International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT) ISSN: 2278-0181 Vol. 1 Issue 9, November- 2012 Employing An Effective Energy Audit Program (EAP) For Household Energy Conservation. By ENGR. CALISTER. N. MBA Department of Computer Engineering, Caritas University, Amorji – Nike, Enugu. Abstract pollution. These types of pollution occur whenever Effective and efficient energy conservation is a lights are turned on. This is because turning on lights central issue to any developing nation like Nigeria. create little pollution. An average home pollutes This is so because the generation, transmission and more than the average car. A major need for home distribution of such energy is so demanding in terms energy conservation in Nigeria is the cost implication of economic and technical resources. As a result of of using such energy like the electrical energy. The this, there is need for proper management of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) energy resources. Energy conservation is imperative has just released a new electricity billing system - as the waste of energy do not only have negative MULTI-YEAR-TARIFF ORDER (MYTO), which impact on our economic standard but also on our has increased the tariff rate by 77%. Due to the environmental features including our housing economic challenges this new idea will post on the structures. This paper explored what could be done consumers, there is a very high need for optimum when energy must have been distributed to the homes efficiency in home energy consumption. Conserving in order to use it in the most efficient and prudent home energy use does not only save money and ways. The paper exposed the users’ pattern of energy environment, but also saves our building structures. consumptions, proposed more prudent measures, as Minimizing home energy use reduces the effects of well as major strategies for home energy energy losses on the building structures. consumptions. Electromagnetic radiations from home appliances are hazardous to our buildings; this can be avoided by IJERTIJERTusing an effective energy audit program to control KEYWORDS: generation, transmission, such appliances, thereby saving our buildings. There distribution, environmental features, consumptions. are also various forms of radiations emanating from INTRODUCTION devices such as incandescent bulbs, computer and Energy is the ability to do work, expressed in Joules television screens, fan controllers and fan switches, (J). Different forms of energy include electrical, these radiations have effects on human health. chemical, mechanical, heat and sound. Energy could Energy losses through radiations from such devices be transformed from one form to another, but the should be conserved so as to avoid the health hazards total energy still remains the same, this of course introduced to the human bodies through such summarizes the first law of Thermodynamics. There radiations. are a number of energy sources ranging from coal, Al-Tahat and Al-Ali showed the possibilities of oil, water, gas, wind, solar, to biomass. Energy is improving the efficiency of electricity consumption used in our homes for various purposes like heating, in Jordanian plastic industry with remarkable energy air conditioning, lighting, refrigeration, clothes cost savings. Energy saving estimation should be washing, clothes drying, water heating and a whole identified prior to starting an energy program. Most range of other usages. important estimation methods include; simplified Energy is an expensive resource. This exposes the engineering method, regression analysis method, needs for energy conservation in our homes. Home dynamic models, and computer simulation model energy conservation refers to efforts made to reduce using HAP4.41 software.[1] A real life Jordanian energy consumption in our homes, thereby trimming pharmaceutical energy saving program using a off wastages and minimizing cost in our electrical computer simulation software (HAP4.41) was energy consumptions. [2] Home energy conservation simulated and a total annual saving of 6608kwh was saves us from environmental hazards like air or water achieved by simulating retrofitting actions. www.ijert.org 1 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT) ISSN: 2278-0181 Vol. 1 Issue 9, November- 2012 The idea of energy conservation was suggested to be 7 Refrigerator (frost 725 an integral part of the political arena by the free 16 cubic feet) environmentally concerned citizens. “However, it 8 TV(color) 19” 65-110 was not until energy prices rose, regulations 27” 113 developed on a national level, subsidies for energy 36” 133 conservation emerged, and actions addressing the Flat 120 issue were seen by many local actors as adding value Screen to the unique character the municipality gained by 9 VCR/DVD 17-21/20-25 their Renewable Energy Self Sufficiency (RESS) activities, that the actual subject was considered 10 Water Heater (40 4500-5500 relevant in the municipality”.[8] The Demand Side gallon) Management (DSM) program by Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) was introduced as a Table 1.0 shows a list of home appliances with their way of reducing energy consumption among respective energy consumptions (in watts). customers with emphasis on energy conservation, Estimation of Energy Use: energy efficiency and load management. [7] “The The energy use of any appliance can be estimated potential for energy savings in the Nigerian economy using the formula: is huge, especially in the three main energy demand (Wattage x Hours used per day)/1000 = Daily KWH sectors namely household, industry, and Consumption, transportation. In the household sector, there is If we multiply the daily KWH consumption by the considerable energy loss due to inefficient traditional number of days you use the appliance during the three-stone stoves, used for cooking mainly in the month we obtain the monthly consumption. You can rural areas. then calculate the monthly cost to run appliance by Currently, the Federal Government of Nigeria has multiplying the KWH per month by your local encouraged the importation of energy saving bulbs utility’s rate per KWH consumed. This utility rate into the Country as a means of conserving home depends on the class, which could be residential, energy use. Government has also embarked on the commercial tariff code as specified by the NERC’s prepaid electric meter for every household for a more MYTO, which was first implemented in June 2012. effective control. [6] For example, to calculate the energy consumption for a personal computer and monitor for a period of one PROCESSES OF ENERGY LOSS year; Energy Use Characteristics of Home Devices: IJERT[(120 watts + 150watts) x 6 hours /day x Table 1.0 Energy consumption of IJERT365days/year]/1000, if it is on for 6hours in a day. Home Appliances = [270 watts x 6 hours/day x 365 days/year]/1000 S/N Device Range of Energy = (591300)/1000 = 591.3 KWH (daily KWH consumption) Consumption Assume utility rate = N12.89 (R2 - Enugu - 2012) (watts) Then Energy consumption = 591.3 KWH x 12.89 1 Clothes dryer 1800-5000 = N7,621.86/year 2 Fans The wattage of most appliances are usually stamped -Ceiling 65-175 on the bottom or back of the appliance, or on its -Window 55-250 name plate. The wattage listed in table 1.0 is the -Furnace 750 maximum power drawn by the appliance. Since many -whole house 240-750 appliances have a range of settings (for example the volume of a radio), the actual amount of power 3 Heater (portable) 750-1500 consumed depends on the setting used at any one 4 Clothes iron 1000-1800 time. If the wattage is not listed, you can still 5 Microwave oven 759-1100 estimate by finding the current drawn (in amperes) and multiplying that by the voltage used by the 6 Personal Computer appliance. -CPU- 120/30 or less Awake/Asleep 159/30 or less ENERGY LOSS IN HOME APPLIANCES - Monitor- 50 Home electrical appliances consume some energy Awake/Asleep when they are left on standby mode or even switched -Laptop off. This loss is so infinitesimal to be noticed by the www.ijert.org 2 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT) ISSN: 2278-0181 Vol. 1 Issue 9, November- 2012 consumers, as it ranges between 1w and 30w, but can substantial energy is consumed when appliances are be significant when put together for all the appliances on standby or switched off is in the power supply in a home. The energy consumed by appliances when system. With recent innovations, it is possible to they are not performing their main functions or when reduce the no-load losses while providing very high they are switched off is known as standby loss or conversion efficiencies. New generation power leaking electricity. [4]. Modern electrical and transformers adopting electronic components are electronic appliances, even those having on/off capable of reducing the standby power consumption switches, consume power for standby functions such from 5w to as little as 0.1w. “These transformers are as powering off the built in clock or memory, also far more energy efficient, providing 70 to 75% displaying information, responding to remote efficiency compared to 40 to 45% of the traditional controls or programming, charging of batteries, etc. models they replace”. [4] [4] Concerned with the huge monetary losses, and Options to Reduce Standby Power Consumption: environmental impacts of standby power There are basically two options to reduce standby consumption at the national level, governments in power consumption: behavioral and technical. several countries have initiated programmes to Behavioral involves better consumer awareness and address the issue. For example, the “Energy Star” education on standby energy consumption. label of the US Environmental Protection Agency Consumers should be properly educated through (US EPA) for consumer electronic products takes the campaign, advertisement, and should be encouraged standby power use into consideration. The to purchase equipments with reduced standby international Energy Agency (IEA) has initiated consumption.