High School, Energy & Power Science Projects (Page 2)

How Does Snow Cover Affect Solar Panel Power Output?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

What happens when solar panels get covered in snow in winter? Does some sunlight make it through the snow? Does the power output of the panels drop considerably? Is it worth it to go scrape the snow off the panels if temperatures will remain below freezing? How hard is this to do for rooftop solar panels or a large solar farm? These are all questions you can answer yourself in a science project using a small solar panel and a multimeter (Figure 1). You can follow a procedure similar to those… Read more

Make an Automatic Evaporative Cooling System

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

You probably know that sweat helps cool your skin on a hot day because of evaporation. But do you think you can use evaporation to cool a building? Evaporative cooling systems could provide a more environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional air conditioning. In this engineering project you will build and try to optimize your own model evaporative cooling system. Read more

Now You're Cooking! Building a Simple Solar Oven

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Here is a project that uses direct solar power, gathering the sun's rays for heating/sterilizing water or cooking. It is a low-cost technology that seems to have everything going for it. Does it work? Can you find ways to improve it? Find out with this project. Read more

Renewable Energy Resources

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Coal, gas, and oil are energy resources that are not renewable, meaning that once we use up the world's supply of these natural resources there will not be any left. There is a lot of debate about how long these resources will last. One way to ensure that we will not find ourselves in an energy crisis is to develop energy resources that are renewable. Renewable energy is a resource that cannot be used up. Investigate the many uses of renewable energy: solar energy, wind energy,… Read more

Spice Up the Power of a Microbial Fuel Cell with a Dash of Salt

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Generating power from mud sounds like science fiction, but it is actually real science, and a promising source of alternative energy. Topsoil is packed with bacteria that generate electricity when placed in a microbial fuel cell. Because such bacteria-laden soil is found almost everywhere on Earth, microbial fuel cells can make clean, renewable electricity nearly anyplace around the globe. They are an up-and-coming technology that scientists and engineers are working to make even more… Read more

The Power of Balance

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal near Falkirk in central Scotland. It consists of two diametrically opposed caissons which rotate to lift boats between the two canals through a height of 35 meters. The wheel is always perfectly balanced and, despite its enormous mass, rotates through 180° in less than four minutes, using just 1.5 kilowatt-hours (Wikipedia contributors, 2006). Do background research… Read more

The Power of Heat Is Right Under Your Feet with Geothermal Energy

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You might know that we are able to get renewable energy from the Sun, the wind, and water, but did you know we can get renewable energy from Earth itself? The temperature inside of Earth can reach 9,000°F—that kind of heat can be used to make a lot of energy here on the surface! This source of energy is called geothermal energy and it is all about taking advantage of the heat within Earth. So try this science fair project out and find out how to use the heat that lies beneath your… Read more

Unleash the Power of a Pinwheel!

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

How do you feel when you ride your bike into a strong wind? Do your legs feel like lead? How about when the wind is at your back? Does that make you feel ready for the Tour de France? In this science fair project, you will investigate how wind-powered devices, like pinwheels, also react in different ways to the direction of the wind. Read more

Use a Microbial Fuel Cell to Create Electricity from Waste

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

"Gross! What is that in the toilet?" But maybe it's not just gross. Did you know there are bacteria that digest organic waste and create electrons? What if there was a way to collect those electrons to power a circuit? In this science fair project, you will make a microbial fuel cell to collect the electrons that the bacteria—anaerobic bacteria—create...only, you'll be using mud, which is much safer to handle than wastewater. If you would like to learn how to reuse and recycle an… Read more

Water to Fuel to Water: The Fuel Cycle of the Future

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Solar cells are popping up on rooftops everywhere these days and are a model for clean, renewable energy. Did you ever look at those solar panels and wonder how we can get electricity produced by solar cells when the sun is not shining? It is a great question because solar panels do not produce electricity when it is dark outside. One strategy to overcome this challenge is to store the energy produced by solar cells during the day in the form of a fuel that can be used at a later time. In this… Read more

High School, Energy & Power Science Projects (22 results)

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