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Renewable Energy Investigations: Exploring the Energy Production Impact in Your Community

By Vernier Science Education

As the clean energy industry—especially wind power—grows rapidly, engineering,  environmental science, and CTE classrooms have an exciting opportunity to explore real-world science concepts that impact both our environment and society. Teaching the science behind renewable energy isn’t only about preparing students for future careers; it’s also a pathway to understanding environmental equity and how energy infrastructure affects communities differently.

In the project outlined here, students investigate energy production in their local communities and use KidWind Wind Experiment Kits to design, build, test, and optimize wind turbines. They’ll learn how engineering choices affect energy output while developing applied skills in problem-solving, solutions design, and testing—key components of the engineering design process and three-dimensional learning. With this approach, students gain a deeper understanding of the connections between energy production and environmental justice.

How Does Energy Production Impact Your Community?

Generating electricity in fossil fuel-fired power plants (primarily coal and natural gas) produces sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), carbon dioxide (CO2), and an array of other pollutants that are released into the atmosphere each year. These emissions contribute not only to climate change but also to ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter (PM), which can cause respiratory and cardiovascular issues along with other health challenges.

To introduce this concept, start by exploring how electricity is generated locally. Begin with a news story, community project, or reputable video to illustrate the specific impacts of energy production on nearby populations.

Resource Ideas

Exploring Local Connections with the EPA Mapping Tool

An interactive resource like the EPA’s Power Plants and Neighboring Communities Mapping Tool can help students make more meaningful, real-world connections between energy production and everyday life. Using different filters and displays, students can explore data on current fossil fuel power plants, emissions, and the populations most affected by them.

ArcGIS Power Plants and Neighboring Communities Mapping Tool
Socioeconomic data about nearby fossil fuel power plants can be used as a general indicator of a community’s potential susceptibility to environmental exposures such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, and other emissions.
  • Start with a question: What does energy production look like in our community?
  • Investigate nearby facilities: The tool allows students to locate power plants near their homes or school, sparking discussions on burning fossil fuels and its impact on air quality.
  • Examine community demographics: Students can see how different populations—based on factors like race, income, and education level—experience different environmental impacts. This visual data encourages students to think critically about the link between location, health, and energy infrastructure.

Designing Solutions to Real-World Problems with
KidWind Turbines

Blade Variables and Power Output

Experiment #10 from Renewable Energy with Vernier

With a clear understanding of why energy production matters, students can begin to ask questions, define problems, and plan and carry out investigations into renewable energy design. In this experiment, students explore how wind turbine blade variables—such as length, angle, and shape—affect energy output, analyzing current and voltage data to optimize their designs. Whether used as a single-class investigation or as part of a culminating engineering project, this investigation can be tailored to different student levels, time constraints, and classroom resources.

Materials Needed

Experiment Setup: Connect the wind turbine to the Energy Sensor’s source terminals and the Variable Load to the external load terminals. Attach blades according to your test plan.

1. Identify the Variables of Wind Turbine Design

Wind turbines rely on blade design to capture kinetic energy from the wind and convert it into electrical power. For engineers, achieving efficient blade design means balancing various factors—such as shape, material, pitch, and number of blades. When designing blades, engineers try to develop prototypes that extract as much energy from the wind as possible throughout a range of wind speeds. Engineers must also consider durability and affordability when selecting production materials for the blades.

Start with a brainstorming session: How have turbine designs evolved? What shared characteristics do they have?
What variables are different? Do different designs serve different purposes?

Blade Design Variables to Explore

  • Length
  • Number of blades
  • Pitch
  • Shape
  • Width
  • Blade material

We suggest starting the experiment with a brainstorming session. Record students’ ideas and have the groups pick different variables to explore in their projects (or assign them)—this way, as a class, you will cover a wide variety of variables.

2. Test, Record Data, and Optimize

As students explore different variables, they should develop a strategic plan for their investigation. Tracking data for one variable at a time in a table like the one above ensures clear results, helping to identify the most effective design choices for optimization.

3. Consider Alternative Materials

The KidWind Advanced Wind Experiment Kit (Classroom Pack) includes all the materials students need for the basic blade design experiment for up to eight lab groups, including cuttable chipboard sheets, wooden dowels, pitch protractors, hubs, and three towers and turbine nacelles.  

For more advanced students, introduce additional materials, such as recycled cardboard, plastic, or fabric; biomimicry materials like feathers; or even blades they 3D-print if they have resources. One KidWind Nationals Challenge team even used whale baleen! This flexibility allows students to discover how materials play a role in both energy capture and design durability.

4. Add Constraints for Creativity

For advanced projects, consider adding constraints engineers might face in the real world, like budget restrictions. Examples include:

  • Budget limitations to encourage innovative material use
  • Size constraints on the turbine or blades
  • Target output goals to challenge students’ design optimization skills

Looking for More of a Challenge?

Challenge students to collaborate on a more comprehensive wind energy solution! Experiment 15, “Maximum Energy Output,” guides groups through a multi-period project to develop a wind turbine prototype that maximizes energy output across various wind speeds. By focusing on requirements like wind tracking and durability, students create functional models that meet real-world design constraints.

This project can also lead to participation in local, regional, or national KidWind Challenges, providing an exciting opportunity for students to showcase their work outside of the classroom!

Explore all of our KidWind products! Questions? We’re always here to help. Reach out to kidwind@vernier.com, call 888‑837‑6437, or drop us a line in the live chat!

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