No Electricity? No Problem!

The goals of this project are:

1. To design an electricity-free home.
2. To build a scale model of the design.

Research Questions:

• How do people heat and light their homes without electricity?
• How do you use washing machines and computers in homes without electricity?
• What do people do for entertainment in electricity-free homes?
• How do people cook or refrigerate food in electricity-free homes?

The electric power bill may be expensive, but we can't live without electricity. Or can we? This project calls for you to design a comfortable, fully functional electricity-free home.

Materials:

• Computer with Internet access
• Color printer
• Digital camera
• Typical office/hobby/hardware/craft supplies (paper, poster board, glue, etc.).

Experimental Procedure:

1. Carefully study the related literature (see bibliography below).
2. Address all of the terms and research questions mentioned here.
3. Search and print out interesting images relevant to your topic.
4. Take interesting photos throughout the course of the experiment.
5. Design a livable home without electricity. Consider necessities, comforts and entertainment.
6. Build a scale model of your design.
7. Explain and illustrate your design in a detailed report.
8. Include graphics, charts, diagrams and models in your science fair display. 

Terms/Concepts: Alternative energy sources; Eco-Village; Solar paneling

References:

• http://www.ehow.com/how_4444103_heat-light-house-electricity.html  (Alternative energy sources)
• http://www.watersheds.org/education/gstudent.htm (An award-winning high school essay on living without electricity)
• http://small-scale.net/yearofmud/2009/08/25/life-in-a-cob-house-without-electricity/ (descriptive story of an electricity-free home)
• http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/evangelista73.html (How to live without electricity)
• Internet searches of your choosing.  Search words or terms listed here, or make up your own phrases.  Click on any results you find interesting.  Have fun surfing the net!