Energy use analysis

Energy Use Analysis

This assignment addresses the following CCO Objectives:
2. Present environmental information using effective written communication
3. Describe, numerically and graphically, various presentations of data

6. Describe conditions that promote various ecosystems and appraise the impacts of human endeavors on them
   7.Find, evaluate, use and citevariety of informational resources relevant to environmental science
   9. Describe the impact of human activities on natural systems
   10. Evaluate a wide range of cultural and social approaches to environmental problems
   13. Assess the effect and importance of individual behavior in environmental issues
   18. Develop informed views based on critical evaluation of information sources
   19. Engage in problem solving of environmental issues
   Credit:This activity is worth 50 points, see Rubric for details.

Part 1: Home Electricity Use Journal(15 points)
All of us use energy in our homes. The majority of this energy in the US comes from electricity. Heating/Cooling systems use significant amounts of energy, as does lighting and home office equipment. Some residents use natural gas powered appliances in addition to those powered by electricity. Natural gas is transported to homes via pipes and is burned in the appliance as in a gas stove or water heater. Electricity is produced in a power plant and transported to homes via wires.

To evaluate home energy use, especially from electricity, you will monitor your personal home energy use for 3 days.

Record the amount of time in hours that any of the following appliances are operating. You may add other electronics/appliances to the list if you use them.

Table 1: Household Appliance Run-time

  Day 1     Day 2   Day 3                                                    Day 1       Day 2   Day 3

refrigerator (runtime*) _____  ______  ______                               microwave          _____  ______  ______

dishwasher                         _____  ______  ______                               stove top             _____  ______  ______

toaster                                 _____  ______  ______                               oven                      _____  ______  ______

washing machine             _____  ______  ______                               clock                      _____  ______  ______

clothes dryer                     _____  ______  ______                               computer 1         _____  ______  ______

incandescent lights         _____  ______  ______                               computer 2         _____  ______  ______

fluorescent lights             _____  ______  ______                               hair dryer            _____  ______  ______

cell phone (charging)      _____  ______  ______                               electric razor      _____  ______  ______

portable speaker             _____  ______  ______                               fan                         _____  ______  ______

radio                                      _____  ______  ______                               (de)humidifier  _____  ______  ______

TV                                           _____  ______  ______                               game console    _____  ______  ______

VCR/DVD                             _____  ______  ______                               iron                        _____  ______  ______

cable/satellite box           _____  ______  ______                               coffee maker     _____  ______  ______

wireless router                 _____  ______  ______                               other _____       _____  ______  ______

other________                                _____  ______  ______                               other _____       _____  ______  ______

Part 2: Calculate your Personal Yearly Energy Use(15 points)
For each of the appliances you used (Table 1), multiply the number of hours used over 3 daysby the number of watts. Then divide that number by 1000 to get kilowatt-hours (KWH). After everything is calculated, find the average daily use by dividing by the number of days included.

Example: I watched TV for 1.5 hours over 3 days.

1.5 H x 300 W = 450 W

450 W / 1000 = 0.45 kWh

*Please note: Your refrigerator does not actually run 24 hours a day, it cycles on and off as needed. To estimate the running time, divide the time it is plugged in by three.

If you want to find out what the wattage (W) is for something that is not given below (indicated by a blank instead of a number) then look on the back or bottom of the item, and it usually is written there.
If it does not indicate the wattage, then look for the amperage (A). The number of amps multiplied by 120 (volts) is equal to the wattage.
Example: This computer uses 1 amp x 120 volts = 120 watts

Be certain, if you have looked up the wattage for your appliance, to cite the source or indicate how you discovered the value.

Electricity Calculations:

Total # hours

Appliance                            running                                Wattage                               Total kWh

________________     ________     x   ________     / 1000    =   ________

________________     ________     x   ________     / 1000    =   ________

________________     ________     x   ________     / 1000    =   ________

________________     ________     x   ________     / 1000    =   ________

________________     ________     x   ________     / 1000    =   ________

________________     ________     x   ________     / 1000    =   ________

________________     ________     x   ________     / 1000    =   ________

*Add additional rows for each appliance you used in your 3 day period.*

Total:           ________ kWh  in ___ days                                                                                                       Average daily total:         ________ kWh

Now, calculate the total energy used in a year (HINT: 365 days in a year):

TOTAL: Average daily total _______ kWh  x  365 days = ____________ kWh per year

Part 3: Analysis and Conclusions (20 pts)

In 3 – 4well written and logically organized paragraphs, respond thoughtfully to the questions below. Be certain to properly cite your sources in APA or CSE (Name,Year) format with a full references list at the end of your submission. Use parenthetical references or superscripts

• How much household energy does the average American use?
• How does your energy use compare to this average?

• What is the fuel mixture used to generate the electricity in your home? (Be certain to cite your sources.)
• What is the carbon footprint (in kg of CO2e) for this electricity? (Show how you arrived at this value.)

• If all the energy came from coal, what would be your footprint?
• If all the energy came from a renewable source like wind, what would be your footprint?

Because it is challenging to compare energy use from electricity between industrialized nations like the US and developing nations like Nigeria or Pakistan, the United Nations compares energy use in ‘kg of oil equivalent’. This data can be found online from the UN and the World Bank.
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.USE.PCAP.KG.OE?view=map&year=2014&year_high_desc=false

• Convert your energy use in kWh to kg of oil equivalent (6kWh = 1kg oil)
• Identify the energy use in kg of oil equivalent per person in the US in the most recent year for which data are available.
• Identify the energy use in kg of oil equivalent per person in Nigeria.
• Identify the energy use in kg of oil equivalent per person in Pakistan.
• How would you have to change your life to live like a typical Nigerian or Pakistani person?

• How could you reduce your household energy use?
  Provide specific actions you could take to reduce energy use.
• How could you reduce the carbon footprint of the energy you use?