A guide to teaching across the curriculum about energy efficiency, energy savings and renewable energy solutions

Introduction

The guide does not aim to match the requirements of a certain curriculum, but to suit any curriculum in Europe. A set of online teaching and learning resources complements this guide in order to enable teachers to tailor the project to their own curriculum.

Teachers of various school subjects are encouraged to involve their classes in our activities and competition. The classes may have either one leading teacher or a leading team of teachers, consisting of teachers of several school subjects to teach energy efficiency, energy savings and renewable energy solutions across the curriculum. Teams may involve teachers of sciences, languages, social sciences, art and ICT. The cross-curricular approach is needed to allow students to connect energy topics to real life and create a contribution to the Web-based activity and competition.

Background information

1. Energy efficiency

By ratifying the Kyoto protocol and implementing the EU Energy Efficiency Action Plan, the European Union committed to drastically reduce both its energy consumption and its CO₂ emissions. One key target is to reduce energy consumption by 20% by the year 2020. To realise this potential for energy efficiency, Europe needs to more than double its current achievements. The political framework needs to be set accordingly and the behavioural patterns of our societies need to change, so that we use energy in the most efficient way.

Some examples of energy efficiency are listed here:

• Improved insulation in housing to reduce heat loss
• Lightweight products that reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions during transportation
• Efficient energy-using products e.g. energy-saving light bulbs.

2. Energy savings

There are many possibilities for how everybody can change their behaviour to contribute to saving energy. Some suggestions are:

• Driving slower to save fuel
• Taking a shower instead of a bath
• Avoiding leaving household appliances on standby
• Walking instead of using cars for short journeys
• Switching off lights when leaving a room
• Taking public transport.

3. Renewable energy

Renewable energy means all sources of power and energy which are always available and endless. Some examples of such sources and how their power may be converted into energy are listed below:

• Solar energy: sunlight is captured by solar panels to produce energy (heat and electricity)
• Wind energy: wind power is converted into electricity by wind turbines
• Bio-energy: energy generated by biological processes (plants and plant-derived materials; it is also called biomass energy) and converted by (specially designed) power plants into heat and electricity
• Hydropower: the power of flowing water converted by hydro-turbines into electricity
• Geothermal energy: the energy available in the middle of the earth and recovered as heat by e.g. injecting cold water.

We need to find energy solutions!

Using energy more efficiently, saving energy and promoting renewable energy has significant advantages in terms of impact on the environment and economy:

• It helps reduce global warming
• It makes us less dependent on conventional energy sources and fossil fuels
• It saves money, by making us use energy more efficiently (more for less).

Lesson suggestions

Teaching about energy efficiency, energy saving and renewable energy may have a major impact on students and a multiplier effect on their families and other members of the local community. To produce a smart outcome (text accompanied by a visual) students should get a basic knowledge of energy efficiency, energy saving actions and renewable energy; understand how they affect our lives and therefore how to convert their personal views into an outcome.

Students may start gathering some background information and then use their new knowledge to take a position on related subjects or to exchange ideas and facts with their peers. Students should be encouraged to remain open to various ideas, be active and responsive listeners.

Some of the following hints may be used to trigger students’ reactions and then to focus the discussion on the lesson’s topic:

• Introduce the concept of energy efficiency and renewable energy and discuss basic actions to save energy in school and at home
• Discuss whether these energy solutions are suitable for your own local community
• Find out how energy efficient your home, your parents or friends’ cars, your computer or other energy-using products are
• Identify energy inefficiencies in your school
• Understand what makes energy-efficient behaviour
• Identify potential renewable energy resources
• Renewable energy sources also have their pros and cons (landscape/environmental disruption) discussion item?
• Can humankind rely only on renewable energy solutions?
• Technological innovation responses to the world’s energy problems; economic, environmental and political implications in our daily lives
• What is being done to develop new energy resources?

After carrying out these preparatory discussions, students may start contributing to My Energy Train Story activity and Energy is our Future competition. For more information on how to take part please read the activity guidelines and the competition rules.

Petru Dumitru