Harnessing the Power: Exploring Renewable Energy Engineering

Environmental Science Grades High School 11:32 Video
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Lesson Description

Explore the engineering challenges and solutions behind renewable energy sources like hydropower, wind, geothermal, and solar power. Understand their potential and limitations in meeting global energy demands.

Video Resource

The Engineering Challenges of Renewable Energy: Crash Course Engineering #30

CrashCourse

Duration: 11:32
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Key Concepts

  • Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Energy Sources
  • Engineering Challenges in Renewable Energy
  • Hydropower, Wind, Geothermal, and Solar Power
  • Energy Efficiency and Storage

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to differentiate between renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
  • Students will be able to describe the basic principles of hydropower, wind, geothermal, and solar power generation.
  • Students will be able to identify the engineering challenges associated with each renewable energy source.
  • Students will be able to evaluate the potential of renewable energy sources to meet global energy demands.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by discussing the current global energy landscape and the reliance on fossil fuels. Briefly introduce the concept of renewable energy and its importance in addressing climate change. Show the Crash Course Engineering video.
  • Video Viewing and Note-Taking (15 mins)
    Students watch "The Engineering Challenges of Renewable Energy: Crash Course Engineering #30" and take notes on the different types of renewable energy sources discussed, the engineering challenges associated with each, and the potential solutions proposed.
  • Discussion and Analysis (20 mins)
    Facilitate a class discussion based on the video. Encourage students to share their notes, ask questions, and analyze the pros and cons of each renewable energy source. Focus on the engineering challenges and how engineers are working to overcome them.
  • Interactive Activity: Renewable Energy Design Challenge (25 mins)
    Divide students into small groups and assign each group a specific renewable energy source (hydropower, wind, geothermal, or solar). Each group will research a specific engineering challenge related to their assigned energy source and brainstorm potential solutions. Groups will then present their challenge and proposed solutions to the class.
  • Conclusion and Wrap-up (5 mins)
    Summarize the key takeaways from the lesson and emphasize the role of engineers in developing sustainable energy solutions. Assign the multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank quizzes as homework.

Interactive Exercises

  • Renewable Energy Source Debate
    Students are assigned roles to advocate for or against a particular renewable energy source, forcing them to consider diverse perspectives and deepen their understanding.

Discussion Questions

  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of relying on fossil fuels for energy?
  • What are the major engineering challenges associated with implementing renewable energy sources on a large scale?
  • How can energy storage technologies improve the reliability of renewable energy sources?
  • What are the environmental impacts of different renewable energy sources, and how can they be minimized?

Skills Developed

  • Critical Thinking
  • Problem-Solving
  • Collaboration
  • Communication
  • Data Analysis

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

Which of the following is NOT a renewable energy source?

Correct Answer: Natural Gas

Question 2:

What is the main engineering challenge associated with wind power?

Correct Answer: All of the above

Question 3:

What is the working fluid used in geothermal power plants?

Correct Answer: Water

Question 4:

What is the main component of solar panels that converts sunlight into electricity?

Correct Answer: Photovoltaic (PV) cell

Question 5:

What is one of the main environmental concerns associated with hydroelectric dams?

Correct Answer: Disrupting Aquatic Ecosystems

Question 6:

Which of the following is a method of temporarily storing extra solar power?

Correct Answer: Using Batteries

Question 7:

Approximately what percentage of the power used in the United States was supplied using fossil fuels in 2017?

Correct Answer: 80%

Question 8:

The kinetic energy from running water is converted into electrical power in what renewable energy source?

Correct Answer: Hydropower

Question 9:

What is one reason that it can be difficult to transport power over long distances?

Correct Answer: You lose some energy as the electricity travels through wires

Question 10:

Which of the following materials is used to make solar panels?

Correct Answer: Quartz

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

Fuels like oil and natural gas are considered _______________ resources because they get produced at a much slower rate than we use them.

Correct Answer: non-renewable

Question 2:

The most common form of hydropower involves building a _______________ that creates a large reservoir of water.

Correct Answer: hydroelectric dam

Question 3:

A collection of wind turbines is known as a _______________.

Correct Answer: wind farm

Question 4:

_______________ power relies on steam as the working fluid on the turbines connected to the generator.

Correct Answer: Geothermal

Question 5:

The amount of _______________ the Earth receives in a single year is twice the total amount of energy that will ever be extracted from fossil fuels.

Correct Answer: sunlight

Question 6:

The most promising technology we have to harness solar energy is called the _______________ cell.

Correct Answer: photovoltaic

Question 7:

Run-of-river power plants struggle to control the amount of power generated because it depends on the _______________ of the river.

Correct Answer: flow

Question 8:

Engineers are working on using solar power to drive _______________ fuel production, which can be burned later on with no carbon dioxide emissions.

Correct Answer: hydrogen

Question 9:

_______________ have to be engineered to withstand the stress they are subjected to, while also allowing the wind to efficiently rotate them to power the generator.

Correct Answer: Blades

Question 10:

_______________ are working on ways to temporarily store extra solar power.

Correct Answer: Engineers

Educational Standards

EN.ESS3.2:[Standard] Evaluate competing design solutions for developing, managing, and utilizing energy and mineral resources based on cost- benefit ratios on large and small scales.* EN.ESS3.4:[Standard] Evaluate design solutions for a major global or local environmental problem that reduces or stabilizes the impacts of human activities on natural systems.* EN.LS2.7:[Standard] Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.*

Teaching Materials

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