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Electricity and Basic Electronics
3. Visit a house under construction near
where you live. Are they using a house
wrap? Which type is it? How much
energy is it designed to save? How was it
installed? Why?
4. Is there any location near you that is
using porous concrete? What color is it?
Why was that color chosen? Does porous
concrete cost more or less than regular
concrete? Explain why.
5. Visit a website that provides infrared
imagery. List the website(s) that provided
you with the information. Are they in
color or black and white? What is the
value of using this technology? Does
your local power company provide
any services to you that use infrared
imagery? Is there a charge for this
service? Why or why not?
6. Visit your local hardware store or home
center. List the prices of their CFLs.
Compare these prices with comparable
incandescent bulbs. What is the cost of
electricity in your town? How many
years would it take to break even using
the various CFLs?
7. Are there any buildings in your area
that have a sky tunnel? Where are they,
and why do they use them? What would
they cost to purchase and install? Does
weather have any effect on how they are
used?
8. Visit an offi ce building that was built
with a lot of exterior glass. Compare
the inside and outside temperature
on the day of your visit. Is the inside
temperature comfortable? What was
done in the building to accomplish
the comfort level? Compare the cost,
matching one of the windows of that
building with one used inside your
house.
9. Make a list of the ways you could save
energy in your house, town, or school.
10. Are there any clubs or conservation
groups in your town? Have they started
any projects? List them.
11. How can photovoltaics continue to
produce electricity even on a cloudy
day? How much electricity do you use
at your house each month? What size
of photovoltaic system would it take to
operate your house? How much would
such a system cost?
12. Search the Internet to see if there are any
PV systems in your area of the country.
How much electricity is being generated
by this source? Are there any systems
in nearby locations? How are they being
used?
13. Find a website that will take you through
the history of photovoltaics. How many
years did it take to develop? When was it
economical enough to actually be used as
an electrical source? How much has the
cost dropped over the last 10 years?
14. See if you can make a visit to a site for
alternative production of electricity. Do
not include a visit to a coal or nuclear
facility. Where is the nearest site? What
are they doing? How long has it been in
operation?
15. Do you have any green power notices on
your electrical bill? What do they want
you to do? Is there an extra cost for using
green power? How much? What does
that mean in terms of added cost over a
one-year period? Why is it important to
participate in such a program?
16. Does your state provide an incentive
program for solar power? How much is
the incentive and what would it mean
to your electrical bill? Would you ever
recover the cost of such a program? How
many years would it take to break even?