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Personal Electronics and their Energy Consumption - Your Choice When one person uses a small amount of energy, the impact is minimal. But when hundreds, thousands or millions of people use many small amounts of energy, it becomes a concern. |
Listen to this NPR report Digital Frames Have Environmental Cost
Use the resources at Enjoy your Electronics - Protect the Environment
1. Use Energy Consumption Calculator to evaluate your personal electronics use.
What is your annual personal electronics energy consumption?
Which device(s) has the highest energy consumption per year?
How much are you spending each year for energy for your electronic devices?
2. Save Energy with Electronics!
If you reduce your electricity consumption, you will immediately save cash!
You can save the money. Or you can use it for something else.
Set a goal for reducing your personal electronics energy use. Reduce by: 15%, 25%, 35%, 40%
What actions can you take to reduce your personal electronics energy consumption?
Identify 3 ways your school or classroom could reduce electronics energy use.
3. "The current demand (or "load") depends on how much power consumers are using right now. While the load changes every time someone switches a light on or off, the sum of loads due to a large number of consumers varies slowly. In addition to the supply needed to meet this demand, some "reserve" generating capacity must be kept ready to operate in case of any unexpected events." Supply and Demand For Electricity, Berkeley Lab.
Research - Identify a time of day when there is a peak demand for electricity.
Name a time of year when there is a peak demand for electricity.
What is one action individuals can take to help reduce these spikes in energy demand?
Extended thinking: What role should the government play in controlling a person's energy use?
Energy Alternatives problem based learning project | Problem Based Learning Projects
Energy Saver Digital Science Project | State Energy Plan | Saving Energy Survey - Chart - Take Action
Energy Alternatives Exploration | Energy Light bulbs compare/contrast Activity | Explore Efficient Energy Uses
Energy Savers Activity | How Clean is the Air in Your Community? | Alternative Energy Project Site Map
Pennsylvania Environment and Ecology Education | Clean Coal Technology - fact or fiction | Einstein's Letter
developed by Cynthia J. O'Hora Posted 3/2009
Released to public domain in honor of Ralph Nader for his leadership consumer issues.
Save a tree use a Digital Answer Format - Highlight the text. Copy it. Paste it in a word processing document. Save the document in your folder. Answer on the word processing document in a contrasting color (not yellow) or font (
, Symbol, 
or other ornate artistic fonts). Save frequently as you work. Submit your work via a class electronic drop box or email attachment. Bad things happen - always save a copy of your work on your computer. Consider using free Google Docs.
Proof the project. It is funny how speling errors and typeos sneak in to the bets work. 
Aligned with Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Environment and Ecology, Science and Technology, Mathematics, Careers, Civics and Government, Reading Writing, Speaking. National Educational Technology Standards for Students