Name: Date: Partner:
Part 2 - EST: Web Quest on Alternative & Renewable Energy
With the rising cost of oil and increased political concerns about our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, alternative and renewable energy sources are gaining a great deal of public attention. An alternative energy source is one that is generated without the use of fossil fuels (it is an alternative to fossil fuels). To be considered renewable, the source of the energy must be replenished or recharged within a practical time frame. For example, geological activity can create more fossil fuels, but they take tens of millions of years to create and are not considered renewable. This is very different from the biomass used to create ethanol, which can be regenerated every year- a much shorter time frame!
Part 3: Solar Power
Go to: http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/designing_remodeling/index.cfm/mytopic=10250
14. What is the difference between active solar and passive solar design?
Click on “5 elements of passive solar design”
15. List the five elements below:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Click on “three natural heat transfer modes”
16. What is the difference between conduction and convection in solar design?
17. What is the difference between radiant energy and infrared energy?
Go to: http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/wcee/keep/NR735/Unit_1/Solar.htm
18. For passive solar, define each of the following:
o Cool day lighting
o Clerestory design
19. For active solar, define
1. Solar liquid space heating
2. Flat panel solar water heating
Go to: http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=solar_home-basics
20. Describe each of the solar power plant designs (scroll toward bottom of page):
o Solar Trough
o Solar Power Tower
o Solar Dish
Watch the video on how solar generated electricity works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mCTSV2f36A&feature=related
21. The amount of energy that falls on earth from the sun is equal to:
22. The initials P and V stand for:
23. Where would you install the panels on your roof?
24. What does an inverter do?
Part 5: Geothermal Power
Read the information at : http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_geothermal.html
25. What is the source of geothermal energy?
26. Where are suitable places to build geothermal plants?
Go to: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/egs_animation.html
Scroll down to “how an enhanced geothermal system works”:
27. What is the difference between the injection and the production well?
28. What turns the turbine?
29. How is the electrical current generated?
Go to: http://library.thinkquest.org/20331/types/geotherm/advant.html.
40. Review the advantages and disadvantages of geothermal power. Come up with at least 2 disadvantages that are not listed on the site.
Part 6: Tidal Power
Go to: http://inventors.about.com/od/tstartinventions/a/tidal_power.htm
41. Describe how electricity is captured from each of the following:
o Wave Energy
o Tide Energy
o Ocean Thermal Energy
Watch the New York Times report on a tidal power installation:
http://video.on.nytimes.com/index.jsp?fr_story=a16561a2d9322a0e5953813fd7c930aa6fd8e41e&rf=mrss
30. Why is tidal power a potentially better source of renewable energy than wind power?
31. What are some of the environmental concerns associated with tidal power?
32. List three challenges the installation team faced installing the two turbines:
1)
2)
3)
Part 7: Biofuel
Go to: http://www.esru.strath.ac.uk/EandE/Web_sites/02-03/biofuels/what_are_biofuels.htm
33. What is bioethanol (ethanol) made from, and what is one benefit?
34. What is biodiesel made from, and what is one benefit of using biodiesel?
35. What are three waste products that can be turned into biofuel?
1)
2)
3)
Read the article at: http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/environment/alternative-energy/biofuel-profile.html
36. According to the author, what is the greatest problem with biofuel as an alternative energy source?