Lesson Overview 

This lesson is aimed at giving students a foundation and background knowledge about renewable and alternative energy sources for addressing energy issues. These issues include but are not limited to the following: Energy management and appropriate technologies in general.The lesson is more focused towards Solar energy technologies and its related applications in our daily lives as a renewable and alternative source of energy. These numerous applications of Solar technology in areas such as Telecommunications in particular and remote area street lighting will be very interesting for the students. The lesson highly promotes group work and the use of computers in the search for answers to a number of questions.

Student Characteristics 
 

This lesson is designed for first year (freshmen) college students in the Physical Sciences to serve primarily as an introductory and foundation class. Concepts and facts acquired in this lesson will later be of greater use in subsequent or later Energy studies. Students at this level are expected to be familiar with the concept of energy, its various forms and transformations from one form to another. The students are also expected to have skills and knowledge in using the internet to search and acquire information. 

Learning Objectives 

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to do atleast one of the following:

• Distinguish between renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
• State atleast five renewable alternative energy sources
• Atleast five applications of Solar energy technology.
• Atleast five advantages of using Solar energy technology compared to other renewable energy technologies.
• Make a decision on what energy technology is most appropriate in a given situation.

The duration of the lesson is estimated to last atleast an hour with the available and necessary resources ,especially PC's (atleast 10).

Resources and Materials

Students will be required to use the web quest and the resource links included on it to access the information required for the lesson. A handout copy of the web quest can also be printed and distributed to the students prior to the beginning of the lesson, if necessary.

Activities and Procedures
 

• Students should Work in groups of four or five and appoint a group leader who is responsible for coordinating the group activities and also monitoring the progress of tasks given to each individual group member. 
• Each group member use the internet and given resource links to identify atleast  three different  alternative and renewable energy sources and their appropriate technological applications. This should last for atmost 20 minutes. 
• Each member should then spend atmost 10 minutes reading about Solar energy technology and some of its applications. Members should then regroup and put their ideas and findings together, avoiding duplications and this should last atmost 10 minutes. 
• Each group should then make a list of the following: (1) Five alternative renewable energy sources, (2) Five advantages of using Solar energy technology in comparison to any (just one) other alternative renewable energy source and (3) Five applications of Solar technology (with very brief explanations) . This should take atmost 10 minutes. 
• The group leader is then responsible for submitting their group report at the end of the lesson. 

One of the implicit objectives of this lesson is to promote group research work among students. The final grades should be awarded based on the group performance in relation to meeting the requirements stated in the learning objectives above. The evaluation will be based on the following Rubric:

Sample Student Product 
 
 

List of Five Renewable Alternative Energy Sources Solar energy Wind energy Hydropower Geothermal Biomass energy Ocean/Tidal energy

Solar Technology Applications Most calculators and wrist watches: Here, radiant energy is converted into electricty through photocells and these are used to supply the electric current necessary to  power the calculator or wrist watch and also , in most cases there are also battery backups in such circuits. Telecommunications: This is one of the most common and extensive use of solar energy technology to serve as recharging power systems to backup batteries that work with current inverters that produce AC power for other appliances and repeater stations in particular. Street Lighting in Remote areas: This is very common in some developing countries where often the main electric power source or sources are very far away from most rural communities. Solar panels are used to recharge batteries during the day which are in turn used at night for street lighting. Solar Water Pumping: Here also, Solar panels are connected to batteries which in turn operate electric water pumps for domestic consumption in most cases. Solar Heating: Radiant energy from the sun is trapped to heat materials sometimes directly or indirectly for various purposes.

Advantages of Using Solar Technology compared to other alternative Energy Sources. It is most often cheaper. It does not pollute the atmosphere. It is noiseless compared to conventional generators used for power supplies. It can serve both as a direct power supply source or as a backup to other power supplies. It can be used or operated in the most remote areas where maybe generators can not be installed immediately, as long as there is some sunlight or radiation.

Credits & References 
USDOE:
Template used: 
Alternative Energy Systems Company
Renner, Joel - DOE