Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi. I want to do something along the lines of "Which types of renewable energy are most effective?" I can think of wind energy and solar energy. I could use some help finding maybe one or two more types and then how to test them. I know there is others like Hydropower, Geothermal Power, and Biomass, but how would I test them? The other thing is how can I equally measure them? Using a large amount of one source will obviously generate more energy then a small amount of another. Any help would be great.

Hi,

Your project idea is great and it is also very vast and challenging. I recommend that you look at the energy-related projects on the Science Buddies website and select one for further investigation.

Here is a link to the various energy projects on the Science Buddies website:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ?ia=Energy

For your science project you need to design one controlled experiment to do with measurable results. I can’t think of a single experiment that would compare all forms of renewable energy. Is there one type of renewable energy that is of greater interest to you or seems more suitable for your location?

Donna Hardy

Ok, from what you have said, I have decided to narrow it down to solar and wind energy. Wind was my first idea yet solar energy might be easier here in New York. Any way I can maybe measure how much energy they produce over a given time using just the environment?

Hi,

You are making progress. Since this is a science fair project, you need to find something that you can measure. I will give you some examples of what you can do.

Here’s a project idea that uses the sun to heat water and you measure the results by recording the change in temperature of the water. This is a very simple project and you would probably want to do something to make it more complex. Also, it might be getting too cold in New York to do this project.

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... k&from=TSW

Here’s another project that uses solar panels to power solar cars. For this project, you would measure the speed of the model cars.

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... k&from=TSW


Here’s a very low cost project on wind turbines that includes very detailed instructions. You can make different designs and results are measured by the weight of washers or paperclips that can be hauled by your wind turbine.

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p040.shtml

Here’s a project on wind energy that you would evaluate by measuring the electrical current with a multimeter:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p036.shtml

Does this help give you an idea of what you can do?


Donna Hardy