Renewable Energy
In this lesson, students are introduced to the five types of renewable energy resources by engaging in various activities to help them understand the transformation of energy (solar, water and wind) into electricity. Students explore the different roles engineers who work in renewable energy fields have in creating a sustainable environment – an environment that contributes to greater health, happiness and safety.
Figure 1. The five sources of renewable energy.Copyright 2020 Sabina Schill
Engineers have a good understanding about energy, so they can harness renewable resources to create electricity for use in our everyday lives. Mechanical, electrical and civil engineers collaborate to develop new and more efficient ways to generate electricity from renewable resources. They design cleaner-burning engines and new car designs (such as hybrid cars) that require less fuel and result in improved gas mileage which in turns improves our planet.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Describe sources and uses of energy.
- Define renewable and non-renewable energy.
- Provide examples of common types of renewable and non-renewable resources.
- Understand and explain general ways to save energy at a personal, community and global level.
- Understand and explain, in general terms, how passive solar heating, hydropower and wind power work.
- Describe some general characteristics of solar power, hydropower and wind power.
- Understand the benefits and disadvantages to using renewable resources.
- Explain how engineers design more efficient ways to use generate electricity.
- Describe the role of engineers in energy conservation.