D. Physics: Principles and Applications of Electricity · Electricity: Charges, Circuits and Energy

Emerging Technologies, Conservation and a Plan of Action

D1.3 D1.4 D1.2 A2.2 A2.4About 75 minutes

Learning goals

I can analyse the social, environmental and economic impacts of emerging technologies for producing, using, storing and conserving electrical energy.
I can describe practical energy-conservation strategies and estimate how much energy they save.
I can develop a plan of action to address a local electrical energy issue.
I can describe sustainable practices for producing and using electrical energy.

Words to know

energy conservation
Using less energy, by changing habits or using more efficient technology.

sustainable
Meeting today's needs without harming the ability of future generations to meet theirs.

peak demand
The times of day when the most electrical energy is being used across the grid.

energy storage
Technology that stores energy when it is plentiful and releases it as electrical energy when it is needed, such as large batteries.

smart meter
A meter that records how much electrical energy a home uses each hour, which allows prices that change with the time of day.

standby (phantom) load
Electrical energy used by devices that are switched 'off' but still plugged in.

small modular reactor (SMR)
A nuclear reactor that is much smaller than a traditional one and is designed to be built from factory-made parts.

heat pump
A device that uses electrical energy to move thermal energy into a building in winter (and out in summer), instead of making heat by burning fuel.

The cheapest energy is the energy you don't use

In the last lesson, you saw that every way of producing electrical energy has benefits and challenges. One way to reduce all of the challenges at once is to use less energy for the same result. Another is to use new technologies that make the grid cleaner and smarter. Today you will analyse some emerging technologies, learn conservation strategies, and write your own plan of action.

Emerging technologies

Large-scale batteries. Ontario is adding battery storage to its grid. Batteries can charge when demand is low (for example overnight, or when it is windy) and release energy at peak times.
Smart meters and time-of-use pricing. Ontario homes have smart meters, and customers can choose price plans in which electricity costs less at off-peak times. This encourages people to shift tasks like laundry to off-peak hours.
Smart thermostats and AI forecasting. Computer programs, including AI systems, can predict demand and wind and solar output, and adjust heating, cooling or charging automatically.
Electric vehicles (EVs) and heat pumps replace fuels burned in cars and furnaces with electrical energy. They lower emissions when the electricity is low-emission, but they increase the demand on the grid.
Small modular reactors (SMRs). Ontario Power Generation is building SMRs at its Darlington site, designed to provide steady, low-emission electrical energy.

An illustration (not real data) of how demand can change over a winter weekday: low overnight, higher in the morning, and highest in the evening. Storage can charge when demand is low and help supply the peak, so fewer gas stations need to start up.

Emerging technology	Social	Environmental	Economic
Grid batteries	More reliable power during peaks and outages	Help use more wind and solar; but battery materials must be mined and later recycled	High building cost; can reduce the need for new peak stations
Electric vehicles	Quieter streets, cleaner air in cities	No tailpipe emissions; battery mining has impacts on land and communities where minerals are mined	Lower fuel and maintenance costs; new jobs in battery and vehicle factories in Ontario; higher purchase price
Heat pumps	Comfortable heating and cooling	Lower emissions than burning fuel for heat when electricity is low-emission	Higher installation cost; lower operating cost in many homes
Small modular reactors	Skilled jobs; some communities may have safety concerns	Low emissions while running; produce radioactive waste	Very high up-front costs; long-term steady supply
Smart meters and AI forecasting	Help people see and manage their use; privacy concerns about detailed data	Less waste; easier to fit in renewables	Savings from shifting use to off-peak times

Analysing emerging technologies: each has social, environmental and economic impacts, both positive and negative.

Conservation strategies

Replace incandescent bulbs with LEDs.
Turn off lights and devices, and use a power bar with a switch to stop standby (phantom) loads.
Choose ENERGY STAR appliances and compare EnerGuide ratings.
Shift energy-heavy tasks (dishwasher, laundry) to off-peak times.
Wash clothes in cold water; use a clothesline in summer.
Seal drafts and use a programmable or smart thermostat if the home is heated electrically.

Conservation saves money, reduces the need for new generating stations, and lowers emissions when the electricity would have come from natural gas.

Worked example

Example 1: How big is a phantom load?

A household has a TV, a game console, a sound bar and a microwave that together draw 12 W on standby, 24 hours a day. How much energy do they use in a year? What is the cost at 10¢/kWh?

Energy per year = 0.012 kW × 24 h × 365 days
= 0.012 × 8760 = 105.12 kWh
Cost = 105 kWh × 10¢ ≈ 1051¢

About 105 kWh a year, costing about $10.51, for devices that are "off". Across millions of homes, phantom loads add up to a lot of energy.

Worked example

Example 2: A SMART goal

Turn this goal into a SMART goal (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound): "Our class will save electricity."

Specific: what will change? Classroom lights and computers.
Measurable: how will we know? Count lights left on at lunch and at 3:30 p.m., and the number of computers left on overnight.
Achievable and Relevant: students can switch them off; it reduces energy waste at school.
Time-bound: over the next 4 weeks.

"Over the next 4 weeks, our class will cut the number of lights and computers left on at lunch and after school by 75% compared with this week's baseline count, using reminder signs and a daily student monitor."

The steps of a plan of action. After reflecting and sharing results, you can set a new goal and go around again.

What makes a strong plan of action

It is based on data, measured before (baseline) and after.
It names who does what and when.
It includes at least one conservation strategy and estimates the energy saved (in kWh).
It considers who is affected and is fair to them.
It ends with sharing the results to encourage others (advocacy): a poster, a presentation to the principal, or a letter to a local councillor.

Hands-on activity

Phantom load hunt and household plan of action

You need: paper, a calculator, and (optional) a plug-in electricity usage meter if your family or public library has one.

Walk through your home and list every device that is plugged in and shows a light, clock or display when "off" (TV, console, microwave, chargers, printer).
If you have a usage meter, measure each device's standby power in watts. If not, use 2 W per device as a rough estimate.
Calculate the yearly standby energy: total W ÷ 1000 × 8760 h.
Write a plan of action using the six steps: the issue, your baseline data, a SMART goal, strategies (for example, a switched power bar for the TV area), how you will measure, and how you will share your results.
Carry out your plan for two weeks and report the estimated kWh saved.

Model answer: 8 devices × 2 W = 16 W; 0.016 × 8760 ≈ 140 kWh per year. Plan: put the TV, console and sound bar on one switched power bar and switch it off whenever no one is using them (about 20 h a day); unplug chargers when not in use. Estimated saving from the power bar alone: 3 × 2 W = 6 W; 0.006 kW × 20 h × 365 days ≈ 44 kWh per year.

Safety (grown-up note): Ask before unplugging anything (some devices, such as routers, fridges and medical equipment, must stay on). Do not overload power bars, and never pull a plug out by the cord.

Just for fun

Devices that quietly sip electrical energy all night while they are "off" are sometimes called vampire loads. Garlic will not stop them, but the switch on a power bar will.

Your turn

How do grid-scale batteries help when more wind and solar are added?

Give one positive and one negative impact of electric vehicles.

What is a standby (phantom) load? Give one way to reduce it.

Why does time-of-use pricing encourage people to run the dishwasher at night?

A 5 W device is left on standby all year. How many kWh does it use?

List the six steps of a plan of action.

More practice: warm-up

What does SMART stand for in a SMART goal?

Name two conservation strategies for a home.

What is peak demand?

What does a smart meter record?

What does SMR stand for?

More practice: on your own

A school has 400 fluorescent tubes rated 32 W each, on 10 h/day for 190 school days. It replaces them with 15 W LED tubes. Estimate the yearly energy saving in kWh.

Why might heat pumps increase demand on Ontario's grid in winter, even though they are efficient?

Analyse one social, one environmental and one economic impact of using AI to forecast electricity demand.

Your goal: reduce your family's laundry energy. Suggest two strategies and how you would measure the result.

Explain why conservation is considered a sustainable practice.

Challenge

Write a complete plan of action for a local issue: "Our school's lights and computers are often left on after 4 p.m." Include all six steps.

A town is deciding whether to build a large battery storage facility. Give a balanced analysis (social, environmental, economic) and a recommendation.

If every one of 5 million Ontario homes cut standby loads by 5 W, how much energy would be saved in a year, in kWh and in GWh (1 GWh = 1 000 000 kWh)?

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which is an example of energy conservation?

How do grid batteries help a grid with lots of wind and solar?

Which is a negative environmental impact linked to electric vehicles?

A 10 W device on standby all year (8760 h) uses:

Which goal is a SMART goal?

Why does time-of-use pricing help the grid?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: This lesson covers D1.3 (develop a plan of action with energy-conservation strategies), D1.4 (analyse the impacts of emerging technologies for producing, using, storing and conserving electrical energy) and adds to D1.2 (sustainable practices and impacts on communities). It also connects to A2.2 (innovations and emerging technologies, including AI).

Common difficulties:

Vague plans. Help your teen make the goal measurable and collect a baseline first.
One-sided analysis. New technologies have trade-offs too (for example, EV batteries need mined minerals).
kWh math: W ÷ 1000 × hours.

How to help: Do the phantom-load hunt together and agree on one change for the household. Check what must stay plugged in (fridge, router, medical devices) before unplugging anything.