Topic
As the world transitions to alternate energy sources, people have to make fundamental changes in the way they operate. In this high school energy competition, your team’s task is to explore ways to enable some aspect of this transition. What types of inventions or redesigns will be needed to take full advantage of the new energy sources? How will suburbs, towns, and cities need to be redesigned? What types of behavior changes will be necessary, and how do we bring those about?
Team challenges
Choose one of these challenges and then create a project that addresses it. Your team may choose to use one of the project examples given further into the site, or answer the challenge with your team’s own idea.
Challenge 1. Technology
Invent or re-design a machine or process that uses sustainable technologies for energy production, consumption, and conservation.
Project examples
- The front-loading washing machine uses much less water and energy than a conventional washing machine. Identify and re-design the next appliance or machine that will substantially lower energy use in your house.
- On long trips, most current hybrid cars primarily run on the gasoline engine. Determine what changes are required to make plug-in hybrids a viable mechanism for a 200-mile overnight trip.
- One of the challenges for hydrogen cars is the volume required for a storage tank. Identify the top technological innovations that would be required to run a larger vehicle, such as a train or 18-wheeler truck, on hydrogen. Demonstrate a prototype model using one of the key innovations.
Challenge 2. Design
Design a living/working space (a building, suburb, town, or city) that has significantly lower CO2 emissions than at present.
Project examples
- In 2007 the U.S. Green Building Council developed a new set of standards for “green” school construction, and Washington State requires new school construction to meet The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver standards. Demonstrate the design of a highly energy efficient high school with a model and schematics.
- Washington State now uses over 1 million gallons of biodiesel a year, and use is growing rapidly. Design a town around a biofuel plant in central Washington that minimizes energy use for the town.
- As cities across the state look at developing new transportation systems, from public transportation to highways, they have to consider many issues. Design a low CO2 transportation system for a city.
Challenge 3. Society
How can Washington be a leader in promoting and encouraging the use of sustainable energy and conservation practices?
Project examples
- As much natural gas is used to heat commercial buildings as is used to generate electricity in our state. Develop a set of incentive structures that could be used to get businesses to adopt alternative energy methods for heating or cooling in our state.
- The state tax on gasoline is 54.4 cents per gallon. Examine the effects that raising the state’s gas tax would have on driving and transportation in Washington. Explore what share of the gas tax, if any, is spent on measures to conserve gas. If the tax were increased, how would you propose spending the added revenue to achieve the most beneficial result for reducing CO2 emissions?
- Oil refineries in Washington primarily get their crude oil from Alaska, meaning your car probably runs on oil from the North Slope. Examine the implications of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for the State of Washington.
Challenge 4. Behavior
Describe or demonstrate what you and your local community can do to move away from dependency on fossil fuels and toward a future with alternative energy production and conservation.
Project examples
- National surveys show that attitudes about energy conservation vary widely. Determine individual attitudes towards energy conservation by surveying citizens in your school or neighborhood and finding out their opinions and attitudes about energy conservation. Find out what actions people with different opinions and attitudes take to conserve energy.
- Research suggests that citizens are relatively unworried about the impending depletion of important resources (e.g., oil, copper) in part because of a faith that scientists will save the day in the nick of time (the "Superman" hypothesis), and in part because of a belief that they themselves will not be affected by the depletion (the "can't-happen-to-me" hypothesis). Determine the prevalence of these beliefs in your town through quantifiable survey techniques, and explain how you think these beliefs are formed. Support your assertions with evidence.
- In a typical town, many citizens are unfamiliar with their public transportation options. Design a commercial campaign to better inform the people of a town about the details of their public transportation options and persuade them to use the systems.
Two ways you can approach the challenge:
- Single Discipline
Approach the challenge from a single-subject perspective, such as science, engineering, design, or another field. - Multiple Disciplines
Approach the challenge by integrating several subjects, such as science AND design; engineering AND social studies, business AND the arts, and so on.
The innovations you present may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Computer presentation
- Model
- DVD/video
- Website
- Poster
- Essay
- Artistic expression
The solutions are limited only by your imagination.