Personal Energy Audit and Report

Most of the principles set forth in this environmental science course are illustrated in all aspects of lifes activities, from the personal to the planetary level. One area of critical importance is energy consumption, particularly electrical energy consumption. The fuel of choice for electricity production in the United States is coal. About two thirds of the SO ! emitted into the atmosphere is a result of burning coal in electrical power plants. The use of pollution control devices, or scrubbers, can effectively reduce the amount of SO ! emitted, but the ma"ority of power plants in the US have not been e#uipped with scrubbers. About $% percent of the incidence of acid rain in our atmosphere is attributed to these emissions. &lobal warming is also impacted by the combustion of fossil fuels to produce electricity. About one third of 'O! emissions are due to the production of electricity. 'oal produces more 'O! per energy unit than either oil or natural gas due to its carbon content. Appro(imately %.)) *g of 'O! is emitted per *ilowatt hour of energy produced. +This value will vary depending on the actual carbon content of the coal and the efficiency of the power plant., There are no pollution control devices that can convert carbon dio(ide into an environmentally harmless substance. The only way to reduce the 'O ! emissions associated with the combustion of fossil fuels is to reduce consumption. All of us have a sta*e in all levels of energy use and production, but it is certainly easier to assess our impact when e(amining personal energy habits and attitudes. -n this assignment you will e(amine your personal energy habits with regard to electricity consumption and the impacts those habits have on the environment. .aving a thorough understanding of your own systems dynamics and connections will lead to an easy transition to understanding the energy dynamics at a broader level, for e(ample, those of a regional or global system. /ositive changes that can be made effectively at an individual level can be amplified at the national level. Therefore, *eep in mind the following ideas when evaluating your home as a small part of a larger shared energy system0 1. Areas where reduced consumption will result in monetary savings +for you,. !. 'hanges on both a personal level and a household level that will be reflected in an improvement to a larger, shared system +for e(ample, reduced electricity consumption leading to reduced fuel consumption by the utilities, less air pollution, less pea* electricity consumption, and so forth,.

Analysis of Electricity Consumption

A. 2eading and 2ecording 3lectricity 'onsumption 0

2ead the electric meter at the same time every day for a 1% day period and record the values.

Ma*e daily notes on the patterns of electricity use in your household, particularly the use of large appliances.

4ote the usual settings for the air conditioner and water heater, the amount of coo*ing done, the type of lights used, the amount of laundry done, and so forth.

Also, ma*e notes on aspects of the weather that may affect heating or cooling. 5eather notes should include cloud cover and high and low temperature readings for that day. 2eport local temperature readings and thermostat settings in degrees 'elsius. An e(ample data table is provided below0

Table 10 Meter 2eadings, Observations and Usage 4otes for the period of 6666666666666 Date Meter Reading (kWh) October 11,!%17 8riday 1%<1!<17 Saturday 1%<17<17 Sunday 1%<1;<17 Monday !!)7) 77 !!)%; 1> !!9$: !7 !!999 Daily Usage (kWh) !% degree 'elsius, cloudy !!.!! degrees 'elsius !!.!! degrees 'elsius !1.11 degrees 'elsius Two loads of laundry, three hot showers, all the lights off during the day +: am ; pm, T= left on all night, 1 load of laundry, and substantial amount of lighting. Three showers ta*en. &one all day and night for a soccer tournament. Showers ta*en at hotel. - was sic* and stayed home. Therefore a T= was on all day and three loads of laundry. 8ive loads of laundry and ; showers. 1%<1><17 !!)99 !: !!.!! degrees One small load of laundry, > Weather !ser"ations #ota!le Appliance Usage

Tuesday 1%<19<17 5ednesday !!$%> 7:

'elsius !!.)$ degrees 'elsius

showers. Sister came home for fall brea* so another person at the house, one more room being used one more T=, > showers.

1%<1)<17 Thursday 1%<1$<17 8riday 1%<1:<17 Saturday 1%<!%<17 Sunday

!!$7%

!>

!9.11 degrees 'elsius

Out of the house most of the day, went out to dinner, no coo*ing or laundry done. 7 loads of laundry, ; showers, not much T= activity. 4o laundry, ; showers, T= activity at night. Away from the house.

!!$>:

!:

!!.!! degrees 'elsius

!!$$$

!:

!!.!! degrees 'elsius

!!:%>

1)

!% degrees 'lesius

Average ?aily !9.> Usage

B. 'alculating Monthly 3nergy 'onsumption0

1. Obtain a copy of your electricity bill. 'alculate the average daily cost for electricity in your house. !9.> *5h !. After calculating the daily electricity usage +in Table 1,, average out the cost per *5h. -f it is indicated on your electricity bill, how does your estimate compare@ 'ost estimate from my data A;.>) Actual from bill A7.;;

Table !0 The 'ost of 3lectricity Total Amount of /ower Bill A1!1.1$ ?ays of /ower Bill 71 Average cost per day A7.;; Average usage per day +from table 1, !9.> *5h A;.>) Average cost per *5h

3.

-n order to determine the amount of 'O! released by your electricity consumption each month, multiply the number of *ilowatt hours used per month by the *ilograms of 'O! produced per *5h +see table 7 below,. -f a coal burning power plant is the main source for your electricity, the amount of SO! emitted per month can be appro(imated by multiplying the number of *ilowatt hours used per month by *ilograms of SO!<*5h. 'onsult your local power utility to determine the fuel mi( used to generate electricity in your area. +-f coal or oil is used, determine the amount of SO! produced., ;79.97 *g of 'O! emitted

Table 70 'arbon ?io(ide and Sulfur ?io(ide 3missions, by Source, for generating electricity

;. 'ompare a utility bill from a summer month with one for March or April. 3stimate what amount of the summertime bill is due to air conditioner use. Culy 1,:;1 *5h used March 97! *5h used

CulyDs bill was most li*ely around A!>% as apposed to March, which was probably around A$%. The amount being so high during the summer is due to being home all day and using air conditioner. >. -nspect and report on the following for your home0 a. The amount, location and #uality +type and 2 value, of insulation 5e redid our insulation last year to ma*e it more energy efficient. 3(cept our bonus room above the garage usually changes with the weather. b. The amount of shade provided by trees or shrubs The bac* of our house gets shade from pine trees. c. The condition, composition, and color of the roof Our roof is fairly new and a dar* navy blue. d. The air circulation in the attic The air circulation in the attic is pretty good, we go up there and move the vents around to *eep it balanced. e. The tightness of the fit for doors and windows Our front door could be a little tighter but other than that the doors and windows fit fairly well. f. The color of outer walls +does it absorb or reflect heat@, The color of my outer walls are a light blue so it reflects heat. g. Any other features that may affect the dwellings heat balance The room above the garage and ne(t to the garage switched pretty closely to the temperature of the garage.

$he Report A. ?ata and ?escriptions 1. Table 1

!. Table !
3. 'O! and SO! emissions for your home

;. ?escription of your dwelling and a picture

B. ?iscussion -n this section, analyEe what you have learned through this pro"ect and ma*e some detailed suggestions about how you and the members of your household can conserve energy by changing patterns of consumption. 3(amine the economics of these changes and their possible impact on the emission of pollutants from power plants. Some well intended changes may carry an economic disadvantage +that is, they may not be cost effective at this time,,. -n these cases, suggest what steps could be used to remedy this situation. Supplement the discussion with drawings, graphs, or charts, as appropriate. The focus of this discussion should be on your home.