Personal energy audit
Introduction:
In the Personal Energy Audit students measured 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. Many interesting things were observed, including things in our house we would have never thought about. Performing the personal energy audit has influenced my family and I to be more energy conscientious than you have ever been before.
Problem
How much energy does my house use in 10 days and how much pollution is released into the atmosphere as a result?
Hypothesis
If I record the amount of energy my house uses each day over a span of 10 days, then I will find that my household uses less than 40 kilowatt hours on average per day and has a minimal impact on the environment.
Materials
House
Thermostat
Appliances
Energy bills
Procedures
A. Reading and Recording Electricity Consumption
1. Read the electric meter at the same time every day for a 10-day period and record the values
2. Make daily notes on the patterns of electricity use in your household, particularly the use of large appliances
3. 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.
4. 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 Celcius.
B. Calculating Monthly Energy Consumption
1. Obtain a copy of your electricity bill. Calculate the average daily cost for electricity in your house.
2. 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?
3. In order to determine the amount of Carbon Dioxide released by your electricity consumption each month, multiply the number of kilowatt-hours used per month by the kilograms of Carbon Dioxide produced per kWh (see table 3 below). If a coal-burning power plant is the main source for your electricity, the amount of Sulfur Dioxide emitted per month can be approximated by multiplying the number of kilowatt-hours used per month by kilograms of Sulfur Dioxide/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 Sulfur Dioxide produced.)
Environmental Impact
Carbon dioxide released: (.97) (1876)= 1819.72 kg
Sulfur dioxide released: (.006) (1876)= 11.256 kg
When comparing an electricity bill from the month of June to one in March I found that the cost of the bill in July is about double the cost of teh bill in March. The summertime bill is much more expensive because the house has to use more air conditioning which uses more energy.
4021 Forgotten Pond Ave
My house is newly built, just shy of a year old.
A. Insulation
- My insulation is located in the attic and crawl space. The quality is R30.
B. Shade by Trees and Shrubs
-I have one small tree and a large amount of shrubs in my front yard and a few trees in my backyard.
C. Roof
-My roof is made up of asphalt shingles, the color is black, and it is in great condition.
D. Air Circulation in Attic
-My attic's air circulation has good airflow, there is no air conditioning or heat, but a couple of vents. The temperature usually is determined by the outside temperature.
E. Tightness of Doors and Windows
-Our windows and doors have weather strips, so the air flow is between them and outside is very limited and they are both tight fit.
G. Other Features
-My house has a gas fireplace that we rarely use except for warmth in the winter.
Analysis:
This lab has allowed me to learn more about electricity and energy usage by observing an average middle class American family's home 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. Before this lab, our class had only analyzed energy usages from situations other than ours. After completing this lab, I now have a better understanding for my energy usage and what the numbers mean. 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 of energy. It is important for my family 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 to use less air conditioning, and by using more energy efficient appliances, such as fluorescent light bulbs. The more energy we use the more coal has to be burned to produce our energy, and this hurts the environment.
Conclusion:
The hypothesis that I created at the beginning of this lab was based off of knowledge about my family and our daily habits involving electricity. Going into the lab, I knew that we were definitely not the most energy efficient. I think this lab could have been made more accurate if a longer period of time was tested, or maybe 10 days in every month or season of the year to compare how that affects the energy usage. This data and calculations can be applied to everyday life because they can be important when people are trying to figure out which appliances to buy or even what sized house they need. Throughout the lab I actually learned a lot of new things I did not know about my house as far as the insulation, roof, etc. and I also saw a lot about the different prices of electricity associated with the amount of energy my house uses. In the future, one direction the world as a whole can move towards is the mass incorporation of passive solar houses; I explored this option in my connection article.
In the Personal Energy Audit students measured 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. Many interesting things were observed, including things in our house we would have never thought about. Performing the personal energy audit has influenced my family and I to be more energy conscientious than you have ever been before.
Problem
How much energy does my house use in 10 days and how much pollution is released into the atmosphere as a result?
Hypothesis
If I record the amount of energy my house uses each day over a span of 10 days, then I will find that my household uses less than 40 kilowatt hours on average per day and has a minimal impact on the environment.
Materials
House
Thermostat
Appliances
Energy bills
Procedures
A. Reading and Recording Electricity Consumption
1. Read the electric meter at the same time every day for a 10-day period and record the values
2. Make daily notes on the patterns of electricity use in your household, particularly the use of large appliances
3. 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.
4. 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 Celcius.
B. Calculating Monthly Energy Consumption
1. Obtain a copy of your electricity bill. Calculate the average daily cost for electricity in your house.
2. 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?
3. In order to determine the amount of Carbon Dioxide released by your electricity consumption each month, multiply the number of kilowatt-hours used per month by the kilograms of Carbon Dioxide produced per kWh (see table 3 below). If a coal-burning power plant is the main source for your electricity, the amount of Sulfur Dioxide emitted per month can be approximated by multiplying the number of kilowatt-hours used per month by kilograms of Sulfur Dioxide/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 Sulfur Dioxide produced.)
Environmental Impact
Carbon dioxide released: (.97) (1876)= 1819.72 kg
Sulfur dioxide released: (.006) (1876)= 11.256 kg
When comparing an electricity bill from the month of June to one in March I found that the cost of the bill in July is about double the cost of teh bill in March. The summertime bill is much more expensive because the house has to use more air conditioning which uses more energy.
4021 Forgotten Pond Ave
My house is newly built, just shy of a year old.
A. Insulation
- My insulation is located in the attic and crawl space. The quality is R30.
B. Shade by Trees and Shrubs
-I have one small tree and a large amount of shrubs in my front yard and a few trees in my backyard.
C. Roof
-My roof is made up of asphalt shingles, the color is black, and it is in great condition.
D. Air Circulation in Attic
-My attic's air circulation has good airflow, there is no air conditioning or heat, but a couple of vents. The temperature usually is determined by the outside temperature.
E. Tightness of Doors and Windows
-Our windows and doors have weather strips, so the air flow is between them and outside is very limited and they are both tight fit.
G. Other Features
-My house has a gas fireplace that we rarely use except for warmth in the winter.
Analysis:
This lab has allowed me to learn more about electricity and energy usage by observing an average middle class American family's home 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. Before this lab, our class had only analyzed energy usages from situations other than ours. After completing this lab, I now have a better understanding for my energy usage and what the numbers mean. 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 of energy. It is important for my family 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 to use less air conditioning, and by using more energy efficient appliances, such as fluorescent light bulbs. The more energy we use the more coal has to be burned to produce our energy, and this hurts the environment.
Conclusion:
The hypothesis that I created at the beginning of this lab was based off of knowledge about my family and our daily habits involving electricity. Going into the lab, I knew that we were definitely not the most energy efficient. I think this lab could have been made more accurate if a longer period of time was tested, or maybe 10 days in every month or season of the year to compare how that affects the energy usage. This data and calculations can be applied to everyday life because they can be important when people are trying to figure out which appliances to buy or even what sized house they need. Throughout the lab I actually learned a lot of new things I did not know about my house as far as the insulation, roof, etc. and I also saw a lot about the different prices of electricity associated with the amount of energy my house uses. In the future, one direction the world as a whole can move towards is the mass incorporation of passive solar houses; I explored this option in my connection article.