Affordable and Clean Energy Science Projects (Page 3)

High-Speed Magnets: Exploring Faraday's Law and Lenz's Law

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Safety Notes about Neodymium Magnets: Neodymium magnets are very strong. Adult supervision is recommended when using them. Be careful not to drop the magnets, and do not let them slam together or fall. They may pinch your fingers, crack, or shatter. Keep magnets away from small children, pets, credit cards, and pacemakers. In the Science Buddies project Human-Powered Energy, you can learn about the basics of magnetic induction, or how moving magnets can be used to generate an… Read more

How Clean is Your State's Energy?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Where does your electricity come from, and how does it affect the environment? In this project, you will use data on electricity generation from power plants across the United States to compare the fuel sources and emissions from power plants in one state to national averages. You will also examine past trends and use them to estimate how the state’s fuel mix and emissions might change in the future if recent patterns continue. Read more

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

How Does Solar Cell Output Vary with Incident Light Intensity?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Solar cells are an alternative method for generating electricity directly from sunlight. With this project, you can get down to the atomic level and learn about the world of solid-state electronics as you investigate how solar cells work. Your experiment will measure the effect of changing light intensity on power output from the solar cell. A possible variation would be to investigate the effect of changing the color of the light. Read more

How Many Cranks Does It Take to Power a Hand-Cranked Radio?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you lose power, you can probably still access the internet and read the news with a cell phone. But what if the power goes out for so long that your phone battery dies, or if cellular service also goes down? How would you get news from the outside world? In emergencies, you can use a hand-crank radio, which is powered by manually turning a crank. But just how much power do you get when you turn the crank? How long will the radio stay on before you need to charge it again? Try this project to… Read more

How to Extract Energy from Grass

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Mowing the lawn is hard work, especially on a warm day. Not only do you have to mow the grass, but you also have to dispose of the clippings. Some people add the clippings to a compost pile in their yard, which is a great idea. But did you know that some grasses can be used as a source of energy? In this energy science fair project, you will learn more about a type of energy called biomass energy. You will grow different kinds of grasses and see which type of grass gives you the most biomass,… Read more

Human-Powered Energy

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You have probably read all about forms of alternative energy like solar and wind power. But what about human power? With the aid of a coil of wire and some magnets, you can generate electricity with nothing more than a flick of your wrist. In this project, you will build a small hand-powered electrical generator that can power a series of tiny lights. Get ready to save the planet and get some exercise at the same time! Read more

Leaky Clues to Dam Design: How Reservoir Height Affects Hydroelectric Power Production

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

It's hard to believe that the same water that you use every day to quench your thirst, cook with, bathe in, swim in, and wash your clothes and dishes, is capable of another trick—it can make electricity! Electricity can be generated through the flow or through the fall of water. A big, fast-flowing river, for instance, contains a lot of moving energy that provides enough pressure to turn the blades of a turbine and run an electric generator. This same pressure can also be created though… Read more

Make the Wind Work for You!

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Alternative energy sources are a big deal these days. One such source is the wind. Find out how a wind turbine can use the power of the wind to generate energy in this science fair engineering project. You'll design various blades to find out which produces the most energy, and put the wind to work for you! 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

Affordable and Clean Energy Science Projects (50 results)

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