Energy and Economics Energy and Economics SimulationSimulation

Computer App Session 8Computer App Session 8

Energy and Economics SimulationEnergy and Economics Simulation

Learning Objectives:Learning Objectives:

•I can research information on the I can research information on the web to be used in a simulation.web to be used in a simulation.•I will create a simulation that has I will create a simulation that has money in its model.money in its model.

What are some simulation What are some simulation games that use money?games that use money?

• FarmvilleFarmville• SIMS gamesSIMS games• Zoo TycoonZoo Tycoon• Rollercoaster TycoonRollercoaster TycoonExplain how money is used in Explain how money is used in

these games.these games.

Your turn:Your turn:• Go to:

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/50128898/• Click “see inside”• Click “remix”

Energy and Money Energy and Money SimulationSimulation

• This is a simple simulation that This is a simple simulation that allows you to build coal plants allows you to build coal plants and wind farms and then you get and wind farms and then you get to see how much energy and to see how much energy and carbon dioxide (COcarbon dioxide (CO22) they ) they produce.produce.

Notice that:Notice that:• Energy is in megawatts, money Energy is in megawatts, money

is in million US dollars, and COis in million US dollars, and CO22 is in billion pounds.is in billion pounds.

• Every second, 0.1 years passes. Every second, 0.1 years passes. You have 5 years to get as much You have 5 years to get as much energy as you can.energy as you can.

• Hold your mouse over part of the screen and type Hold your mouse over part of the screen and type “W”. This buys a wind farm and puts it at that “W”. This buys a wind farm and puts it at that location. Your money goes down a little and you location. Your money goes down a little and you start producing energy. You are not producing COstart producing energy. You are not producing CO22..

• Hold your mouse over part of the screen and type Hold your mouse over part of the screen and type “C”. This buys a coal plant and puts it at that “C”. This buys a coal plant and puts it at that location. Your money goes down a lot and you start location. Your money goes down a lot and you start producing a lot of energy. You start producing COproducing a lot of energy. You start producing CO22..

• As you produce energy, you get more money to As you produce energy, you get more money to spend on wind farms and coal plants.spend on wind farms and coal plants.

Let’s Analyze the Let’s Analyze the SimulationSimulation

• Note that the script for the coal Note that the script for the coal plant is very simple: plant is very simple: when I start when I start as a clone, go to the mouse as a clone, go to the mouse pointer.pointer. The script for the wind The script for the wind farm is exactly the same. farm is exactly the same.

• Where is the model with all the Where is the model with all the equations?equations?

The stage is where the The stage is where the code for the model is!code for the model is!

• When the “w” is pressed, a wind When the “w” is pressed, a wind farm is created. Here is the farm is created. Here is the code:code:

When “c” is pressed, a coal plant When “c” is pressed, a coal plant is created. Here is the code:is created. Here is the code:

• It’s exactly the same as the wind It’s exactly the same as the wind farm code, except it costs 2 farm code, except it costs 2 billion dollars (2000 million) to billion dollars (2000 million) to build a coal plant.build a coal plant.

• The The otherother script script • has more equations!has more equations!

• There are also some yellow blocks. These are There are also some yellow blocks. These are comments. The computer ignores them, but comments. The computer ignores them, but they are useful to someone looking at the code. they are useful to someone looking at the code. They are being used to explain the units on the They are being used to explain the units on the variables.variables.

Add to the simulationAdd to the simulation• Add a natural gas plant to the simulation.• First, find out how much energy it produces and

how much it costs to build (search the web).• Natural gas plants produce about 3.4 million lbs

of CO2 for each megawatt generated.• So, if you are using a 625 MW plant, you will

generate about 2100 million lbs of CO2 per year.

Create a natural gas sprite

Now run the programNow run the program• Does it work?Does it work?• Save your project with today’s Save your project with today’s

date and your name and share it date and your name and share it to the class studio.to the class studio.

• Remember to turn off Remember to turn off commenting!commenting!