Activity (Hands-On)Grades 6 - 8
Household Energy Audit
Energy audits can save owners a lot of money and help conserve energy.Copyright Powerlines, Seattle, WA http://powerlines.seattle.gov/2011/03/01/february-really-was-cold-keep-warm-without-big-bills/
Students review the electrical appliances used at home and estimate the energy used for each. The results can help to show the energy hogs that could benefit from conservation or improved efficiency.
Evaluating energy consumption is the first step engineers take when trying to reduce energy consumption. This step is part of the "understand the problem" and "gather information" steps in the problem solving spiral (and the engineering design process).
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Calculate energy use.
- Analyze how changing personal behaviors and appliances choices affects the amount of energy they use.