Collaborators:
Noah Breading Nelson
Introduction and Problem:
In the Personal Energy Audit, students measure their respective home's energy usage over a span of 10 days in order to conclude many things. Among these conclusions were the impact their energy usage has on the environment, how students can become more energy efficient, and the different factors that affect energy usage. An effort to conserve energy is the beginning of a way to fix a global energy crisis, and awareness could be what is needed to encourage people to act; therefore, this lab helps to promote awareness by addressing the question, "How does energy consumption affect the environment and what elements are involved in this consumption?" It is pivotal to then gather this information in order to draw conclusions about possible energy conservation methods that can be put in place into our own personal lives and the lives of our peers. We may have a ways to go in creating specific and lasting energy conserving behaviors, but it is important to understand that the only way to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere is to reduce our human consumption. Thus, this lab should not simply service the idea that consuming less energy at an individual level is the key to fixing the crisis as a whole, but that this is the start to improving the energy system which will also reduce the environmental impacts globally. Performing the personal energy audit will have one more energy conscientious than ever before!
Hypothesis:
If the the electrical energy consumption is recorded over a period of ten days, then the environmental impact of the daily energy usage will be relatively low and the home will use less than 40 kilowatt hours on average per day.
Parts of an Experiment:
Materials:
Methods and Procedure:
A. Reading and Recording Electricity Consumption:
Data and Data Analysis:
Noah Breading Nelson
Introduction and Problem:
In the Personal Energy Audit, students measure their respective home's energy usage over a span of 10 days in order to conclude many things. Among these conclusions were the impact their energy usage has on the environment, how students can become more energy efficient, and the different factors that affect energy usage. An effort to conserve energy is the beginning of a way to fix a global energy crisis, and awareness could be what is needed to encourage people to act; therefore, this lab helps to promote awareness by addressing the question, "How does energy consumption affect the environment and what elements are involved in this consumption?" It is pivotal to then gather this information in order to draw conclusions about possible energy conservation methods that can be put in place into our own personal lives and the lives of our peers. We may have a ways to go in creating specific and lasting energy conserving behaviors, but it is important to understand that the only way to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere is to reduce our human consumption. Thus, this lab should not simply service the idea that consuming less energy at an individual level is the key to fixing the crisis as a whole, but that this is the start to improving the energy system which will also reduce the environmental impacts globally. Performing the personal energy audit will have one more energy conscientious than ever before!
Hypothesis:
If the the electrical energy consumption is recorded over a period of ten days, then the environmental impact of the daily energy usage will be relatively low and the home will use less than 40 kilowatt hours on average per day.
Parts of an Experiment:
- Independent Variable: Daily energy usage in regards to energy consumption.
- Dependent Variable: Carbon Dioxide emissions produced by the energy consumption.
- Controlled Variables: The home, power meter, electricity bill, thermostat, the time at which the energy is recorded daily, the AC settings, and the water heater settings.
- Control Group: None.
- Experimental Group: None.
Materials:
- A home
- Power Meter
- Thermostat
- Electricity Bill
- Appliances
- Camera
- Internet access to research
Methods and Procedure:
A. Reading and Recording Electricity Consumption:
- Read the electric meter at the same time every day for a 10-day period and record the values.
- Make daily notes on the patterns of electricity use in your household, particularly the use of large appliances.
- Note the usual settings for the air conditioner and water heater, the amount of cooking done, the type of lights used, the amount of laundry done, and so forth.
- Also, make notes on aspects of the weather that may affect heating or cooling. Weather notes should include cloud cover and high and low temperature readings for that day. Report local temperature readings and thermostat settings in degrees Celsius. Record data in Table 1: Meter Readings, Observations and Usage Notes.
- Obtain a copy of your electricity bill. Calculate the average daily cost for electricity in your house. Record in Table 2: The Cost of Electricity.
- After calculating the daily electricity usage (in Table 1), average out the cost per kWh. If it is indicated on your electricity bill, how does your estimate compare? Record data in Table 2: The Cost of Electricity.
- In order to determine the amount of CO2 released by your electricity consumption each month, multiply the number of kilowatt-hours used per month by the kilograms of CO2 produced per kWh (see table 3 below). If a coal-burning power plant is the main source for your electricity, the amount of SO2 emitted per month can be approximated by multiplying the number of kilowatt-hours used per month by kilograms of SO2/kWh. Consult your local power utility to determine the fuel mix used to generate electricity in your area. (If coal or oil is used, determine the amount of SO2 produced.)
- Find out if you use any natural gas or propane in your house (this is most likely used for a stove, dryer, or logs). If so, consult your recent bill and indicate the amount of gas consumed. List the appliances using gas and then, calculate your CO2 emissions using Table 3: Carbon Dioxide and Sulfur Dioxide Emissions, by Source, for generating electricity.
- Description of dwelling and picture:
- The amount, location and quality (type and R-value) of insulation
- The amount of shade provided by trees or shrubs
- The condition, composition, and color of the roof
- The air circulation in the attic
- The tightness of the fit for doors and window
- The color of outer walls (does it absorb or reflect heat?)
- Any other features that may affect the dwelling’s heat balance
Data and Data Analysis:
Photographs:
Relavent/Important Info:
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Table 1: Meter Readings, Observations and Usage Notes for the period of 10 days
Table 2: The Cost of Electricity
Table 3: Carbon Dioxide and Sulfur Dioxide Emissions, by Source, for generating electricity
CO2 and SO2 Emissions:
Wake Electric
Total Amount of Energy Used per Month: 691 kWh
COAL
NATURAL GAS
Picture of Dwelling and Description:
Wake Electric
- Nuclear - 52%
- Supplemental Purchases - 26%
- Coal - 22%
Total Amount of Energy Used per Month: 691 kWh
COAL
- Total number of kWh used per month from coal: (0.22)(691) = 152.02 kWh
- Total amount of CO2 emitted per month from coal: (0.97)(152.02) = 147.46 kg
- Total amount of SO2 emitted per month from coal: (0.006)(152.02) = 0.912 kg
NATURAL GAS
- Total number of kWh used per month from natural gas: (0.26)(691) = 179.66 kWh
- Total amount of CO2 emitted per month from natural gas: (0.47)(179.66) = 84.4402 kg
- Total amount of SO2 emitted per month from natural gas: (0.00)(179.66) = 0.0 kg
Picture of Dwelling and Description:
My house is medium sized and located out in the country. It is a two-story home, with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a kitchen, 2 living room, dining room, office, recreational room and a laundry room. My front yard has three patches of tall pine trees but are located a good distance away from the house, which allows more sunlight. Insulation can be found in the crawl space and in between the walls. The insulation in the crawl space, which is fiber glass R-30, is in great condition because it was just replaced a few years ago; the insulation used for the walls is the same. In addition, the patches of trees along with many tall shrubs and bushes surrounding my house bring about 30-40% shade during parts of the day. The roof is a black, asphalt-shingled roof that is in great condition. Our attic has good air circulation due to ventilation. These vents allow homes to be more energy-efficient by allowing a natural flow of outdoor air to enter the attic. All windows and doors fit perfectly into their frames, allowing them to seal tight when closed. In addition, weather stripping is used on the bottom of our doors, and all of the windows are double-sided. Our house is covered with a white colored siding, which reflects heat. The air conditioning system and water heating system were upgraded for more efficient appliances last year. The home's front and back are covered with windows, which allows the sun to work its magic in the heating business. Lastly, the large backyard is wide open with no trees or bushes to provide shade for the home.
Analysis:
First Analysis~
This lab has allowed me to learn more about electricity and energy usage by observing an average middle class American family's home (my own) for a period of 10 days. It also demonstrated how the use of different appliances in your house can increase or decrease your energy usage per day. It is evident that on days when my family was not home as much and used less appliances we used much less energy than on days when we were home and had to wash multiple loads of clothes or do other activities that required a lot more energy consumption. It is crucial for my family and I to try to minimize our electricity usage as much as we can in order to have the least possible impact on the environment and to save money. We can do this by opening windows during the Spring and Summer months to use less air conditioning, and by using more energy efficient appliances, such as fluorescent light bulbs or even LED bulbs. The more energy we use the more coal has to be burned to produce our energy, and this harms the environment as a whole.
Final Detailed Analysis~
"The average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer is 10,908 kilowatthours (kWh), an average of 909 kWh per month" (Energy Information Administration). Though there may be arguments out there surrounding economic investments being the best way to conserve energy, the patterns of energy consumption at the individual and household level are not insignificant. In my home's case, an average daily usage of 22.6 kWh, as well as the 147.46 kg CO2 released by coal per month, could be lowered by focusing on the use of our air conditioning, our water heating system, and appliance usage. It is evident that these factors are most influential on my family's electricity bill every month, and thus are responsible for increasing the amount of harmful chemicals being released into the environment. My family and I do not feel bad about taking 15-minute showers after a long day. It seems insignificant to do so once or twice a week, but if water heating is responsible for 20-25% of our household energy bill, then we should definitely think about cutting back on shower times. It does not cost anything to cut off a few minutes from our daily bathing (other than dealing with grumpy attitudes), and this action would be saving money in the grand scheme of things. In addition, the air conditioning system in our home plays a large role in our energy bill. Our air conditioning system has to cool/heat a large house, therefore it cannot be energy efficient on its own. By keeping it a constant setting of 22.2°C all day, we are setting a higher value on comfort instead of energy conservation. Instead of letting the AC system do all of the work, we can alter the settings during the summer and use curtains and blinds to help retain the cool air or lower the settings during the winter and wear jackets and sweaters to stay warm indoors. Lastly, I noticed that the amount of cooking has a significant effect on energy consumption. Since my mom cooks something almost every day (because she is a great chef), the positive changes that would result from using the microwave more frequently would most likely be reflected in our electricity bill. These changes in patterns of consumption would reduce the amount of CO2 that our household contributes to Wake Electric's emissions.
Conclusion:
Final results of this experiment confirm the hypothesis that if the the electrical energy consumption is recorded over a period of ten days, then the environmental impact of the daily energy usage will be relatively low and the home will use less than 40 kilowatt hours on average per day. Although the results support the hypothesis, there was still lots of uncertainty as to what factors would contribute most to the electrical energy consumption. Why might this lab be so focused and centered around an average American family's energy consumption? Perhaps because "Americans make up only 5% of the world's population and yet consume 20% of its energy! That's really extravagant! Imagine if you consumed four times more gasoline as your neighbors... or four times more food... or produced four times more garbage. Your neighbors wouldn't be very happy! Yet, that's what we're doing" (Population and Energy Consumption - World Population Balance).
After thoroughly examining the data gathered in table 1, I concluded that my family's laundry habits have a lot to do with the overall outcome of the kWh consumed on any specific day. The effect that one load of laundry can have on daily energy usage is astounding. Upwards of 3-4 kWh can be accredited to washing and drying one load of laundry in my household and any household in the US today. I discovered that "using even less energy by choosing the cold-water cycle and reserving warm water for your grimiest duds, one household can eliminate 1,600 pounds of annual carbon dioxide emissions" (Borris, Chris). it just added to the astonishment. Although there was little room for error during this audit, some issues still could have effects. Errors that could have arose during this experiment include calculation errors in searching for the emission numbers for Wake Electric and having a different average daily usage than the one indicated by the electric bill (35 kWh per day). The power meter was not read at the exact same time every day over the 10 day process, which could also skew parts of the data. These possible sources of mishap are not completely destructive and they do not harm the ability to finalize conclusions involving the overall environmental impact, but they should be addressed so that future scientists can also take them into account when determining energy consumption for any given household.
"Growing populations consume more energy. Availability of energy allows populations to grow. Energy consumption exerts demands on energy resources making them scarcer. They become harder to extract" (Zabel, Graham). Many people fail to realize that population growth is worse in America from a consumption perspective. Energy conservation efforts can be considered a method for justifying human environmental impact. The solution starts with those who are able to flip a switch. This is where the personal energy audit and report comes into play. By promoting an understanding of the environmental impacts of energy usage, it allows young scientists like myself to determine the best way that they can conserve energy and reduce the ecological impact. Even if one is not inspired to make dramatic changes in his or her lifestyle, being aware of the environmental outcomes of high electricity consumption and making slight changes in the way he or she performs daily tasks can have a significant impact on the yearly electricity consumption for each household. We can all choose to limit the use of air conditioning, take shorter showers, and turn appliances off when they are not being used. Though the change may seem small, by making these changes, we are giving much more worth to the future of the United States, and the future of planet Earth as an entirety. It is our future, so lets mold and fix it in order to please Mother Nature herself (and Ms. Bostic).
Citation(s):
Borris, Chris. "Laundry." September/October 2002 - Sierra Magazine - Sierra Club. Sierra Club, Sept.-Oct. 2002. Web. 10 April 2015. <http://vault.sierraclub.org/sierra/200209/hidden.asp>.
Milstein, Jeffrey S. "Attitudes, Knowledge and Behavior of American Consumers Regarding. Energy Conservation With Some Implications For Governmental Action." in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 04, eds. William D. Perreault, Jr., Atlanta, GA : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 315-321.
"North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency (NCEMPA)." North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency (NCEMPA). N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ncpublicpower.com/AboutUs/NCEMPA.aspx>.
"Population and Energy Consumption." World Population Balance. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 April 2015. <http://www.worldpopulationbalance.org/population_energy>.
"U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis." How Much Electricity Does an American Home Use? N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=97&t=3>.
Zabel, Graham. "Peak People: The Interrelationship between Population Growth and Energy Resources." RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <http://www.resilience.org/stories/2009-04-20/peak-people-interrelationship-between-population-growth-and-energy-resources>.
By: Noah Nelson
Analysis:
First Analysis~
This lab has allowed me to learn more about electricity and energy usage by observing an average middle class American family's home (my own) for a period of 10 days. It also demonstrated how the use of different appliances in your house can increase or decrease your energy usage per day. It is evident that on days when my family was not home as much and used less appliances we used much less energy than on days when we were home and had to wash multiple loads of clothes or do other activities that required a lot more energy consumption. It is crucial for my family and I to try to minimize our electricity usage as much as we can in order to have the least possible impact on the environment and to save money. We can do this by opening windows during the Spring and Summer months to use less air conditioning, and by using more energy efficient appliances, such as fluorescent light bulbs or even LED bulbs. The more energy we use the more coal has to be burned to produce our energy, and this harms the environment as a whole.
Final Detailed Analysis~
"The average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer is 10,908 kilowatthours (kWh), an average of 909 kWh per month" (Energy Information Administration). Though there may be arguments out there surrounding economic investments being the best way to conserve energy, the patterns of energy consumption at the individual and household level are not insignificant. In my home's case, an average daily usage of 22.6 kWh, as well as the 147.46 kg CO2 released by coal per month, could be lowered by focusing on the use of our air conditioning, our water heating system, and appliance usage. It is evident that these factors are most influential on my family's electricity bill every month, and thus are responsible for increasing the amount of harmful chemicals being released into the environment. My family and I do not feel bad about taking 15-minute showers after a long day. It seems insignificant to do so once or twice a week, but if water heating is responsible for 20-25% of our household energy bill, then we should definitely think about cutting back on shower times. It does not cost anything to cut off a few minutes from our daily bathing (other than dealing with grumpy attitudes), and this action would be saving money in the grand scheme of things. In addition, the air conditioning system in our home plays a large role in our energy bill. Our air conditioning system has to cool/heat a large house, therefore it cannot be energy efficient on its own. By keeping it a constant setting of 22.2°C all day, we are setting a higher value on comfort instead of energy conservation. Instead of letting the AC system do all of the work, we can alter the settings during the summer and use curtains and blinds to help retain the cool air or lower the settings during the winter and wear jackets and sweaters to stay warm indoors. Lastly, I noticed that the amount of cooking has a significant effect on energy consumption. Since my mom cooks something almost every day (because she is a great chef), the positive changes that would result from using the microwave more frequently would most likely be reflected in our electricity bill. These changes in patterns of consumption would reduce the amount of CO2 that our household contributes to Wake Electric's emissions.
Conclusion:
Final results of this experiment confirm the hypothesis that if the the electrical energy consumption is recorded over a period of ten days, then the environmental impact of the daily energy usage will be relatively low and the home will use less than 40 kilowatt hours on average per day. Although the results support the hypothesis, there was still lots of uncertainty as to what factors would contribute most to the electrical energy consumption. Why might this lab be so focused and centered around an average American family's energy consumption? Perhaps because "Americans make up only 5% of the world's population and yet consume 20% of its energy! That's really extravagant! Imagine if you consumed four times more gasoline as your neighbors... or four times more food... or produced four times more garbage. Your neighbors wouldn't be very happy! Yet, that's what we're doing" (Population and Energy Consumption - World Population Balance).
After thoroughly examining the data gathered in table 1, I concluded that my family's laundry habits have a lot to do with the overall outcome of the kWh consumed on any specific day. The effect that one load of laundry can have on daily energy usage is astounding. Upwards of 3-4 kWh can be accredited to washing and drying one load of laundry in my household and any household in the US today. I discovered that "using even less energy by choosing the cold-water cycle and reserving warm water for your grimiest duds, one household can eliminate 1,600 pounds of annual carbon dioxide emissions" (Borris, Chris). it just added to the astonishment. Although there was little room for error during this audit, some issues still could have effects. Errors that could have arose during this experiment include calculation errors in searching for the emission numbers for Wake Electric and having a different average daily usage than the one indicated by the electric bill (35 kWh per day). The power meter was not read at the exact same time every day over the 10 day process, which could also skew parts of the data. These possible sources of mishap are not completely destructive and they do not harm the ability to finalize conclusions involving the overall environmental impact, but they should be addressed so that future scientists can also take them into account when determining energy consumption for any given household.
"Growing populations consume more energy. Availability of energy allows populations to grow. Energy consumption exerts demands on energy resources making them scarcer. They become harder to extract" (Zabel, Graham). Many people fail to realize that population growth is worse in America from a consumption perspective. Energy conservation efforts can be considered a method for justifying human environmental impact. The solution starts with those who are able to flip a switch. This is where the personal energy audit and report comes into play. By promoting an understanding of the environmental impacts of energy usage, it allows young scientists like myself to determine the best way that they can conserve energy and reduce the ecological impact. Even if one is not inspired to make dramatic changes in his or her lifestyle, being aware of the environmental outcomes of high electricity consumption and making slight changes in the way he or she performs daily tasks can have a significant impact on the yearly electricity consumption for each household. We can all choose to limit the use of air conditioning, take shorter showers, and turn appliances off when they are not being used. Though the change may seem small, by making these changes, we are giving much more worth to the future of the United States, and the future of planet Earth as an entirety. It is our future, so lets mold and fix it in order to please Mother Nature herself (and Ms. Bostic).
Citation(s):
Borris, Chris. "Laundry." September/October 2002 - Sierra Magazine - Sierra Club. Sierra Club, Sept.-Oct. 2002. Web. 10 April 2015. <http://vault.sierraclub.org/sierra/200209/hidden.asp>.
Milstein, Jeffrey S. "Attitudes, Knowledge and Behavior of American Consumers Regarding. Energy Conservation With Some Implications For Governmental Action." in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 04, eds. William D. Perreault, Jr., Atlanta, GA : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 315-321.
"North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency (NCEMPA)." North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency (NCEMPA). N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ncpublicpower.com/AboutUs/NCEMPA.aspx>.
"Population and Energy Consumption." World Population Balance. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 April 2015. <http://www.worldpopulationbalance.org/population_energy>.
"U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis." How Much Electricity Does an American Home Use? N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=97&t=3>.
Zabel, Graham. "Peak People: The Interrelationship between Population Growth and Energy Resources." RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <http://www.resilience.org/stories/2009-04-20/peak-people-interrelationship-between-population-growth-and-energy-resources>.
By: Noah Nelson