South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium produces Coastal Heritage magazine four times a year.
Each issue focuses on a topic relevant to South Carolina citizens.

Coastal Heritage, Winter 2005 issue: Building Green, a New Path.

Focus Questions:  How is energy from the sun made into electricity?  Why are developers using energy sources such as solar energy over others like natural gas and coal to power homes, schools, and other buildings? 

Use the Curriculum Connection to address these SC Curriculum Standards:
Middle
(6th Grade)

• Analyze and use examples to show how conduction, convection, or radiation factors enhance the flow of heat.
• Demonstrate how chemical energy is transformed to another form of energy (e.g., light wands, lightning bugs, batteries, and bulbs).

(7th Grade)

• Investigate and describe practical uses of solar energy (e.g., solar ovens, water heaters, calculators, etc.).

High
(9-12th Grades)

• Evaluate the importance of limiting consumption of nonrenewable resources. 

Lesson Links…

• Home or School Energy Audit, Alliance to Save Energy. This activity turns students into building inspectors as they identify the structures that help or inhibit energy efficiency.  http://www.ase.org/uploaded_files/educatorlessonplans/audit.pdf
  
  
• Energy: The U.S. in Crisis, American Association for the Advancement of Science.  This lesson plan provides a model lesson exploring the energy crisis in the United States.  Students research and assess past, present, and future decisions related to energy shortages. http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?BenchmarkID=8&DocID=28
  
  
• Solar Oven, GK-12 Program at the University of South Carolina.  This activity explores heat transfer to “cook” nachos.  The solar oven uses the sun to serve as a conventional electric oven. http://cece.engr.sc.edu/GK-12-Track1/institute03/Solar_Oven.doc
  
  
• Green Building Professional Connections, US Green Building Council.  Contact a professional in your area to schedule a presentation to your students about the importance of Green Building. http://www.usgbc.org/Chapters/ViewAll.aspx?CMSPageID=190&CategoryID=24&
  

Research the Topic

Backgrounder:  Solar Heat, The Pembina Institute.  Follow this link to learn about energy and energy transfer.  This web site also provides an overview of renewable energy sources. http://www.re-energy.ca/pdf/bg1.pdf

• Adobe Reader needed to download information; access the software by clicking here.

Backgrounder:  Solar Heat, The Pembina Institute.  Visit this web site to obtain information on the Sun as the ultimate source of renewable energy, and ways people use the heat from the Sun in every day life. http://www.re-energy.ca/pdf/bg2.pdf

Backgrounder:  Solar Electricity, The Pembina Institute.  This web site offers information on solar energy, how light from the sun is transferred into electricity, as well as the technology involved in harnessing solar energy.  http://www.re-energy.ca/pdf/bg3.pdf

Backgrounder:  Putting It All Together, The Pembina Institute.  Topics such has best practices for using Green Building techniques are offered at this web site.  Learn how to build your own Green House and to make your home energy efficient. http://www.re-energy.ca/pdf/bg8.pdf

US Green Building Council.  This site offers information on the green building process, as well as the LEED certification program.  http://www.usgbc.org/

Advanced Buildings.  Visit this web page to learn about 90 technologies and practices builders and home owners can use to improve the energy and resource efficiency.  http://www.advancedbuildings.org/index.htm

Assess yourself…

• Give several examples of renewable energy. Why are they considered “renewable”?
• What are some of the advantages of renewable energy over non-renewable energy?
• Describe examples of how renewable energy is being used at Clemson University and the University of South Carolina?
• What are some of the advantages of using sunlight as a source of energy compared to other sources, such as coal or nuclear energy?
• What two forms of energy are most commonly produced using sunlight?
• How does a “solar building” work?
• List all the ways you and your family use solar energy. Include any solar-powered appliances you may have in your home.

Acknowledgements
A special thanks to the USC GK-12 Program and Professor Jed Lyons with the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

  

For further information contact Elizabeth Joyner,
elizabeth.joyner@scseagrant.org or (843) 953-2078