Within my group we came upon our idea pretty easily for the in class experiment and found a couple experiments we could possibly do in the renewable energy sector. Ideas that were discussed during brainstorming were wind power, and solar power. Some ideas we came across were that we would order an NXT windmill and record the wind power in different areas of Boston. Although this seemed like a great idea we could not do it because we need to physically do the experiment in class to show our peers. Suddenly we came up with an idea that originated from a experiment we have done in class. We decided to use an experiment that pertains to solar power, this experiment is still being thought of and created. However, we have come up with the basic idea which will be how much sunlight is captured from a solar panel at different angles. The independent variable will be the various angles of the solar panel in relation to the light. The dependent variable will be the energy output of the panel. We can show this in class by ordering a larger solar panel than the smaller panel used in the first experiment and connecting it to the NXT. We will then place the panel at different angles and hold the light source which will be a flash light in a fixed position. We can take multiple trials for this experiment and use the lab view program to record our data. This is an experiment that the class can do with our group. In the real world this can be relevant to a company or individual who would wish to place their solar panel in a certain spot on a roof or any fixed position for ultimate exposure to the sun.
Demand Response is when energy users are reimbursed or paid to reduce their consumption. I believe this is a great system to use for any type of energy consumer from small households to large corporations. This could be a turning point and another added bonus to decreasing our environmental impact. Enernoc is a great provider of demand response that is taking advantage and publicizing this new idea. Companies that Enernoc help commercial, industrial, and institutional businesses to find ways to reduce their impact and receive benefits without affecting operations, comfort or quality of the business. Enernoc’s website states, “Demand response allows energy users of all kinds to act as “virtual power plants,” adding stability to the grid by voluntarily lowering their demand for electricity.” This is a great program that reduces humanity’s ecological footprint, which can help our environment and businesses now, as well as in the future.
Courtesy of Google Images
So how is demand response measured? Mainly turning off lighting, air conditioning, certain pumps, other non-essential equipment, and switching to back up generation dignify the conservation process. Each demand response reduction program is customized to the specific business for easier capability within the program. As less demand on power grids are created demand response companies such as Enernoc, Comverg, and Con Edison pay for the energy that is not used. I have constructed a table of information I found from www.epa.gov “Coordination of Energy Efficiency and Demand Response,” which shows various types of demand response programs and price options.
Price Options
Incentive or Event-Based Options
TOU rates: Rates with fixed price blocksthat differ by time of day.
Direct load control: Customers receiveincentive payments for allowing the utility a
degree of control over certain equipment.
RTP: Rates that vary continually (typicallyhourly) in response to wholesale market
prices.
Emergency demand response programs:Customers receive incentive payments for
load reductions when needed to ensure
reliability.
CPP: Rates that include a pre-specified,extra-high rate that is triggered by the
utility and is in effect for a limited number
of hours.
Demand bidding/buyback programs:Customers offer bids to curtail load when
wholesale market prices are high.
Capacity market programs: Customersreceive incentive payments for providing
load reductions as substitutes for system
capacity.
Interruptible/curtailable: Customersreceive a discounted rate for agreeing to
reduce load on request.b
Ancillary services market programs:Customers receive payments from a grid
operator for committing to curtail load when
needed to support operation of the electric
grid (i.e., ancillary services).c
CPP = critical peak pricing; RTP = real-time pricing; TOU = time of use.
As demand response programs are fairly new they are not yet extremely popular in every area of the world. The leading market is America with European and Eastern Asian programs developing quickly. As this industry develops I believe it will only be a matter of time before almost every country is starting these programs. Naviganttrees.com states “This market is projected to experience a robust compound annual growth (CAGR) rate of 37% to become a multi-billion market by 2016.” Demand response is a great way that everyone can benefit. While companies are being paid to be sustainable the environment and our energy sources can be saved as well.
While learning about many types of science and environmental situations in contemporary science the museum of science in Boston was a perfect trip for the class to take to learn a more about this interesting and evolving topic. One exhibit within the museum displayed various types of power used in Boston and in the United States. There were sections such as fossil fuels, hydropower, nuclear, solar, and wind power. This was an interactive exhibit where the public can place numerous Boston power blocks on the type of energy that is wished to use. On the top of the power panel there are two meters one shows the energy supplied from the type of power used and the environmental impact of the power used. This was a great way that people can see how much each different type of power affects the earth. Along with how much energy is actually created from these types of sources.
Another portion of the exhibit explained wind power in Massachusetts. The first example showed the decision to install wind turbines. This explained what questions are asked before the turbines are created such as how much power will be generated, efficiency, cost, and acceptance of the community just to name a few. Along with that was a list of various organizations that wished to install wind turbines in Massachusetts. These included museum of science, Logan International Airport, the town of Hull, and a couple high schools. These establishments all showed various types of stories about the process and the interesting facts if wind power was ideal for their situation. Moving forward in the exhibit was a time line of the power of wind. This explained how the first windmills were created around 500 A.D. Then there was the first windmill created to generate electricity, which was in 1888 by Charles Brush in Cleveland, Ohio. Last was a modern picture of an aerodynamic modern wind turbine. Which shows what they are composed of such as vertical or horizontal blades made from lightweight materials.
I think going to the Boston Museum of Science was a great way that the class can see the hands on approach to clean energy usage, and the difference between using renewable resources and fossil fuels. This will enhance our experiments for class because we have seen from the museum various types of visual experiments and models that portray different types of sustainability and ways to use natural resources for energy. These examples can give us new ideas, enhance our brainstorming, and give the groups in class further insight into what experiments we will be doing for our final to share and teach the class.
