*Note:
For this science project you will need to develop your own experimental procedure. Use the information in the summary tab as a starting place. If you would like to discuss your ideas or need help troubleshooting, use the Ask An Expert forum. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions and offer guidance if you come to them with specific questions.
If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk (*) at the end of the title.
Abstract
In the United States, lighting for homes accounts for about 14% of all residential electricity usage (EIA, 2014). That's billions of dollars worth of electricity per year. The U.S. has passed legislation to phase out older, more inefficient incandescent light bulbs, and they are being replaced with newer, more-efficient bulb types like compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) or light-emitting diodes (LEDs). How much energy (measured in kilowatt-hours [kWh]) and how much money could be saved by switching home lighting from incandescent bulbs to more-efficient lights?
Conduct a survey to find out what types of lights are used in homes in your area. Come up with an estimate for how many light fixtures (floor lamps, table lamps, ceiling lights, etc.) are used in an average home, and what types of light bulbs they use. Do background research to find out the relative efficiencies of different types of lighting. How much energy could be saved by replacing incandescent lights with more-efficient alternatives; or, if people in your area have already made the switch to more-efficient options, how much energy did they save? Based on the cost of electricity in your area (ask an adult to look at their electric bill), how much money could be saved?
Do you have specific questions about your science project? Our team of volunteer scientists can help. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions, offer guidance, and help you troubleshoot.
How much energy do you think all the houses and buildings in the United States consume? It turns out they eat up 40% of all the energy that the U.S. uses in a year. The figure is high because all those houses and buildings need to be heated, cooled, lit, ventilated, and supplied with heated water and electricity to run all sorts of electrical devices, appliances, and computers. Energy efficiency engineers help reduce the energy that houses and buildings use. This saves families and businesses…
Read more
Every country has resources—people, land, raw materials, capital, and machinery—and economists study how those resources are distributed to create the goods that people buy, and the services people need or want. In their studies, economists monitor economic trends and collect data on things like energy costs, inflation, interest rates, exchange rates, business cycles, taxes, and employment levels. Based on their analysis of this data, they develop forecasts of economic activity so…
Read more
Are you passionate about the environment? Do you like developing and implementing new ideas? Do you enjoy talking with people about how humans impact nature? If these things are true about you, then you may be the ideal candidate for a job as a sustainability specialist. Sustainability specialists work in large and small corporations and universities to design and execute energy and resource conservation programs that reduce their employers' impact on the environment. This is a great career for…
Read more
General citation information is provided here. Be sure to check the formatting, including capitalization, for the method you are using and update your citation, as needed.
MLA Style
Science Buddies Staff.
"A Bright Idea for Saving Energy." Science Buddies,
23 June 2020,
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Energy_p005/energy-power/a-bright-idea-for-saving-energy.
Accessed 28 May 2023.
APA Style
Science Buddies Staff.
(2020, June 23).
A Bright Idea for Saving Energy.
Retrieved from
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Energy_p005/energy-power/a-bright-idea-for-saving-energy
Last edit date: 2020-06-23
Explore Our Science Videos
Make Fake Snow - Craft Your Science Project
Make Fake Snow - Craft Your Science Project
Slippery Slopes - STEM activity
Slippery Slopes - STEM activity
How Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Take Over – STEM activity
How Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Take Over – STEM activity
