotational energy then turns a generator at the base of the turbine to produce electricity. The electrical energy is sent by power lines to the electric grid, or it can be stored in batteries.
Finding locations with plenty of ongoing wind is a challenge. Many of the best sites are in mountain valleys where air masses are more likely to be channeled through the valleys as they move across the continent. The main drawback of wind power is the lack of constancy of the wind. As a result it will only ever be a minority component of power generation.

Energy - Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Energy

Clean energy sources can be harnessed to produce electricity, process heat, fuel and valuable chemicals with less impact on the environment. For example, the sunlight falling on the United States in one day contains more than twice the energy we consume in an entire year. California has enough wind gusts to produce 11 percent of the world's wind electricity.
Emissions from cars fueled by gasoline and other facilities that burn oil are non-renewable energy sources, and adversely affect our atmosphere. About 81% of all U.S. “greenhouse gases” are carbon dioxide emissions from non-renewable energy sources.
Renewable energy resource development will result in new jobs for people and less oil we have to buy from foreign countries. If we fully develop self-renewing resources, we will keep the money at home to help the economy.
The cost of wind energy has declined from 40 cents per kilowatt-hour to less than 5 cents. The cost of electricity from the sun, through photovoltaics (literally meaning "light-electricity") has dropped from more than $1/kilowatt-hour in 1980 to nearly 20 cents/kilowatt-hour today.

Energy - Energy for Transportation

Energy for transportation such as cars, trucks, airplanes, and trains is usually oil and gas. Today, people still use oil (aviation fuel, gas, and diesel fuel) for transportation. It is probably one of the most used energy sources in America. However, burning oil is a major source of air pollution and climate change. Oil is a limited resource which is found in Middle Eastern countries where political unrest threatens oil supplies.
Recently, manufacturers have created cars that run on batteries all or part of the time and cars that run on alternative fuels, such as methanol, natural gas and ethanol. These fuel sources are not perfect and manufacturers are continuing to work on improving them and looking for other fuel sources.

Energy - Saving Energy & Energy Efficiency

You can save energy by doing simple things, such as turning off electrical appliances when you are not using them. Buying energy efficient appliances and fluorescent lighting are also good ideas. Turning off the TV, computer or lights when you leave the room can help save the environment as well as your hard earned money.
Insulating your house can help as well, trapping heat inside your house so you don’t have to use the heater or wood stove as much. Insulation also helps keep heat outside during the summer, so you can stay nice and cool without air conditioning. Windows lose less heat to the outside when double paned. This traps air between the panes and provides better insulation. New space age technologies are being invented like aero-gel which are very good insulators, in fact you could put a flame under and not feel the heat on the other side.
Investing in renewable energy whenever possible is the best environment saving option out there! Simple options include solar powered outdoor lighting, rechargeable battery small appliances like flashlights, and solar ovens for summer cooking. Others are shown in the diagram below.
If you would like to know how to teach kids about energy conservation, please read this article written by Bill Herren.

Energy - Hydrogen

Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless gas that accounts for 75 percent of the entire universe's mass. Hydrogen is found on Earth only in combination with other elements such as oxygen, carbon and nitrogen. To use hydrogen, it must be separated from these other elements.
Hydrogen can be made from molecules called hydrocarbons by applying heat, a process known as "reforming" hydrogen. This process makes hydrogen from natural gas. An electrical current can also be used to separate water into its components of oxygen and hydrogen in a process called electrolysis.
Hydrogen as a fuel is high in energy, yet a machine that burns pure hydrogen produces almost zero pollution.
NASA has used liquid hydrogen since the 1970s to propel rockets, and the space shuttle, into orbit. NASA's space program uses Hydrogen as fuel for the space shuttles, and in fuel cells that provide heat, electricity and drinking water for astronauts. Fuel cells are devices that directly convert hydrogen into electricity.
Fuel cells are a promising technology for use as a source of heat and electricity in buildings, and as an electrical power source for vehicles, and in the future, hydrogen could join electricity as an important energy carrier, moving and delivering energy in a usable form to consumers.
Renewable energy sources, like the sun, can't produce energy all the time. The sun doesn't always shine. But hydrogen can store this energy until it is needed and can be transported to where it is needed.
Some experts think that hydrogen will form the basic energy infrastructure that will power future societies, replacing today's natural gas, oil, coal, and electricity infrastructures. They see a new "hydrogen economy" to replace our current "fossil fuel-based economy," although that vision probably won't happen until far in the future.

Teaching Kids About Energy Conservation

Written by: Bill Herren
As environmental threats mount, it is important to train kids to care for the world responsibly if it is to endure. Instilling kids with the knowledge of how to live in a way that is sustainable saves both resources and money, and teaches children that they are important members of society. Teaching children why it is important to save energy, explaining the difference between renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, and demonstrating ways to cut back on energy use are key steps in teaching children to conserve energy. Making learning fun and interactive with games and activities will help kids better understand and remember what they have learned.
As a parent, it can be difficult to teach children how to save energy. The first step is to teach kids why it is important to conserve energy. In order for power companies to make electricity, they have to use nonrenewable energy such as gas, coal, and oil. At this point, the difference between nonrenewable and renewable energy sources should be explained. Nonrenewable sources of energy such as gas, coal, and oil can run out; they do not regrow and they do not come back once they are gone-at least not for thousands of years. People need to save as much gas, coal, and oil as they can so that there will be enough for a long time. Conversely, renewable energy sources such as wind, water, and the sun can be replenished quickly. People need to work on using more of these energy sources. Unfortunately, less than 2% of electricity comes from renewable energy sources right now.
Fortunately, there are many things that people can do to use less energy. Setting the thermostat to a lower temperature in the winter and a higher temperature in the summer is one good way to save energy, and money. Buying energy efficient appliances and replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs are some other ways. Properly weatherizing the home to eliminate drafts by replacing old windows and doors, caulking, and using weather stripping are also important. These are just a handful of ways to save energy. However, kids may feel that these are things that only adults can do, so it is important to talk to them specifically about the things that they can do.
Talk to kids about how they can save energy and money just by turning off lights, televisions and radios when they leave the room. If they are old enough to do chores, teach them to fill the washer and dryer with a full load of clothes rather than just throwing in a few items of clothing, and to wash full loads of dishes in the dishwasher. Showering quickly, keeping the refrigerator door closed, keeping doors and windows shut when the heat or air conditioning is on, and helping to plant shade trees and windbreaks are all easy ways for kids to make a big difference in reducing the amount of energy used in the home.
Play games and do activities together as a family that teach the importance of energy conservation. There are many activities and games online that are appropriate for families that teach kids about why it is important to save energy, the difference between renewable and nonrenewable energy, and things they can do to save energy. There are many interactive games online where children can make decisions to save energy or even make energy decisions for entire make believe cities. Supplementing reading and lectures with fun hands on activities is a sure way to get kids to learn about energy conservation.
For further information on teaching children about energy conservation, consult the following links:

• Teaching Energy Conservation Ethic: Some activities are given in this paper that will help parents teach children about the need to conserve energy.
• Energy Conservation: This web page describes why saving energy is important and supplies energy saving tips.
• Why Conserve Energy?: Although this page is directed University students, the reasons to conserve energy apply to all people and so do most of the energy saving measures.
• Energy Conservation: This publication is aimed at older children and it gives information on energy conservation with accompanying charts, activities, checklists, and games.
• Imagining Tomorrow: Ways that older kids and even adults can change attitudes toward energy use.
• Energy Conservation in the Home: Statistics on home energy use and ways to reduce it are given in this article.
• Conserving Energy with Plants: Learn about ways that homeowners can save energy and money by smart landscaping.
• Save Energy in Heating and Cooling: Read about how to properly insulate the home, plant trees and shrubs, switch to fluorescent light bulbs, and choose energy efficient appliances to reduce energy use.
• A Home Energy Primer: A multitude of ways to conserve energy from methods of lighting to using passive solar energy are presented here.
• Renewable Electricity Generation: Browse through this guide to renewable energy sources then share the information with kids.
• Energy Sources: This site describes the types of energy in a way that is easy for kids to understand.
• Renewable & Nonrenewable Resources: Kids will learn all about renewable and nonrenewable energy sources from this publication.
• Renewable & Nonrenewable Energy: Thought provoking questions are posed for the whole family or classroom in these activities.
• Energy Kids Games & Activities: Riddles, puzzles, experiments, quizzes, and activities on energy conservation are available on this website.
• Energy Hog Kid's Games: Interactive games that teach children to conserve energy are offered here.
• Con Edison Kids: Children can play a variety of games that teach them about energy usage on this website.
• Saving Energy in My Home (pdf): This is a printable coloring and activity book for kids about energy conservation at home.
• The No Fear Guide to Energy Efficiency (pdf): A variety of activities on energy efficiency are available for late elementary school and middle school age children in this booklet.
• Energyville: This is an interactive game that puts the player in charge of the energy needs for an entire city; it can be played by multiple players.
• Get Wise Kid's Corner Tips: Read about tips that kids can implement to save energy on this page; elsewhere on the website are games and other information.
• Teaching Children to be "Energy-Wise": This fact sheet identifies things that kids can do to help save energy in the home.
• Kids Go Green: A variety of ways that kids can help the environment are detailed on this fact sheet, including how to conserve energy.
• Energy: Energy saving appliances and fireplace practices, summer energy saving advice, and how kids can help conserve energy are just some of the things discussed in this fact sheet.
• Energy Quest: This comprehensive kid's site defines energy, describes renewable and nonrenewable resources, gives tips on how to conserve energy, and also includes stories, movies, and an art gallery.
• Energy Conservation Resources: A multitude of ways to conserve energy, from cutting computer usage to weatherizing the home, are given here.
• Plant Trees to Conserve Energy: Learn about how planting trees for shade, windbreaks, and insulation can conserve energy and lower energy costs.
• Electronics Energy Calculator: Discover which electronic devices use the most energy with this calculator.
• Home Energy Audit: This paper directed at children provides information to conduct a home energy audit.
• Saving Energy at Home and School: This publication is part of a kit to conduct research on home energy use and reduce it.
• Green Tips: Save Power: Tips for kids on saving power in their homes by doing things such as replacing light bulbs, turning off electronics and more.