Affordable and Clean Energy Science Projects (Page 5)

Tireless Tides: Extracting Energy from Ocean Tides

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Renewable energy is the energy that is extracted from natural sources, such the Sun (solar), earth (geothermal), wind, and water (hydropower). These sources are renewable because they can be replenished by the same natural sources within a short period of time. Hydropower energy is extracted from moving water, like ocean wave energy and tidal energy. In this energy science fair project, you will make a model of a tidal barrage (also known as a dam) and investigate how emptying the tidal barrage… Read more

Turn Mud into Energy With a Microbial Fuel Cell

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

What can you do with a bucket of soil? You could use it to grow some beautiful plants and vegetables—or you could use it to produce electricity! Surprised about that? You actually can power electric devices with just mud! Are you curious about how this works? You need some little helpers in the soil—bacteria—that are able to turn their food sources within the soil into electricity in a device called a microbial fuel cell. But is this possible with any soil and does the soil… Read more

Turn Plants into Biofuel with the Power of Enzymes

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Are biofuels the wave of the future? People often talk about these plant-derived fuels as a way to someday cut down on our dependency on non-renewable carbon-based fuels, like gasoline. Ethanol (a type of alcohol) is a common biofuel used today. In the United States, ethanol is a common biofuel additive to normal gasoline. In fact, some states mandate that when you fill up your gas tank, 10 percent of the total fuel volume be made of ethanol. Brazil, the world's second largest user of… 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

Use the Sun's Energy to Heat Your Own Water

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Isn't it nice to take a nice, hot shower or bath after a long day of playing outside? But have you really thought about how the hot water in your shower or bath gets hot? Sure, the water heater in your house gets it hot, but what makes the water heater work? Water heaters are powered by natural gas or electricity. But are there any other ways to heat water? What about using the Sun? In this science fair project, you'll give it a try by capturing energy from the Sun to heat water. Read more

Using Urine in a Microbial Fuel Cell

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Every day, we produce a lot of sewage (wastewater full of feces and urine). In fact, it adds up to 6.4 trillion liters of urine alone produced worldwide each year! The sewage is collected and then treated or disposed of. But what if, along the way, there were a way to make that sewage do something useful? Human urine is rich in nutrients, and some bacteria actually thrive on eating those nutrients. There are also devices called microbial fuel cells that can generate electrical power by using… Read more

Want to Warm Up or Cool Down? Go Underground!

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever been so cold sitting in your house in the winter that you feel like icicles could grow off your nose, and your feet could turn into blocks of ice? Or have you ever been so hot in your house in the summer that sweat just drips off you? Making yourself comfortable can mean turning on the heater or the air conditioner, but that costs money. Being cozy or cool does not have to cost a lot of money if you use a geothermal heat pump. In this project, you will build a model geothermal… 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

Which Liquid Works Best for Evaporative Cooling?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

When we get hot, we sweat. Sweating helps cool us down. When the water evaporates, it removes energy from our bodies. This sort of evaporative cooling can also be used to cool homes using what are referred to as swamp coolers. In some cases, these coolers may be more energy-efficient than traditional air conditioners. In this chemistry science fair project, you will find out which liquid works best for evaporative cooling. Read more

Affordable and Clean Energy Science Projects (52 results)

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