Educational Uses of
The Sun's Joules
prepared by
Michael Totten, Director,
Center for Renewable Energy & Sustainable Technology (CREST),
Phone: (202) 530-2231, Email: mpt@crest.org
Overview
The Sun's Joules is an interactive multimedia encyclopedia on renewable energy and energy efficiency, developed by The Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology (CREST). A "joule" is the international unit for energy, as well as a pun on the sun's daily gems that land on the planet.
The CD-ROM provides substantial resources for a variety of educational uses, and is particularly strong in establishing facts, figures, ideas and concepts within the context of real world events. For students who question why learn about science, be it biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, or ecology, The Sun's Joules should provide some compelling examples.
For students who want to deepen their appreciation of how science is being used to find solutions to serious global environmental and economic problems, here as well, The Sun's Joules should prove insightful. And for students who want to explore the myriad opportunities to apply their science knowledge and skills in future professional ways, The Sun's Joules provides ample examples of the kinds of skills that will be in demand.
Please keep in mind that there are 10 topic areas:
Within each topic there are five sub-topics and an Interactive Exercise:
The Sun's Joules also includes several resource tools:
Subject Areas
Most of the nearly one thousand pages of information in The Sun's Joules provide science information of one kind or another. In addition, most of the 60 video clips, which run around one minute each, were selected to help educate difficult concepts. We cannot possibly summarize this information in the few pages below, but only hope to provide some insights into what is available. As such, the following paragraphs illustrate how the CD-ROM can be innovatively used to augment numerous subject areas.
SCIENCES
Biology
Chemistry
Earth Sciences
Environmental Sciences/Ecology
Mathematics (and Finance)
Physics
Technology/Engineering (Applied Science)
SOCIAL STUDIES/HUMANITIES
Economics (and Business and Finance)
U.S. and World Geography (and Cultures)
U.S. and World History
Additional Resources
The Bioenergy section includes nearly 100 computer screens about the use of biological resources as a renewable fuel (e.g., annual and perennial grasses, plantation-grown trees, urban wastes, forest and crop wastes, livestock wastes, and methane captured from landfill sites).
Both the Bioenergy section and the Transportation section discuss the conversion processes (e.g., fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis) and technologies employed to transform biological resources into fuels (ethanol, methanol, hydrogen, and electricity).
The interactive exercise in the Biomass section demonstrates how different plant species in different U.S. micro-climates yield different amounts of biomass, and how this will yield different energy levels depending on the efficiency of the conversion process.
The Environment section discusses the threats to biological diversity from oil spills, deforestation and destruction of watersheds, desertification, and the pollution impacts of acid rain, smog and global warming caused by excessive fossil fuel combustion.
The glossary provides extensive definitions of biological terms.
Both the Bioenergy section and the Transportation section discuss the chemical conversion processes and technologies employed to transform biological resources into fuels (ethanol, methanol, hydrogen, and electricity). The sections explain the chemistry involved in making more efficient and durable batteries for use in super-efficient electric and hybrid vehicles.
The Transportation section also discusses the amazing advancements in crash-resistant composite plastics and other space-age materials that are replacing steel components in vehicles. The lightweight outcome promises vehicles that get several hundred miles per gallon of gas.
The Passive Solar Building Design section shows how solid-state electronic components are increasing the efficiency of all the energy-consuming appliances and office equipment we use. The section demonstrates how a knowledge of the properties of various building materials can help to design super-efficient walls, foundations, roofs, and windows that consume up to 90% less energy and/or can be virtually 100% powered by solar energy.
The Photovoltaics solar cell section provides an extensive section that goes into great detail on how these revolutionary semi-conductor materials offer an exciting way to generate electricity that should be able to provide most of the world's entire energy needs within the next half century or so.
TheGeothermal section discussion of how geothermal steam and hot water are created and used as a fuel source provides insight to chemistry-related issues. The Geothermal interactive exercise demonstrates the relationships of temperature, pressure and flow rates that give rise to available energy.
The WIndpower section shows how advanced materials are revolutionizing the way wind turbines and towers are fabricated and constructed, and how computers help to monitor and maintain optimal operating performance, resulting in several times longer lifespans and generation of electricity at 95% less cost than turbines constructed just 20 years ago!
The Solar Thermal section discusses the numerous ways that the sun's photons -- packets and waves of electromagnetic energy -- can be harnessed through ingenious technologies(from solar box cookers to Sterling dish engines and molten-salt concentrating power towers) to perform far more cleanly many of the tasks now performed by complex carbon molecules (e.g., coal and oil) or radioactive atoms.
Symbols of chemical elements are used extensively throughout The Sun's Joules. The glossary provides extensive definitions of chemistry-related terms.
A number of sections -- Environment, Solar Thermal, Geothermal, Wind, Small Hydropower -- describe how the various renewable resources are created and sustained or renewed on the planet. For example: how the sun sustains heat and light flows; how plate tectonics helped give rise to geothermal resources; how the hydrological cycle creates falling water; how winds are created -- the earth's atmosphere is a huge solar-fueled pump that transfers heat from one part of the globe to another and how large-scale convective currents set in motion by solar radiation carry heat from lower latitudes to northern climes.
Earth Sciences is about the complexity of the biosphere, and The Sun's Joules conveys a substantial amount about the impact of human activity on the biosphere, and the ramifications of these activities. The Environment section, for example, explains the causes and implications of stratospheric ozone depletion, climate change, acid rain, large-scale deforestation and watershed damage. The transportation section discusses the long-term implications of a projected world population twice as large as today's, and consuming as much gasoline as today's average American.
The glossary provides extensive definitions of earth science terms.
The Environment section extensively deals with energy-related environmental problems, including: acid rain, smog, climate change and global warming, biodiversity loss, desertification, deforestation, watershed and habitat loss, species extinction, nuclear reactor accidents, radioactive contamination, ocean and coastal oil spills, coral reef destruction, oil contamination from Mid-east wars and conflicts.
The interactive exercise in the Environment section demonstrates the pollution generated from different energy-consuming devices (e.g., light bulb, toaster, television) relying on different energy sources (coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power).
The glossary provides extensive definitions of environmental science/ecology terms.
There are a substantial number of numerical charts, graphs and tables that provide excellent opportunities for students to grapple with arithmetic relationships and concepts. The Geography section, for example, provides students with comparative data from each U.S. state, including population, Gross State Product, per capita annual income, primary energy consumption, electricity consumption pie charts comprised of the percentages of the kinds of resources used in that state, and per capita energy consumption.
The section is rich with possible student exercises. For example, students could be asked to interpret the data so as to assemble a table of the highest and lowest energy consuming states, and compare and contrast that with a table of the states with the highest and lowest per capita energy consumption levels. A follow on exercise might have them do the same, but look at high and low energy expenditures, by state total and per capita.
Numerical data is presented in many ways throughout The Sun's Joules, including formulas, numbers with positive and negative exponents, expressed in orders of magnitude, factors, and through various other figures of merit. All numerical examples are provided in a real world context that should help students more readily grasp the mathematical relevance, than if presented as an abstract exercise. For example, Einstein's famous formula, E=mc2 is explained in the context of how the sun releases the energy that makes life possible on earth. The formulas in the Wind section help to ascertain how much energy can be extracted from a given wind speed.
Economics is a dominant theme throughout The Sun's Joules. As noted above, Economics comprises one of the 10 main topic sections, and within each of the 10 main topic sections there is a sub-topic area on Economics. The Economics section provides students with contextual examples of how various math-related concepts in financing, business practices, marketing, and the function of research and development and information help to shape markets for resources and technologies. For example, students can learn how numerical assessments are leading utilities to reduce direct costs and indirect costs (e.g., risks and uncertainty) by investing in cleaner, safer and more secure (not foreign imported) resources like energy efficiency and renewable resources.
The interactive exercise in several sections provide students with selectable parameters where they can determine different numerical outcomes. For example, both the Solar Thermal and the Passive Solar interactive exercises have the students explore the outcome of different-sized solar panels in different U.S. micro-climates for water heating (in the Solar Thermal section) or for space heating (in the Passive Solar section). The students can perform the exercise in either metric or imperial units.
The physics of solar energy are discussed throughout The Sun's Joules, most notably in the Solar Thermal section (how solar energy is created), but also in the Passive Solar Section (e.g., concepts like conduction, convection, and radiation).
The Wind power section discusses the physics of how wind is created and how wind turbines capture energy from the wind. The interactive exercise in the Wind section demonstrates several key concepts in siting wind turbines to increase the extraction of energy from the wind (e.g., the relationship of speed to power, known as the power cube law, and why turbine towers are getting taller to take advantage of the so-called one-seventh scaling law).
The Small Hydropower section discusses the physics of falling water flows, and how water turbines capture energy from flowing and falling water.
The Transportation section discusses the physics of making vehicles more energy efficient (i.e., principally by reducing the vehicle's mass).
The Photovoltaic solar cell section has an extensive discussion of how the physics of solar cell semi-conductor material design is accomplished so the cells can capture the sun's photons and convert them into electric current. The physics of cell materials is discussed, showing what makes one kind of solar cell more efficient than other kinds.
The glossary provides extensive definitions of physics-related terms.
The kinds of technologies that are used to capture and convert various renewable energy resource flows into fuels, are extensively discussed throughout The Sun's Joules. Not only are science aspects discussed, but each of the 10 sections' chapters on Case Studies provide contextual examples of how technologies are being applied, modified, and constantly improved upon.
The chapter on history found in each section discusses the evolution of inventions and innovations in that particular renewable resource, in turn giving rise to ever more efficient and environmentally superior conversion technologies. The ceaseless interplay of history, technology, environment and economics is a recurring theme throughout The Sun's Joules. The increasing role of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing of renewable-fueled technologies are discussed in a number of the sections.
A number of the interactive exercises describe various technology and engineering concepts. The Transportation section, for example, includes an interactive exercise with numerous variables that increase or decrease the fuel economy of a vehicle. The student learns the importance of mass, aerodynamic shape, engine size, driving conditions, and other parameters in determining the fuel efficiency of a vehicle (from less than 10 miles per gallon to as high as 250 mpg).
A great example of applied science in The Sun's Joules is the profile of Iowa science teacher Hector Ibarra and his students at West Branch Middle School. The students performed an energy audit of their school, and found they could save two-thirds of the energy with a 35% return on investment, as well as reducing tons of environmental pollutants (by eliminating the need for as much fossil fuels). The students received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science. [NOTE: CREST is now working on a school energy audit program, called The School Energy Doctor, which will be included on all releases of The Sun's Joules CD-ROM after November 1995).
Economics (and Business and Finance)
An entire section is devoted to Economic issues, as well as an interactive exercise that demonstrates concepts like the present and future value of different investment options. Students should gain a sound grasp of the role that research and development play in making resources and technologies more commercially marketable and competitively priced. The role of financing is discussed with numerous examples, such as the powerful value of innovative utility billing arrangements to help make technologies more readily affordable by consumers.
Throughout The Sun's Joules are examples of professional and vocational pursuits that the students might contemplate pursuing. Many photos of successful men and woman scientists, engineers, and policy leaders of all races are included to help young people visualize what can be achieved in these fields of study and professionalism.
The glossary provides definitions of economic, business and finance terms.
The Index provides page listings of most of the U.S. states plus scores of countries that are mentioned in the text and video clips. These references may be case studies of what is happening with a particular energy technology, or discuss the renewable resource opportunities, like wind or solar, within a particular country. A number of maps and landsat photos are used to augment the photos, video clips and text discussions.
Various cultures are featured, from Amazonian indigenous tribes to Native Americans, and different micro-climates are discussed (e.g., Arctic conditions, temperate climates, hot, dry deserts, and humid, tropical regions).
The Geography exercise allows students to select a specific state from a U.S. map, in order to review the state's profile on population size, Gross State Product, and energy consumption and cost figures.
The Index provides page listings of scores of historical examples showcasing the use of the various renewable energy resources and technology innovation. Prehistoric origins of fire or solar drying are discussed, as well as discussions of sun myths and sun gods found in many ancient cultures. Many illustrations and text descriptions are provided that describe the uses of passive solar building designs in China, by Native Americans, by Greeks and Romans, and throughout European and American history.
The chapter on history found in each section discusses the evolution of inventions and innovations in that particular renewable resource, in turn giving rise to ever more efficient and environmentally superior conversion technologies. The ceaseless interplay of history, technology, environment and economics is a recurring theme throughout The Sun's Joules. The increasing role of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing of renewable-fueled technologies are discussed in a number of the sections.
Brief profiles or insights are included throughout The Sun's Joules about scientists (like James Joules and Albert Einstein) and inventors and innovators (such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, as well as less well-recognized but important inventors of wind, solar and hydropower equipment).
The Sun's Joules also provides examples of current efforts to "make history", by researchers at today's laboratories, and high school and college students showcased in the Transportation section who are engaged in the several different annual solar car building and racing contests.
Historical environmental problems associated with various energy resources (e.g., oil, nuclear, excessive forest removal) are discussed, as well as discussing how historical trends writ large into the future will give rise to serious global problems like climate change.
An Additional Resources page is included at the end of each of the 10 sections. Students are directed to a number of excellent books, journals, magazines, pamphlets, articles, 1-800 phone lines, as well as on-line resources on the Internet.
The Sun's Joules has also been posted on CREST's Internet site, Solstice for online viewing. An added feature of the Internet posting are hyperlinks in the Additional Resources section to the organizations that have World Wide Web home pages, mailing lists, email addreses, or other online resources.
====prepared 5/96 by Michael Totten, CREST Director(mpt@crest.org)=====
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URL:http://solstice.crest.org/renewables/sj/