Personal Energy Audit Project

PERSONAL ENERGY AUDIT PROJECT

Most of the principles that we set forth in our courses are illustrated in all aspects of our life activities from the personal to the planetary. All of us have a stake in all levels of energy use and production, but it is certainly easiest for individuals to feel their own power of choice when moving within the sphere of their own domestic “system” of energy inputs and outflows. It is our feeling that having a thorough understanding of the dynamics and hookups of one’s own “system” makes it a fairly easy jump to the understanding of energy dynamics at broader levels. It also makes clear which changes can effectively be made to better the shared systems of energy supply and conservation by individual action and which require the more powerful force of directed collective action.

Therefore, we want you to keep in mind the following ideas when evaluating your own home as a small part of a great shared energy system:

1. Areas where you can make changes to save yourself money by reducing consumption.

2. Changes on the personal or family level which will be reflected in improvement in a larger, shared system, e.g. reduced electrical consumption leading to less fuel consumption by utilities, less air pollution, etc.

3. Changes which could or should be made at the personal or family level but which are ineffective unless the system is changed at higher levels.

I. Analysis of Electricity Consumption

A. Electric Meter:

Read your electric meter everyday for at least 10 days and record the number of kilowatt-hours used each day. Also, make daily notes on the patterns of electricity use in your household, particularly the use of large appliances. Note the usual settings of the AC unit, hot water heater, amount of cooking, clothes washing, etc., and record along with relevant notes on whether that might affect heating/cooling.

Electrical meters are metric in construction; the dial on the far left recording the largest units. The meter in the following example reads 92, 718.

KWH/day values are obtained by taking the difference between the current and past day’s readings. Be sure to take the readings at the same time of day. Why?

B. Calculate the proportion of your power bill in KWH and in dollars/cents that goes for the following: (1) air conditioning, (2) cooking, (3) hot water heating, (4) refrigeration, (5) lighting, (6) T.V., (7) washing/drying, (8) and many other electrical appliances not mentioned here that apply to your home.

C. In order to calculate the electrical consumption per month of a particular appliance, you need to use one of the following methods:

(1) Check the label attached to the appliance, and find the wattage rating.

(2) If the wattage is not listed, watts can be calculated by multiplying the AMPERAGE rating times the VOLTAGE (either 110v or 220v).

(3) Your cost for hot water is given by the formula KWH/month = N(2AT – 17.6), where N is the number of people in the house, and AT is the difference in degrees F unheated cold tap water and the hottest water from the hot tap.

(4) If none of the above are available, call an appliance store, and get the information from a dealer

D. In order to calculate the cost of running an appliance for one month (20 da.),

(1) Take the WATTAGE and multiply by

(2) HOURS PER DAY the appliance is used. Multiply this by

(3) 30 DAYS. Then divide by 1000 to get KWH from PNM.

(4) Multiply by $0.078844 (the current cost of one KWH from PNM).

Example: Suppose you burn a 200 W light bulb for 8 hours everyday. Then for a month:

200W * 8hrs * 30 = 48,000WH = 48 KWH. 48 * 7.8844c = $3.78

E. Arrange your calculations in a neat table. Across the top of the table make headings for wattage, hours/day, hours/month, KWH/month, and cost. Down the side, list each type of appliance and then fill in the table with your figures. On the same page as the table, state clearly the method you used to determine wattage ratings. The total KWH and cost should approximately match the cost of the current PNM bill. If it is off by more than about 30%, check your math.

F. Compare your meter readings with your calculations and with the current bill. G. If available, compare a PNM bill from August (heavy AC usage) with one for March or April (minimal AC/heat), and estimate summer electrical power use for AC.

H. Inspect and report on the following for your house.

(1) insulation (type and R-value: the higher the R-value, the better the insulation) (2) shading by trees or shrubbery (3) condition and color of the roof (4) air circulation in the attic (5) tightness of fit for doors and windows (6) color of house (dark/heat absorbing or light/heat reflecting) (7) other appropriate features not mentioned above that affect house’s heat balance.

THE REPORT

I. Data and descriptions

A. Meter readings for at least 10 days with usage notes and KWH estimate for 30 days. (1 page)

B. Description of home according to the points in part H, page 2. (1/2 – 1 page)

C. Table of cost estimates for appliances, estimation of summer AC usage. (1 page)

II. In this section, you are to analyze what you have learned and make some detailed suggestions about how you and the members of your family can conserve energy by changing patterns of consumption. In some cases you may be making changes which are well-intended but find that they are an economic disadvantage, or you may want to make certain alterations of lifestyle but may be thwarted in doing so. If this is the case, suggest how you might take steps to remedy the situation. Supplement the discussions with drawings, graphs, or charts as appropriate.

The focus of your discussion should ever be on your own home. Do not give lengthy discussions of the state of global, national, and theoretical problems.

Maximum length of discussion – 1 page. III. GENERAL RULE

A. The report must be typewritten. Handwritten reports of any type are unacceptable.

B. Graphs and tables must have self-explanatory headings. All units must be clearly cited. Be sure that the axes of any graph you make are clearly and completely labeled.

C. In many cases, references will be unnecessary, but if you cite equipment manuals, a PNM audit of your home, or any other source, list these alphabetically in a bibliography at the end of the report.

D. Late papers are penalized 10 points per day late, including weekends. No extensions will be granted, for any reason.

E. Point value: 100 points

READING YOUR METER

By knowing your total use and costs, you will be able to decide where to start conserving energy and saving money. After a short period of time, you will be able to understand how some differences (such as being away for a period of time or using the dryer frequently) affect your energy usage. From this, you will be able to decide whether the changes can save you energy and money.

Understanding how your home was built and how it operates will help save you money each and every month. Saving energy is everyone’s job. The more energy we save, the less energy is produced, and our environment is healthier.

Here is a family activity to help you understand how you are using your electricity and gas.

1. Choose one family member, even a child, to fill out the chart. 2. Read your meter at the same time for 7 to 10 days to record the KWH’s (kilowatt- hours) used. 3. Use the Watt Family form below for practice. (Note: Your electric meter has four to five dials that turn in different directions.) 4. Read the dials from left to right. 5. Write down the smallest number the hand has passed. (Example: between 4 and 5, you would choose 4) 6. Record the two numbers in the spaces provided (January 1 and January 31) 7. Subtract the two readings to find your KWH usage. 8. Multiply $0.07844 times the KWH used to know your electrical usage cost. (Note: The average cost for electricity is $0.07844 per KWH.