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Energy Efficiency Audit

Provided by: National Environmental Education Foundation

Activity - Classroom Grades 6-8, 9-12

Synopsis

This activity shows students common energy consuming items, helps them calculate the energy used by the items, and suggests ways students can minimize their energy consumption by reducing energy waste.
This resource contains links to more information from the U.S. EPA and Department of Energy websites.

Subjects: Physics, Mathematics

Authors: National Environmental Education Foundation

Region: United States

Languages: English

Positives

This activity involves assessing energy consumed by common electronics and should generate interest among students.
This activity encourages students to be a part of the campaign for energy efficiency.

Additional Prerequisites

Students may need prior knowledge about the units used and unit conversions.
The link for the Energy Star Choose a Light Guide is broken, but students can research this link HERE instead.

Differentiation

Students can make presentations on how they plan to address their energy consumption habits and improve efficiency.
Students can also be asked to identify excess energy consumed around the school and provide alternatives for a more energy efficient solution.
Have students test out various energy use amounts on the Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator linked in the resource and present their results in a presentation, including ways to reduce energy waste and the equivalent effect on greenhouse gas emissions.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format