Students in the Powering Tomorrow elective have been hard at work learning about electricity generation, the impacts on our climate, and how we can design more efficient and cleaner electricity generation for the future. They began by investigating where our electricity comes from to power the lights at the Lyme School. What’s the magic that’s happening inside a power plant, hydroelectric dam or solar panels? How does the energy get to us? What can we do to reduce the negative impacts of our energy use? They used gear and other resources from the New Hampshire Energy Education Project to conduct these investigations.
They also ran a Two Earths investigation in which they investigated the relationship between greenhouse gases and atmospheric temperature. By collecting and analyzing their own data, students were able to make claims - based on evidence - about the correlation between carbon dioxide, water vapor and temperature.
Moving forward, this group will be studying various ways that humans can use electricity through efficiency and conservation methods. They will then take on the role of engineers as they grapple with how to design and build a renewable energy source. They will test, evaluate and refine their devices to increase the energy production.
Finally, this group will be using NHEEP’s Model Electric Grid to learn about how our local grid works and how our regional grid operators can maintain stable energy loads as demand is constantly changing. They will also see if their renewable energy stations can power the model neighborhood.
“There is an urgent need to stop subsidizing the fossil fuel industry, dramatically reduce wasted energy, and significantly shift our power supplies from oil, coal, and natural gas to wind, solar, geothermal, and other renewable energy sources.” - Bill McKibben