Young scientists explore wind power!

Dozens of young scientists and their families built wind-turbine pinwheels at IEI's display center on Saturday, part of Maui Electric's Energy Fair.  These students were able to use their own pinwheel designs to harness energy from the wind!

Asia experiences IEI!

Our IEI team shared methods during a pilot project in Bangkok, and our Thai students love learning.

Harnessing the sun?

What variables affect the power we can take from sunlight with PV panels in series?  In parallel?  Our teachers learn for themselves (as scientists do) during our Oahu workshop on June 26-27.

Maui Teachers Modify Their Experiments

What variable will you choose to test?  Does your new data support our  hypothesis?  Teachers modify experiments to test variables and defend their results...

Tell your teaching friends: IEI workshops this summer!

Aloha all, please let your teaching friends know that we'll be offering full, 2-day Island Energy Inquiry workshops on Maui and Oahu over the summer break.  Please have a look at the flier, and get in touch with Denissa 808.270.6805 or Graham 808.270.6804. 

Compete, thanks to KidWind!

Our alert IEI teacher Carmen noticed an international competition that KidWind is sponsoring:

http://challenge.kidwind.org/online

Your students can form a team and send in their results for a KidWind turbine they design.  Carmen's team, "Team Gold" have entered next month's competition already.  Good luck!

A first light for the globe?

Our friend Charles Wang of Hawaii ECO Project has shared with us a working prototype of Panasonic's LED Lantern.  This self-contained system will use sunlight to directly charge a high-tech battery--storing enough energy for five hours of bright light or twenty at a reduced-light setting.  Many humans on our globe have never owned a light bulb, and this would be an amazing way for them to enjoy their first light!

 

An Energy Poem from Waiupahu!

Our IEI teacher Kathy Duhaylongsod of Waipahu Elementary sent us this poem from her 5th graders.  Clever teacher!

Energy Here, Energy There

Energy here, energy there,

Energy, energy everywhere!

Wind can transfer energy just fine,

All you need is a wind turbine!

A turbine needs some wind to move,

And turn those blades, oh-so-smooth!

Like our pinwheel lifting some clips,

Turbines make electricity in a zip!

Energy here, energy there,

Energy, energy everywhere!

On Maui: What renewable energies are leading?

http://hightechmaui.com/maui-county-continues-to-lead-the-way-in-renewable-energy/  This link will take you to the latest data on important renewable energies on Maui.  Solar?  Wind?  Geo?  These and many more are clearly described and quantified by MEDB's High Tech Maui group. 

Solar oven--Can you fry an egg?

http://www.billnye.com/so-hot-you-could-fry-an-egg/

Here's a link to a Bill Nye site that gives tips on how to fry an egg using your solar oven.   You'll need to get to about 55 Celsius or 130 Fahrenheit.  It's fun!  Show your students?

Social media in seven minutes: Share with students

Here's a link showing how critical skills in social media have become.  Give it a look and share with your students; this is the world we can help them prepare to enter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mid8p4A6Eg&feature=youtu.be

Sun, and wind!

We had a sunny day to visit Kawailoa Wind Farm with our friends from First Wind, Adam Young and Carolyn Unser.  Sun, wind, great views, and amazing technology!

Our visiting teachers on Oahu will have a lot to share with their students.  Newest blade designs minimize sound and boost performance.  These are 2 . 3 megawatt (million watt) turbines!

Losing our marbles?

Teachers in our Oahu IEI refresher course used marbles to simulate electricity flowing through a Smart Grid.  What happens to the flow of marbles from a wind farm when there's a lull?  Or the flow from PV panels when a cloud appears?  Will all the customers receive their marbles?  Who gains, and who loses?  Thanks for help from Hawaiian Electric's Sam Nichols and Cybil Rawlins.