2008 Bay Area Science Fair Awards

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Congratulations to Sonia Williams, Bryce Lee and Cammie Merten!

Each year the Pacific Energy Center Staff looks forward to visiting the San Francisco Bay Area Science Fair to view all the student entries and select a few that represent creative work and whose subject matter relates to energy and energy conservation.

Sophia Williams: The Cost of Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

For my project, I asked the question : Would a 3 person family living in a 1500 square foot home in Oakland, who have a moderate electricity bill, save money by investing in solar power over ten years time. I created a hypothetical family that uses 540 kWh per month from PG&E. I created a mathematical model [to determine] future electricity prices. I configured the approximate price of the solar power component. I analyzed three different scenarios to determine results. The lease expensive option was to continue buying power from PG&E. The most expensive option was to install a system that covers 100% of power needs. However, Sophia notes in her project conclusion the impact on environment of reduced energy use.

Bryce Lee: Is OFF really OFF?

The purpose of my science project was to test if common household appliances and electronics use electricity when they are “off”. I drew a few significant conclusions through this experiment. I discovered that appliances used power when they are off and I calculated how much power one would use in a year and how much that would cost. I also figured out how much carbon dioxide one would generate.

Cammie Merten: Going Green – The Battle of Two Solar Water Heaters.

I want to make the planet a better place to live in and keep it healthy. Experiment to build solar water heaters – copper vs. black vinyl tubing. Conduct two experiments to determine which material heats more efficiently and economically. My hypothesis – that the copper tubing would be more efficient and economical did not match my results.