http://www.oercommons.org/browse/keyword/efficiency daily 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.oercommons.org/courses/the-university-of-kentucky-s-energy-monitoring-system Empowered is a multi-layered interactive experience featuring real time energy feedback, virtual rooms, videos and much more. Its mission is to empower individuals to participate in a culture of conservation at the University of Kentucky. Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology Social Sciences 2012-03-10T01:21:19 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/internal-combustion-engines-spring-2008 " This course studies the fundamentals of how the design and operation of internal combustion engines affect their performance, operation, fuel requirements, and environmental impact. Topics include fluid flow, thermodynamics, combustion, heat transfer and friction phenomena, and fuel properties, with reference to engine power, efficiency, and emissions. Students examine the design features and operating characteristics of different types of internal combustion engines: spark-ignition, diesel, stratified-charge, and mixed-cycle engines. Class includes lab project in the Engine Laboratory." Cheng, Wai Science and Technology 2010-10-07T04:39:16 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/principles-of-microeconomics-fall-2007 " This introductory course teaches the fundamentals of microeconomics. Topics include consumer theory, producer theory, the behavior of firms, market equilibrium, monopoly, and the role of the government in the economy. 14.01 is a Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) elective and is offered both terms. " Chen, Chia-Hui Ke, Rongzhu Martinez-Bravo, Monica Migueis, Marco Schnabl, Peter Wheaton, William Zhang, Hongliang Business Social Sciences 2010-10-07T04:39:16 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/the-joy-of-economics-making-sense-out-of-life My goal is to provide an accessible book that reflects this theme of choice and conveys a sense of the breadth and power of basic economic analysis. It assumes no prior knowledge of economics and can be read and appreciated by anyone. While some parts of the book cover conventional material, others do not. I've ignored many traditional topics and substituted ones that apply economics in unusual and often provocative ways. The chapters are not meant to be definitive, they are meant to raise questions. If they do not make you think or ruffle an occasional feather, I have failed. Most chapters use a story-telling approach that has served me well in the classroom. I am accustomed to a tough audience. Every semester I stare into the fresh faces of college students who would rather be at the beach, students who challenge me to make them care. I use stories to grab their attention, to show how economics affects their everyday life, and to give them a new and deeper appreciation of what drives their behavior. Robert J. Stonebraker Business 2010-01-15T11:05:50 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/energy-choices-game This board game is used to introduce the concepts of energy use in our lives and the very real impact that personal choices can have on our energy consumption, energy bills and fuel supply. The game begins as each student selects cards that define their mode of transportation and home design. The players roll dice and move around the board, landing on "choice" or "situation" blocks and selecting cards that describe consumer choices and real life events that impact their energy consumption and annual energy bills. As the players pass gasoline stations or energy bill gates, they must pay annual expenses as defined by their original cards, with amounts altered by the choices they've made along the way. Gasoline cards are collected to represent their total consumption. Too many gas guzzling vehicles can result in total depletion of their gasoline supply -- at which point everyone must walk or ride the bus. At the end of the game, the players count their remaining dollars to determine the winner. Discussion questions probe the students to interpret what choices they made and situations they encounter have the most impact on their energy consumption and energy bills. All game board, card and money files are available on-line free of charge. Jan DeWaters Susan Powers Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/household-energy-conservation-and-efficiency Students complete three different activities to evaluate the energy consumption in a household and explore potential ways to reduce that consumption. The focus is on conservation and energy efficient electrical devices and appliances. The lesson reinforces the relationship between power and energy and associated measurements and calculations required to evaluate energy consumption. The lesson provides the students with more concrete information for completing their culminating unit assignment. Jan DeWaters Susan Powers Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/light-vs-heat-bulbs Students measure the light output and temperature (as a measure of heat output) for three types of light bulbs to identify why some light bulbs are more efficient (more light with less energy) than others. Jan DeWaters Susan Powers Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/heat-transfer-2 Students explore heat transfer and energy efficiency using the context of energy efficient houses. They gain a solid understanding of the three types of heat transfer: radiation, convection and conduction, which are explained in detail and related to the real world. They learn about the many ways solar energy is used as a renewable energy source to reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses and operating costs. Students also explore ways in which a device can capitalize on the methods of heat transfer to produce a beneficial result. They are given the tools to calculate the heat transferred between a system and its surroundings. Denise W. Carlson Landon B. Gennetten Lauren Cooper Malinda Schaefer Zarske Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/swamp-cooler Using a household fan, cardboard box and paper towels, student teams design and build their own evaporative cooler prototype devices. They learn about the process that cools water during the evaporation of water. They make calculations to determine a room's cooling load, and thus determine the swamp cooler size. This activity adds to students' understanding of the behind-the-scenes mechanical devices that condition and move air within homes and buildings for human health and comfort. Denise W. Carlson Landon B. Gennetten Lauren Cooper Malinda Schaefer Zarske Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/solar-water-heater Student teams design and build solar water heating devices that mimic those used in residences to capture energy in the form of solar radiation and convert it to thermal energy. This thermal energy is next transferred to water (to be used as domestic hot water) in the form of heat. In doing this, students gain a better understanding of the three different types of heat transfer, each of which plays a role in the solar water heater design. Once the model devices are constructed, students perform efficiency calculations and compare designs. Denise W. Carlson Landon B. Gennetten Lauren Cooper Malinda Schaefer Zarske Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/wasting-energy-at-home People use energy in all aspects of their lives for cooking, lighting and entertainment. Much of this energy use takes place in buildings, such as our homes. To save money and reduce the impact on our environment, many people are reducing their energy use. One way is to hire engineers to perform home energy audits to understand the ways we use energy and identify ways we can conserve energy. In this activity, students act as energy conservation engineers and identify the ways energy is conserved or wasted. They also learn many ways to personally conserve energy everyday. Denise Carlson Malinda Schaefer Zarske Natalie Mach Sharon D. Perez-Suarez Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/energy-conservation Students are introduced to the idea that energy use impacts the environment and our wallets. They discuss different types of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, as well as the impacts of energy consumption. Through a series of activities, students understand how they use energy and how it is transformed from one type to another. They learn innovative ways engineers conserve energy and how energy can be conserved in their homes. Denise Carlson Malinda Schaefer Zarske Natalie Mach Sharon D. Perez-Suarez Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/solving-energy-problems The culminating energy project is introduced and the technical problem solving process is applied to get the students started on the project. By the end of the class, the students should have a good perspective on what they have already learned and what they still need to learn to complete the project. Jan DeWaters Susan Powers Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/the-energy-problem This six-day lesson provides students with an introduction to the importance of energy in their lives and the need to consider how and why we consume the energy we do. The lesson includes activities to engage students in general energy issues, including playing an award-winning Energy Choices board game, and an optional graphing activity that provides experience with MS Excel graphing and perspectives on how we use energy and how much energy we use. Jan DeWaters Susan Powers Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/energy-systems-and-solutions The Energy Systems and Solutions Unit brings students through the exploration of science and engineering concepts as they relate to energy issues in everyday life. Issues surrounding energy production and energy consumption provide a relevant theme for learning basic science, math and engineering concepts, and also provide a convenient platform for introducing current scientific and technological developments into the curriculum. Energy-related issues touch on the lives of each and every student. This project-based curriculum follows an engineering problem solving approach; students simultaneously learn and use scientific and mathematical content and processes as they solve an energy-related problem that is meaningful to them. By challenging them with a problem to solve, students are engaged in scientific and engineering processes, thereby reinforcing subject matter retention and targeting a wide range of learning styles in the classroom. The Energy Systems and Solutions Unit can be broken into three main sections. The first section includes various activities designed to help students understand the problem at hand -- namely, the issues surrounding our energy situation - so that they can realize the importance of what they will be studying and the significance of their proposed solutions. An understanding of the problem will form the basis for the student learning that takes place in the second section, which includes basic energy concepts (forms, states, conversions, efficiency, etc.), content that is required by state and federal science educational standards, but they will learn these concepts by participating in a variety of engaging activities that intend to show the relevance of the science material to the real world as well as to the solution of their assigned problem. Finally, in the last section of the unit students apply the concepts they have learned as they complete a culminating project that requires students to consider what action they can take to reduce our dependence of fossil fuels or otherwise provide a positive solution for our current energy crisis. Jan DeWaters Susan Powers Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/energy-forms-states-and-conversions The students participate in many demonstrations during the first day of this lesson to learn basic concepts related to the forms and states of energy. This knowledge is then applied the second day as they assess various everyday objects to determine what forms of energy are transformed to accomplish the object's intended task. The students use block diagrams to illustrate the form and state of energy flowing into and out of the process. Jan DeWaters Susan Powers Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/off-the-grid-2 Students learn and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of renewable and non-renewable energy sources. They also learn about our nation's electric power grid and what it means for a residential home to be "off the grid." Denise W. Carlson Lauren Cooper Malinda Schaefer Zarske Tyler Maline Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/power-your-house-with-water Students learn how engineers design devices that use water to generate electricity by building model water turbines and measuring the resulting current produced in a motor. Students work through the engineering design process to build the turbines, analyze the performance of their turbines and make calculations to determine the most suitable locations to build dams. Denise W. Carlson Lauren Cooper Malinda Schaefer Zarske Tyler Maline Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/design-a-net-zero-energy-classroom Students create a concept design of their very own net-zero energy classroom by pasting renewable energy and energy-efficiency items into and around a pretend classroom on a sheet of paper. They will learn how these items (such as solar panels, efficient lights, computers, energy meters, etc.) interact to create a learning environment that produces as much energy as it uses. Janet Yowell Malinda Schaefer Zarske William Surles Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/energy-efficient-housing We all know that it takes energy to provide us with the basics of shelter: heating, cooling, lighting, electricity, sanitation and cooking. To create energy-efficient housing that is practical for people to use every day requires combining many smaller systems that each perform a function well, and making smart decisions about the sources of power we use. Through four lessons on the topics of heat transfer, circuits, daylighting and electricity from renewable energy sources, students learn about the science, math and engineering that go into designing energy-efficient components of smart housing that is environmentally friendly. Through numerous design/build/analyze activities, students create a solar water heater, swamp cooler, thermostat, model house, model greenhouse, and wind and water turbine prototypes. Students should concurrently be taking Algebra 1 in order to complete the worksheet calculations. Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials