...can be calculated by factoring in the amount of people living in a home, the type of home environment, habits done that do not waste energy, and the green technologies already in use in ones home. The energy usage in my home is 36% less than the average 3-person home in the United States. My total usage of energy is about 14,978 kilowatt hours per year. For the carbon emissions of my family’s home, it is, in comparison to the average 3-person home in the United States, 27% less. My total emissions is around 15.92 tons of carbon dioxide per year (BP p.l.c, 2013). Although my energy usage and carbon emissions level are below the average American home, the impact my large carbon footprint has on the environment is still a great amount. A carbon footprint can be reduced through the usage of renewable energy sources, such as the most commonly used “green”...
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...University July 11, 2014 Electricity, natural gas and solar energy are the three primary types of energy used in my community. Electricity is the only type of energy I use in my home. Dealing with any energy source, you are bound to have some type of negative impact on the environment. For example, the use of fossil fuels to create electricity omits dust, soot and other materials that are released into the atmosphere. In addition, the same solid materials along with chemicals that naturally occur in the atmosphere, assists in creating acid rain and negatively affecting my community. Pensacola, Florida deals with a low level amount of nuclear waste. Radioactive waste resulting from a nuclear medicine treatment, medical equipment that uses radioactive isotopes and cancer therapies are the extent of nuclear waste disposal in my community. , however, like many communities we dispose of toxic and hazardous wastes such as electronics, industrial waste and asbestos. Electricity and gas has been the two main energy sources for many years in my community. The demand for electricity is constantly growing with the expansion of my community so companies are attempting to generate electrical energies from The Straits of Florida. The installation of EPUs or Electrical Production Units can potentially damage sensitive coastal marine environments and are hazards to migrating mammals and fish. (Finkl, Charlier & Makowski, 2010) The pollutants from electricity and gas have affected our local...
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...really makes any sense. Musk said Tesla’s 7 kwh capacity battery would cost $3,000, while the 10 kwh capacity one would be $3,500. (That doesn’t include the cost of a DC-AC inverter – about $2,000– plus professional installation.) The implication is that a 10 kwh system could supply 1,000 watts of current to your home for 10 hours. That’s a good amount of energy. The average American home draws an average of 1,200 watts of power around-the-clock, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. For a sense of scale, a desktop computer draws about 100 watts, a big TV 200 watts. Refrigerators cycle on and off, but average about 100 watts. So how much is that battery power going to cost? Setting aside for a moment the cost of making that electricity in the first place, let’s look at just the cost of using the battery to store it and get it out again. Researcher Winfried Hoffman, the former CTO of Applied Materials , has done some interesting work on the falling costs of battery power. He figures that for a lithium-ion system with an initial installation cost of $400 per kwh capacity, 80% efficiency and ability to run 5,000 cycles, the average cost of stored electricity will be 15 cents per kwh All the breathless coverage of Elon Musk’s Powerwall battery brouhaha last night is missing the most important thing: a sober discussion of real-world costs. So let’s take a look at the costs and see if this world-shaking, game-changing innovation really makes any sense. Musk said Tesla’s...
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...Title of Lesson: Quantification of Appliance Electricity Consumption at Home B. Author: Geoffrey Kavulya C. Audience: 5th -8th grade science students D. Timeframe for entire lesson: 3 classroom sessions of 55 minutes E. Abstract This lesson will provide students with an opportunity to understand energy and electricity basics such as energy conservation, energy metrics and ways of minimizing electricity waste around the house. On the first day students will learn about various electrical appliances and their associated electricity consumption. Students will learn how to read and interpret appliance energy labels to extract information such as appliance wattage. Students will have access to a variety of electrical appliances such as laptop, toaster, microwave, fridge, desktop computer, coffee maker, paper punch, kettle, projector, desk lamp and variety of bulbs. On the second day students will learn the differences between plug loads and phantom (vampire) loads. These differences are necessary to understand the level of electricity waste associated with human activities such not unplugging appliances when not in use. Moreover, students will brainstorm on ways to save electricity around the house or in school. Students will also carry out a survey of electrical appliances found around the house and in the classroom. On the third day students, will learn how to carry out energy audit surveys. Energy audit will include measuring electricity using energy meters such as commercially available...
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...of their electricity infrastructure. The grid provides no information about how the customers are using that energy, making it difficult to develop more efficient approaches to distribution. Smart grid enables information to flow back and forth between electric power providers and individual households to allow both consumers and energy companies to make more intelligent decisions regarding energy consumptions, and that’s why smart grid reduce costs, save energy and increase reliability. Information from smart grids would show utilities when to raise prices when demand is high or lower when demand lessens. If the Smart grid is implemented nationwide 5 to 15 percent in energy consumption will decrease. Smart grids is their ability to detect sources of power outages more quickly and precisely at the individual household level. In order to manage the smart grid it requires technology like network and switches for power management, sensors and monitoring devices to track the usage of energy and their distribution trends also systems linked to programmable appliances to run them when energy is least costly.SmartGridCity in Boulder, Colorado are attracting attention because of power flowing from a small number of power plants, the smart grid will make it possible to have a distributed energy system and it will create up to 370,000 jobs. SmartGridCity is also attempting to turn homes into “miniature power plants” using solar-powered battery packs that “TiVo electricity,” or stash...
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...hydroelectricity, biomass, wind, and solar). The use of energy is divided into four sectors: Commercial usage is 15%, Residential usage is 22%, Transportation 22%, Industrial 41% Energy, in all its varied forms, is an essential part of every aspect of our lives. It’s the foundation for our economy and our lifestyles. In my home, most of my energy dollars goes to heat my home in the winter and make hot water. During the summer months the dollars spent on heating the home is switched to cooling the home. A small percentage goes to powering appliances and electronics. We use natural gas as a single heat source and all of my appliances are electric including the stove, washer, and dryer. I am very conscious about energy conservation in the home. We adjust the thermostat by lowering it in the winter to 68 and raising it in the summer to 78 by day and 60 and 82 during the evening. We change the furnace filter every 3 months and unplug TV’s, cell phone charges, computers, electronics, toaster, microwave, radios when we are not in the home. All lighting sources in the home are now equipped with compact fluorescent lamps vs the traditional light bulbs. Using the fluorescent lamps, we even use a lower wattage than the traditional bulb. Lights are turned off in rooms not in use and window sills are sealed with a caulking rope to prevent the...
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...emitted by the Sun Translations Home » Wind Energy Guide » Wind Energy Basics Wind Energy Basics Basic information on wind energy and wind power technology, resources, and issues of concern. Wind Energy and Wind Power Wind is a form of solar energy. Winds are caused by the uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the irregularities of the earth's surface, and rotation of the earth. Wind flow patterns are modified by the earth's terrain, bodies of water, and vegetative cover. This wind flow, or motion energy, when "harvested" by modern wind turbines, can be used to generate electricity. How Wind Power Is Generated The terms "wind energy" or "wind power" describe the process by which the wind is used to generate mechanical power or electricity. Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy in the wind into mechanical power. This mechanical power can be used for specific tasks (such as grinding grain or pumping water) or a generator can convert this mechanical power into electricity to power homes, businesses, schools, and the like. Wind Turbines Wind turbines, like aircraft propeller blades, turn in the moving air and power an electric generator that supplies an electric current. Simply stated, a wind turbine is the opposite of a fan. Instead of using electricity to make wind, like a fan, wind turbines use wind to make electricity. The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft, which connects to a generator and makes electricity. Wind Turbine Types Modern wind...
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...Electricity: What Powers Our Planet To Whom It May Concern: It’s dark and you are trying to sign paperwork. You want to turn on the lights so you can see better. With one flick, the whole room illuminates. But, congressman, let me ask you. Have you ever wondered how electricity works? What is it that makes electricity possible? What did it take for light to have the ability to stream out of the light bulb? We take electricity for granted, but not many of us actually look into it. People often do not know how electricity is the way it is, but instead they see electricity as something that is very accessible and plentiful. So, congressman, you have the money, and I have the brains. You want to know how to spend the 200 billion? I’ll tell you. Let’s start off with what electricity really is. You hear that word so many times in your daily life, but few have heard the scientific definition. Electricity is a type of energy produced from the existence of electrons or protons, either statically as a build-up of charge, or dynamically as a current. It is usually categorized into two different currents: alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). Alternating current is a constant flow of electric charge that reverses its course from time to time. Direct current is the opposite; it only runs in one direction. Within those two currents are things such as volts, watts, amperes (or amps), and ohms. Volts are the SI unit of electromotive force, the distinction of potential that would...
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...quantify energy use. They differ from a traditional meter, by providing accurate energy use data in real-time. Our aim is to make energy consumption more visible and help people to understand how much they are actually using. WHY DO THEY MATTER? Pretty much everything we do. But when it comes to energy, we haven’t really seen the same technology transformations take place. Many of us have our meters hidden away in a cupboard under the stairs. Smart meters will change this, as they come with a smart energy monitor that shows you what you use, as you use it, and gives you new control over your energy consumption, along with the opportunity to save money. And you can say goodbye to estimated bills and meter readings – smart meters automatically send readings back to your supplier. So when you receive your bill, you’ll know you’re only paying for the gas and electricity you’ve used. WILL I NEED TO DO ANYTHING? Once your smart meter is up and running, your meter readings will be automatically sent to us. Then all you need to do is plug in your smart energy monitor, ideally somewhere where it’s easy to see, such as your kitchen counter. That’s it. HOW IS THE SMART ENERGY MONITOR DIFFERENT TO A NORMAL ENERGY MONITOR? Energy monitors show how much electricity you’re using, but you will still get estimated meter readings or need to submit readings to your...
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...Smart Grid “Smart grid” generally refers to a class of technology people are using to bring utility electricity delivery systems into the 21st century, using computer-based remote control and automation. These systems are made possible by two-way communication technology and computer processing that has been used for decades in other industries. They are beginning to be used on electricity networks, from the power plants and wind farms all the way to the consumers of electricity in homes and businesses. They offer many benefits to utilities and consumers -- mostly seen in big improvements in energy efficiency on the electricity grid and in the energy users’ homes and offices. For a century, utility companies have had to send workers out to gather much of the data needed to provide electricity. The workers read meters, look for broken equipment and measure voltage, for example. Most of the devices utilities use to deliver electricity have yet to be automated and computerized. Now, many options and products are being made available to the electricity industry to modernize it. The “grid” amounts to the networks that carry electricity from the plants where it is generated to consumers. The grid includes wires, substations, transformers, switches and much more. Much in the way that a “smart” phone these days means a phone with a computer in it, smart grid means “computerizing” the electric utility grid. It includes adding two-way digital communication technology to devices...
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...DOE/GO-102001-1102 FS175 March 2001 EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY What is Renewable Energy? Renewable energy uses energy sources that are continually replenished by nature—the sun, the wind, water, the Earth’s heat, and plants. Renewable energy technologies turn these fuels into usable forms of energy—most often elec- tricity, but also heat, chemicals, or mechanical power. Why Use Renewable Energy? Today we primarily use fossil fuels to heat and power our homes and fuel our cars. It’s convenient to use coal, oil, and natural gas for meeting our energy needs, but we have a limited supply of these fuels on the Earth. We’re using them much more rapidly than they are being created. Even- tually, they will run out. And because of safety concerns and waste disposal prob- lems, the United States will retire much of its nuclear capacity by 2020. In the mean- time, the nation’s energy needs are expected to grow by 33 percent during the next 20 years. Renewable energy can help fill the gap. Even if we had an unlimited supply of fos- sil fuels, using renewable energy is better for the environment. We often call renew- able energy technologies “clean” or “green” because they produce few if any pollutants. Burning fossil fuels, however, sends greenhouse gases into the atmos- phere, trapping the sun’s heat and con- tributing to global warming. Climate scientists generally agree that the Earth’s average temperature has risen in the past century. If this trend continues, sea levels will rise, and scientists...
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...It can also convert into energy, helping to deal with waste. Biomass would be wonderful to Australia because wood from trees can be burned to heat buildings or drive electricity generator. Another good reason would be because ethanol from sugar cane , methanol from grain such as wheat, and biodiesel from oil seeds such as canola, can be used to fuel transport vehicles. Biomass energy is renewable; derived from sunlight, it won’t out, so long as we replenish the soil in which the biomass is grown. The good thing about biomass energy is that Australia has 475 forests I wouldn’t dare to just cut down trees for wood but the way biomass works is that with wood residue from timber production can be burned to generate electricity. Wood gasification treats wood to produce a gas which can fire a turbine to generate electricity. So let’s say somewhere in Australia one of the many wind turbines aren’t producing energy wood gasification would be able to give it power to produce electricity. Biomass can be useful for homeless people because it can be used for heating, and they can make energy by just burning any waste. That’s how impressive biomass is you can burn anything that’s dead or is...
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...Solomon Jennilyn Abrantes 2.0 Proposed Project Title Online Electricity Meter Reading using Arduino and GSM 3.0 Area of Investigation This web application, together with the supporting hardware can help the inspector and the owner of the place where the meter is placed. The inspector will no longer go everywhere just to read all the meters assigned to you. This project will be used in homes, offices, companies and other establishments that uses electricity. This device will compute the total of energy you consumed and the affixed amount. With the help of this the consumer will monitor how much energy they consumed. The device will send the information to the database and then send it your cellphone to notify them. This will eliminate the job of the inspectors and move them into something useful job. 4.0 Reason of Choice of the Project The proponent choose this project because we think that this project will test and enhance our talent in web application and in microcontroller. This project will help us to discover something new and applying it to our daily living. This is the key decision to successfully completing our project. 5.0 Importance of the Project Study In present time Electricity is the necessary thing in the world for human life. Today every home, offices, companies, industries have electricity connection. So here this project is building only for interfacing electricity energy meter with microcontrollers. Here, Arduino is used for interfacing...
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...panel refers to a panel designed to absorb the sun's rays as a source of energy for generating electricity. Electricity is the prime mover for the advancement of all economic and industrial activities. About 59% of total population live in rural and isolated areas and most of them have no electricity access. This scenario is more acute in the rural and isolated areas in Bangladesh where only about 25% have electricity access ( Energy Bangla, January, 2014 ). Bangladesh is a semi-tropical region lying in northeastern part of South Asia gets abundant sunlight year round. The average bright sunshine duration in Bangladesh in the dry season is about 7.6 hours a day, and in the monsoon season is about 4.7 hours, Solar energy can be harnessed. So, solar panel technology is advised. A total of 3,00,000 solar panels had been installed in more than 40,000 villages of 456 upazilas of all districts of Bangladesh. Daily on average 44 MW electricity is being produced by these solar panels.( Momotaz and Karim,2012).Now a days solar panel is applied in different aspects such as solar based recharging station ,solar cooking etc. It presents an attractive alternative to conventional electricity such as no monthly bills, no fuel cost, little repair and maintenance costs, easy to install any where etc. The solar panel technology is very effective to illuminate rural households and power other essential home appliances, such as lights, radios and small black and white televisions. Again, the main advantages...
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...own home. The 3R’s of environment, save electricity and also reducing the emission of harmful gases can reduce the level of greenhouse effect from our own home. Firstly, saving electricity at home is one of the ways to decline the level of greenhouse effect. According to Chong (2007), approximately 72% of electricity contributes to greenhouse gases. Just by turning off lights or fan when they are not in use by any people can reduce the temperature hence, reducing the level of greenhouse effect. Plus, installing solar panels on the rooftop of our houses to heat up our home and water can be a very effective way to save the use of electricity. Generally, use less electricity at home will bring down the percentage of this effect to happen. Secondly, reduce the emission of harmful gases can help shrink greenhouse effect. To illustrate, households should exclude the option of disposing their rubbish through opening burning in the lawn because burning of rubbish will emit harmful gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide. In addition, refrigerants in air-conditioners and refrigerator also help the growth of greenhouse effect as it releases chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) into the air (Khemani, 2010). Using the air-conditioner or opening the refrigerator only when necessary will decrease the emission of CFC. To sum up, bring down the level of harmful gases will help stop this natural phenomenon from happening. Next, reducing, reusing and recycling (3R) in our home helps...
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