Green Science Fair Projects - Creative Ideas For Environmentally Oriented Projects

Here are many ideas for science fair projects that arecountries.
geared toward environmental awareness, renewableGreen Rooftops - Build a green rooftop and
energy and sustainable living.demonstrate the value in food/plant production and
Wind Energy Demonstration - Build a wind tower withenergy savings.
small electric motor which generates power to doWaste Biomass to Energy - Research and conduct a
work or charge a battery. Use an external fan or hairsurvey of local agricultural or industrial processes that
dryer to simulate wind. Supply supporting informationgenerate unused biomass that could be diverted to
from major wind energy manufacturers.energy production through burning or ethanol
Renewables Survey - Conduct a study on the bestproduction. Contact the waste stream generators and
renewable energy sources to use in your area, andinterview to understand their issues and the status of
identify the opportunities and challenges tobiomass reuse.
implementing such a plan. Interview providers, agencies,Cellulosic Ethanol - Demonstrate the process and
landowners.effectiveness of various process or substances used
Hydrogen Generation - Build a solar powered waterto break down cellulose to fermentables for ethanol
hydrolyzer. Use a solar cell to split water into Hydrogenproduction. Ferment a control and various experimental
and Oxygen. Supporting information would describesettings and compare the quantity of ethanol
the Hydrogen Economy and fuel cell powered devices.produced.
Hydroelectric Power - Build a hydroelectric generator.Clean Water - Measure the water quality of various
Small scale to have falling water turn a turbine whichwater sources such as ponds, lakes and streams.
generates electricity. Research and document theNote the quality variations of several samples from the
environmental tradeoffs of hydropower.same source over time and from various locations,
Biodiesel - Create biodiesel from discarded fryer oil.such as upstream and downstream of an industrial
Show the reactions and the issues around usingsite.
biodiesel in conventional diesel vehicles. Research newLandfill Gas Power - Demonstrate the generation of
developments in biodiesel generation.energy from landfill gases. Build a sealed landfill with
Concentrated Solar Power - Create a working modelorganic material. Capture and show the methane
of a concentrated solar power (CSP) station. Discussgenerated and describe applications of landfill gas used
hot fluid flow and storage, load leveling.to produce electricity.
Composting - Perform an analysis of various wasteAnimal Waste Power. Demonstrate the generation of
streams to understand the potential reduction fromenergy from animal waste. Similar to above but a little
composting (cafeteria, home, restaurant, etc.).higher on the "gross" scale! Gather statistics on total
Supporting evidence on uses of compost or organicmass of beef, pork and poultry waste generated in
matter in biofuels.your country in one year and calculate the potential
Cheapest / Greenest Batteries - Calculate the lifeMWh per year of electricity which could be generated.
cycle cost of various types of batteries in typicalConvert to currency.
applications. For example, how many alkaline,Automobile Mileage Studies. Measure the impact of
rechargable NiMH or Lithium AA would be required tovarious mileage improvement strategies. It helps to
operate a digital point-and-shoot for 1 hour per day forhave a vehicle with a reliable instantaneous MPG
1 year. Calculate the extended cost per year andcalculator. Maintain strict controls on ambient
measure the landfill and toxic metal contribution intemperature, warmup, elevation change, wind and
addition to the total cost. Will require calculating life ofother nonvariables, and vary tire pressure, acceleration
various battery types in various applications.rate, vehicle speed, total vehicle weight and other
Energy Audits - Create and execute an energy auditfactors. Run multiple nonsequential trials for each and
in various settings and attempt to measure the impactshow variability within and across variable groups.
of various changes. Obtain electric bills or other usageMake conclusions on effectiveness of each variable.
metrics and do before/after data analysis. Focus onPredict a target MPG from the combination of several
specific areas such as compact fluorescent (CF)factors and then experiment to see how close the
lighting or setback thermostats.actual values came to your predictions.
Smart Power Strips - Some devices are sold that willElectric Vehicle Charging Station. Design a solar
measure electricity consumption on specific outlets.powered electric car recharging station. Using current
Consider using them to calculate the effectiveness ofequipment specifications, calculate how large the
smart power strips, and calculate the payback periodstation would need to be to recharge a current
of a strip compared to the annual electricity usageproduction electric vehicle. Estimate the cost of
avoided.construction and years of operation to calculate cost
Carbon Footprint - Calculate the carbon footprint ofper kWh and compare to conventionally-purchased
various people you know. Suggest ways for them toelectricity.
lower their footprint. Explain the concept and compareThese are just a few ideas for combining Green with
footprints of your users to those in various placesyour next Science Fair project. Do Well!