Energy Sources Research
Our nation is increasingly using renewable energy sources to feed our rising consumption of energy.Copyright Oak Ridge National Laboratory http://info.ornl.gov/sites/rams09/b_davis/Pages/Technology.aspx
Fact sheets are provided for several different energy resources as a starting point for students to conduct literature research on the way these systems work and their various pros and cons. Students complete a worksheet for homework or take in-class time for research and presentation of their findings to the class. This approach requires students to learn for themselves and teach each other, rather than having the teacher lecture about the subject matter.
Engineers must always decide on what solutions are best in a given situation. Engineers who are developing alternative energy systems must consider a variety of different constraints and criteria for choosing which source might be best for a particular application. The technical effectiveness is one way to chose the best (for example, need a lot of sunny days for solar energy), but environmental and economic criteria are also important.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Identify at least five sources of energy.
- Explain why an increased dependence on renewable energy sources is an inevitable part of our future.
- Describe how the depletion of fossil fuels is a serious global issue.