| Outcome/accomplishment:
A series of videos from The Science House at North Carolina State University
(NCSU) profile some of the work of the Future Renewable Electric Energy
Delivery and Management (FREEDM) Systems Center, which seeks to revolutionize
the nation’s power grid and adapt renewable energy technologies to widespread
home and commercial use. FREEDM, an NSF-funded Engineering Research Center
(ERC), is headquartered at NCSU.
Impact/benefits:
The next-generation energy grid will need bright minds to provide leadership
in a variety of disciplines: engineering, business, policy making and others.
By highlighting the work of FREEDM and explaining energy concepts in general,
this series presents energy as a viable and attractive avenue of study
for the pre-college students to whom it is geared.
Explanation/ background:
The three videos (available at http://www.science-house.org/freedm/videos.html)
provide a high-level overview of the mission and purpose of FREEDM. Produced
so they can be understood by young or casual viewers, they're specifically
designed as outreach tools for students in grades 6-12, serving to introduce
youth to energy concepts in the classroom.
The series is organized into
three segments of four to five minutes each: "What is FREEDM?" provides
an overview of the work performed at the ERC and its importance to the
evolution of the power grid. "Who is FREEDM?" puts a human face on the
work going on at the center, prominently featuring the Center’s graduate
students, Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) students, and pre-college
(Young Scholars) students. "Why FREEDM" explains the importance of using
alternative energy sources to generate electricity, along with innovative
ways to store it. |
