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Solar energy is everywhere but how can we use it ? How does a solar cell work? How can we measure its efficiency and use it to power appliances we use daily? During this workshop, students get the opportunity to discover the answers to these exciting questions. They get a better understanding of the current research on solar cells and find out why different solar cell technologies exist.

During the workshop, the students learn through hands-on experiments how to:

• Produce a dye-sensitised solar cell and compete to build the most powerful one
• Calibrate the light intensity and investigate the influence of the temperature with scientific equipment
• Use lasers and LEDs to describe the basic functioning of a semi-conductor
• Put solar panels in parallel and series, reaching a target voltage and current in order to power specific items

This full-day workshop is suitable for classes ranging from 2^rd to 1^st grade (students aged 16 to 19).

Prior knowledge on the following topics can be useful for the participants: Current, voltage, power in circuits, electrons orbitals and nuclear shell model.

What is light? Why do we need sunscreen? How efficient is it for blocking damaging radiation? In this workshop, students learn more about light and wavelengths through a day-to-day application. They use modern spectroscopy equipment to explore how electromagnetic radiations work. Then, following a simple recipe, they make their own sunscreen using natural ingredients and test its efficiency against UV radiation.

During this workshop, participants get a chance to:

• Discover the principles of wave interference and experimentally measuring light maxima and minima
• Construct their own DIY spectrometer to observe absorption and emission spectra of different gas lamps
• Test their natural sunscreen and find its SPF by measuring the absorption and transmission spectra for different wavelengths

This full-day workshop is suitable for classes ranging from 3^rd to 1^st grade, meaning students aged 15 to 19.

Prior knowledge on the following topics can be useful for the participants: Basic understanding of wavelengths.

How much energy do we use? Does our lifestyle affect the amount of energy we need? Could renewable technologies provide for all energy needs in Luxembourg? During this workshop, students get to search for answers using a self-assessment process and carrying out hands-on experiments. At the end of the day, they will be able to answer these questions through their own investigations.

During this workshop, participants get a chance to:

• Calculate their daily energy need and learn to solve the energy balance problem using the data they generated
• Learn the difference between power and energy
• Assess the potential of solar, wind, biomass or human powered technologies
• Discover the land surface area that would be occupied by the above technologies to meet their energy demand
• Compare their own energy consumption to that of other people and discuss whether Luxembourg could go 100% renewable

This half-day workshop is suitable for classes ranging from 5^th to 1^st grade, meaning students aged 13 to 19.
It can be combined with two other workshops focusing on energy and sustainability (see workshops 4 and 5 below).

This workshop was developed by a team of researchers from the Department of Physics and Materials Science of the University of Luxembourg in the framework of the Energy4Life project. You can find more information about this project on the dedicated e4l website.

What is the physics behind global warming ? How is the Earth getting hotter? In this workshop, students get to learn about CO₂ as well as the albedo and greenhouse effects in the context of global warming. They discover properties of infrared radiation, learn ways to trap it and its relations to the greenhouse effect.

In this workshop, the students discover through hands-on experiments:

• Visible and infrared light
• Thermal radiation and heat capacity
• The albedo effect

This half-day workshop is suitable for classes ranging from 4^th to 1^st grade, meaning students aged 14 to 19.
It can be combined with two other workshops focusing on energy and sustainability (see workshop 3 above and 5 below).

Prior knowledge on the following topics can be useful for the participants: Basic understanding of light spectrum and wavelengths.

Everytime we charge our phone, use the oven or turn on the television, we consume energy. How does our energy demand varies over the course of a day or a year? How can we ensure to always have the energy we need when we need it? In this workshop, students learn more about power management, efficiency and energy storage. They carry out a series of experiments to discover how basic concepts in physics – such as force, work, energy and power – relate to real-life problematics.

During this workshop, participants get a chance to:

• Pump and store water to power a small turbine (converting excess energy to potential energy and then into electricity)
• Race electric cars to compare different powering methods (solar panels, batteries & capacitors)
• Investigate the most important factors for an efficient storage and consumption of energy
• Play a board game to get a glimpse of the challenges inherent to real-life energy & power management and reflect on possible solutions

This half-day workshop is suitable for classes ranging from 5^th to 1^st grade, meaning students aged 13 to 19.
It can be combined with two other workshops focusing on energy and sustainability (see workshops 3 and 4 above).

Prior knowledge on the following topics can be useful for the participants: Potential energy (from gravity), current, voltage and power in circuits.

If you would like to take a step toward sustainability, the Scienteens Lab can help you. Join one of our workshops for adults to better understand climate change and discover renewable energies in Luxembourg.

Our Sustainability4Life workshops focus on three key questions: What are the consequences of global warming? Can Luxembourg become 100% renewable? Thanks to which technologies?

They are design with a hands-on approach to foster engagement and use tangible examples from daily life. Participants take part in experiments on renewable energies (solar, wind, biomass or human powered technologies), learn about future energy networks and discuss climate change in Luxembourg. They also calculate and compare their personal energy footprint.

From a full-day of activities in our lab to several one-hour sessions in your workplace, the format is flexible to better suit your needs. Group size can also vary. We can offer these workshops in French, German, English or Luxembourgish.

Please contact our team by email (scienteens.physics[at]uni.lu) to discuss the organisation of your workshop and the different price options.

More information on this project can be found on the Energy4Life website.