Powering Los Alamos With Solar or Wind Energy

Team: 17

School: Aspen Elementary

Area of Science: Environmental

Interim: Team Number: 017
School Name: Aspen Elementary School
Area of Science: Environmental
Project Title: Powering Los Alamos With Solar or Wind Energy




Problem Definition:
Wind energy or solar energy: Which one is better for Los Alamos? The question we are asking here is has to do with environmental preservation. If the people in the world would consider alternate sources of energy to natural gas and electricity the energy crises would gradually diminish. Los Alamos, being a small town, of 18,500 people uses great quantities of energy. Imagine if all that was alternative energy! If the energy in Los Alamos was solar or wind energy, the traditional energy that was saved could be used in another place of need or could be stored and put to use in an effective way. This would be one of the small steps needed to change the earth for the better and walk into the future with confidence. Wind energy and solar energy are renewable resources. Our simulation will show how these resources can be used instead of those that are not renewable.



Problem Solution:
We are trying to compare and contrast data that would prove the best alternate energy source for Los Alamos. Our computer simulation has various agents. Each agent is doing the parts described in our Progress to Date segment. This process continues until simulation is shut off. Based on the activity of the agents, our simulation will help us determine which alternate source of energy will be best for powering Los Alamos.


Progress to date:
Presently, our simulation is running with various agents. The main agents represent solar energy and wind energy. We also have an agent(Variable on/off) that turns on the wind and solar energy agents when it collides. The reason we have this agent is because the wind is not always blowing and the sun is not always shining. If the wind energy agent turns on it will rotate and turn turquoise. If the solar energy agent turns on it will slide back and forth and turn yellow. The opposite will happen if a separate agent( variable on/off 2) with specified percent chance collides with an energy agent. We are using Star logo TNG, and it is working very well. There is a terrain in which models Los Alamos and the wind mills and solar plants are randomly placed. There is a specified percent chance that they will be on or off when scattered.




Expected Results:
We expect to enter Los Alamos’ energy information on solar and wind potentialities into our simulations. The challenge we are having is finding accurate data. Another thing we hope to accomplish is to make variable on/off and variable on/off 2 hidden agents. That is one of our last priorities. For now we are going to focus on getting Los Alamos’ information on alternate energy. We hope to continue to find information and improve our progressing project.


Team Members:
Rachel Wallstrom
and
Emma Martens

Sponsoring Teacher:
Zeynep Unal


References:
Santa Fe Complex Volunteers
Putting the Sun to Work by Jeanne Bendick
Sun Power Facts About Solar Energy

Team Members:

  Rachel Wallstrom
  Emily Martens

Sponsoring Teacher: Zeynep Unal

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