The document discusses using renewable energy sources like wind turbines to reduce the carbon footprint of Pan-American School in Costa Rica. It provides background on Costa Rica's use of renewable energy, evaluating wind as an option for the school. Tables show the school's current electricity consumption and graphs compare Costa Rica's renewable energy production sources. The document proposes installing wind turbines in the school's future greenhouse to make it self-sufficient in electricity and reduce costs. It discusses building a vertical wind turbine from recycled materials and the benefits of wind power.

1. Elizabeth Orozco & Karen Hagen

2. Figure 1. Video on the use of wind for the production of energy.
Extracted from Energy & Environmental News. 2011.

4.  Evaluate the pros and cons of using wind as renewable energy.
 Build a vertical wind turbine through the use of some recycled materials
 Propose a solution to diminish the school's electrical consumption, by installing
the wind turbines in the school's future greenhouse to make it self-sufficient.
 Reduce the carbon footprint of Pan-American School.

5. o Humans destroying the cycle of life!
o Extreme weather phenomena
o Flooding
o Drought
o Industrial Revolution
o Golden Toad is the first species to go extinct
due to climate change
o Contributors:
o Methane
o Nitrous oxide
o Carbon dioxide
o Deforestation
o Burning fossil fuels
o Air Pollution
o Respiratory diseases, last year in Beijing
and other cities of China air reached
toxic levels.
Figure 2. Image of air pollution during the Industrial
Revolution. Extracted from World History. n.d.

6. 

7. o Burning of fossil fuels (electricity)
o These are a type of non renewable energy source→ materials extracted from Earth’s crust
which take millions of years to form
o Renewable resources→ never ending supply, quickly replaces itself
o Benefits of RE
o Clean air (burning fossil fuels cause air pollution)
o Less CO2 is released to the atmosphere, reducing global warming
Figure 3. examples of renewable forms of energy. Extracted from Azure Education. 2016.

8. o ICE reported that 98.8% of Costa Rica’s electricity
generation came from renewable sources (2015)
o Household uses 200-300 kilowatts per month.
o December and march (windy season)
o Wind farms are:
o Tejona
o Parque Santa Ana
o There has been an increase in the electrical consumption
from 2010 to 2015 of about 2.4%
o Best places (places where the wind is strong and reliable)
o Coastal Areas
o Tops of rounded hills
o Open plains and gaps in mountains
Figure 4. Tejona Wind Farm. Extracted from
Periódico La Nación. 2012.
Figure 5. Parque Santa Ana Wind Farm. Extracted
from SmartGrid Costa Rica. 2012.

9. Figure 6. Video on Costa Rica’s exclusive use of renewable
energy for 75 days. Extracted from ODN. 2015.

10. o Lately average wind speed is 40km/h
o Daily energy consumption is of 699 kW/h
o Around 3 million colones are spent in electricity each month ($6000 aprox) not a
big campus, electricity is not required 24/7
Figure 7. Pan-American School Logo.
Extracted from PAS Costa Rica. 2016. Figure 8. Pan-American School Campus.
Extracted from PAS Costa Rica. 2016.

11. Table 1.
Monthly measures of the electrical consumption at Pan-American School
Note: Measurement of the monthly energy (KWH) of last year according to the Compañía
Nacional de Fuerza de Luz (CNFL. Information taken from Pan-American School.

12. o Cheap
o Eco-friendly
o Uses little space
o Produces little or no noise
o Able to operate with minimal wind speed
o Not usually harmful for animals
o Easy to build
o Efficient
o Does not need to be placed in a high location
Figure 9. Illustrative image of wind
turbines. Extracted from PAS Costa Rica.
2016.

13. Graph No.1. Comparison of the different renewable energy
productions according to the Instituto Costarricense de
Electricidad (ICE) during 2014.
Graph No.2. Comparison of the different renewable energy productions
according to the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) during
2015.

15. o Aid the school's electrical consumption and reduce the carbon footprint in our school
through the use of renewable energy.
o Learn to build a wind turbine
o Make a greenhouse that is completely self-sufficient
Figure 10. Illustrative image of Carbon Foot
Print Elimination. Extracted from This
Adventure Called Life 2010.
Figure 11. Wind Turbine Icon. Extracted
from IconFinder. n.d.
Figure 12. Self Sufficiency illustrative
image. Extracted from Korea It Times.
2011.

16. Materials:
o Tubes
o 2 Oil tanks
o Plywood
o Metal Plates
o Strong Alternator

17. La Gran Época/AFP. (2015, December 18). Costa Rica cierra el 2015 con récord de generación eléctrica
sustentable (oficial). In La Gran Época. Retrieved from http://www.lagranepoca.com/medio-
ambiente/35459-costa-rica-cierra-el-2015-con-record-de-generacion-electrica-sustentable-oficial.html
Lizano, L. (2015, July). RENEWABLE ENERGY IN COSTA RICA. [Power Point slides].
Retrieved from Gobierno de Costa Rica.
35 Facts About Climate Change - Conserve Energy Future. (2013). Retrieved from
http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/various-climate-change-facts-php
Arias, L. (2015, November/December). Costa Rica increases wind power generation. Retrieved from
https://www.ticotimes.net/2015/11/17/costa-rica-increases-wind-power-generation
Renewable Energy in Costa Rica. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_Costa_Rica#Wind_power
Renewable Energy Background [PDF]. (1998). Canadian Government. Wind Farms in Costa Rica. (n.d.).
Retrieved from http://www.thewindpower.net/country_windfarms_en_29_costa- rica.php