energy_conservation_worksheet

Energy Conservation Worksheet Instructions: For this assignment, you will complete a personal energy audit, by calculating the amount of electricity you use in a year. Then, you will convert your energy use to the equivalent energy resources to determine your personal impact on energy resources and the environment. Lastly, you will calculate the financial costs of your energy use. Submit your worksheet to your instructor when completed. Title: Energy Conservation Calculations Objective(s): Determine my personal impact on the environment and energy resources Procedure: The materials and procedures are listed for you. Materials:  A calculator  Appliance Energy Calculator at https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/save-electricity-and- fuel/appliances-and-electronics/estimating-appliance-and-home Summary of Steps: 1. Using the Appliance Energy Calculator, determine the kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy used per year of each appliance you use (or a family member uses on your behalf). The realistic expectation is at least 20 appliances you likely use within a year. 2. Place each appliance name and kilowatt-hour energy use per year in Table 1 in the data section. Add rows as needed. 3. Add all the energy values of all the appliance together. This is your total energy use for all appliances per year. Total Energy Use per year = 31,156.88 4. Calculate the % total energy of each appliance by taking its individual energy usage and dividing it by your total energy use for all appliances per year. Multiply that answer by 100. Place each % total in Table 1 . Example:

5. Convert your family’s yearly energy use to Btus using the conversion factors below: CONVERSION FACTORS 1 kwh (kilowatt hour) = 3,412 Btu 1 pound of bituminous coal = 12,000 Btu 1 barrel of oil = 5,800,000 Btu 1 cubic foot of natural gas = 1,028 Btu 1 gram uranium = 4 x 10 7  Btu Total Energy Use per year in Btu = 106,307,275 Btu 6. Calculate the amount of coal, natural gas, oil, and uranium required to meet your energy needs each year. Use the conversion factors above. Place these values in Table 2 . 7. Calculate how much each energy source will cost you per year of energy use. Use the conversion factors below. Place these values in Table 2 . CONVERSION FACTORS Coal costs about $25 per ton Oil costs about $90 per barrel Natural gas costs about $5 per 1000 cubic feet Uranium costs about 2 cents per gram Data Table 1 – Yearly Energy Use by Appliance Appliance Energy in Kilowatts % of Total Clothes Dryer 3348 kWh 10% Microwave 900 kWh 2% Washer machine 306 kWh 0.9% Oven 630.6 kWh 2% Vacuum 162.6 kWh 0.5% TV 854.1 kWh 2% Ceiling fan 127.75kWh 0.4% Coffee maker 730 kWh 2% Hairdryer 213 kWh 0.6% Printer 9.49 kWh 0.03% Refrigerator 657 kWh 2% Sound System 144.54 kWh 0.4% Water heater 19710 kWh 63% Space heater 1320 kWh 4% Rechargeable power tool 13 kWh 0.04%

2. Explain why the cheapest fuel is not the best choice for the environment. Uranium creates radioactive waste when being removed from rocks. This can cause harm to the environment if it is not properly managed. Another cheap fuel is coal, this fuel is very dirty and can be extremely harmful to the environment. 3. Describe five methods from the lesson that could reduce your energy usage. Conservation is the process of lowering demand on a finite supply while allowing it to begin to replenish itself. The use of more energy efficient light bulbs, for example, is one approach for reducing energy consumption. Shutting off your computer, shutting off the lights, doing full loads of laundry, and switching to more energy efficient appliances are all examples of ways to save energy.  Conclusion Include a conclusion that is detailed in terms of accurately describing the lab and any conclusions drawn supported by data. Generally, this section will include a summary and interpretation of the lab results. Any experimental errors should also be reported and analyzed. Also, discuss what things you can do to investigate or apply these concepts further. In my lab, I discovered that my heating appliances consume the most energy in my home, as shown in the pie chart above. I also learned how to compute my annual total energy use. My findings have made me understand that my family and I should do everything we can to be more energy-efficient because as occupants of this planet, we have a responsibility to take care of it. The only likely flaws are in the energy calculations; I say this because I did my best to round the figures, which could have messed up my data. To dig deeper, I could start tracking my family's appliance usage for the next several months and analyzing the data to come up with a strategy for becoming more energy efficient.