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Energy Notes from the Bike Shop

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Energy Notes from the Bike Shop

Use a field journal to trace energy to natural resources and consider environmental effects.

Read the field journal

Read the field journal from Rowan's community bike shop. Use the records to answer the questions.

Rowan's Field Journal

11. Rowan kept notes while helping at a community bike shop. The shop charged repair tools and loaner bike batteries with 12 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity each day. A rooftop solar array supplied some electricity. The rest came from the town's utility. The utility's electricity was made by burning natural gas at a power plant.

22. The shop also burned propane in a heater on cool mornings. Natural gas and propane formed from ancient organisms and take extremely long times to form. Sunlight is a renewable natural resource because nature supplies it again and again. Solar panels change energy from sunlight into electricity. While the panels are operating, they do not burn fuel.

33. Burning natural gas or propane releases air pollutants and greenhouse gases. Getting these fuels from underground can disturb land and water. Solar panels avoid burning fuel while they operate, but making, transporting, and installing panels uses materials and energy. Rowan noted that the panels were placed on the shop's existing roof, so workers did not clear a new field.

44. Rowan's electricity records are below. The shop needed 12 kWh each day. The propane column records fuel used by the heater.

5Journal table: Day | Solar electricity (kWh) | Utility electricity (kWh) | Propane (gallons) Monday, sunny | 8 | 4 | 2 Tuesday, cloudy | 3 | 9 | 3 Wednesday, sunny | 7 | 5 | 2 Thursday, rainy | 2 | 10 | 4 Friday, sunny | 9 | 3 | 1

1.
Which path traces the energy in the utility electricity used by the shop?
Question 1 options
2.

How many kWh of solar electricity did the shop receive during the five days? kWh

3.
Which day had the greatest amount of solar electricity?
Question 3 options
4.
Select the TWO observations that support the idea that solar electricity can replace some utility electricity when the shop needs the same total amount.

Reason from the records

Use the journal evidence to compare energy resources and make predictions.

5.

How many kWh came from the utility during the five days? kWh

6.
On another rainy day, the panels produce 2 kWh and the shop still needs 12 kWh. What is the most likely amount the utility supplies?
Question 6 options
7.
Sort each natural resource by how nature replaces its supply.
8.
Which statement best explains one environmental difference between the shop's rooftop solar electricity and its utility electricity?
Question 8 options
9.
The shop wants more solar electricity. Which plan uses Rowan's evidence to reduce a possible effect on habitat?
Question 9 options
10.
What does the journal support about the shop's sunny days?
Question 10 options

Evaluate an energy plan

Use data and information from the journal to judge plans and explain your thinking.

11.

On a day when the shop needs 10 kWh, the panels supply 7 kWh. How many kWh would the utility need to supply? kWh

12.
Which additional evidence would best help the shop compare the environmental effects of rooftop solar with utility electricity over a year?
Question 12 options
13.
Select the TWO choices that would directly reduce the shop's use of fossil-fuel energy, while keeping the same repair work.

14.
The shop wants to use less energy from burning fossil fuels and avoid clearing habitat. Make a recommendation using the journal. Include at least two numbers from the table and explain one environmental effect.