Yo u r Ca rbon Footprint Essential Q u e s tions How much energy do you use in a day? A month? A year? What is your carbon footprint, and how can you reduce it? Objectives Calculate how much electric energy you use in a day, a month, or year. Describe options to reduce the amount of energy you use. Identify ways to reduce your carbon footprint. D e l i ve rables (What You ll Turn In) Report (Must be typed) That Includes: Your Personal Energy Audit Data Table, completed (handwritten is acceptable) Your Carbon Footprint Calculation (handwritten is acceptable) A typed paragraph or two addressing each of the following topics. Carbon Footprint Describe what a carbon footprint is, and why it is an important metric for environmental protection. Summary of My Energy Usage A summary of your energy audit, comparing your values for energy consumption and carbon footprint to U.S. residential averages, and include your PIE CHART, showing your electric energy consumption. Reducing Our Footprint Research and report on at least two ways to reduce your carbon footprint be specific and realistic. Estimate how much each of these could reduce your footprint, and explain how you came up with your estimation. Offsetting Our Footprint Research and report on at least two ways you could offset your carbon footprint. Estimate how much each of these could reduce your footprint, and explain how you came up with your estimation. Sources Cite your sources, using MLA formatting. Background: Everyday, we plug in our phones, turn on the lights, listen to our stereos, wash our clothes, run the air conditioning, and pop our toast. Are you aware of where all that energy comes from? How much energy does your lifestyle really use? Although it is hard to see the energy, it is important to know that it has to be generated somewhere? The purpose of the carbon footprint calculation is to try and get a better understanding of how much energy you use over the course of a month. Carbon is a major by-product of energy use across the world and has many effects on the local and global environment and our health. This estimate of your personal carbon consumption and production is meant to provide a snapshot of exactly what a carbon footprint represents. You will conduct a Personal Energy Audit, and then use your results to complete this project.
Personal Energy Audit Instructions Record your personal energy usage for a one-day period. Use the supplied data chart. In order to be accurate, pay close attention to your energy use. If you are unsure of how often the microwave, A.C, heater, washing machine, dishwasher, etc. are used, please talk to your family members to use the best information. After recording the data for your one-day period find your total number of kilowatt-hours (kwh) of energy used in a day. Then, calculate your yearly totals. Assign each electric energy usage into one of the following categories: Appliances and Lighting Space Heating (not necessary if you use gas) Water Heating (not necessary if you use gas) Refrigeration Electric Air Conditioning In 2013, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,908 kilowatt-hours (kwh), according to MIT, the average American s carbon footprint is 20 metric tons (20000 kg) of carbon more than twice the global average. How does your consumption compare? You will include a brief description of these comparisons in your report. The pie chart shown above shows the distribution of electric energy consumption for an average U.S. residential utility customer. You will create a similar pie chart, based on YOUR findings. If you have questions about calculating percentages of the total, come find me (but you shouldn t). Your Carbon Footprint Calculations Research what is meant by the term Carbon Footprint. You will include a brief explanation of this in your report. Use your annual kwh usage to calculate your carbon footprint in pounds of carbon. 0.95 kg CO kwh 1kWh 2 kg CO2 5.44 kg 20 kg CO 2 = kg Carbon Reducing Your Carbon Footprint Research ways that you could reduce your carbon footprint. You will include a brief description of this in your report. Research ways that you could offset your carbon footprint. You will include a brief description of this in your report.
(a) Appliance EXAMPLE: Clothes Dryer (b) Number of Uses per Day (c) Length of Time per Use (hrs) Personal Energy Eco-Audit Data Chart (d) Wattage (Watts) (e) Estimated kwh per Use (f) Total kwh per Day (g) Total kwh per Year Can Be a Fraction From Reference Sheet = (c) x (d)/1000 = (b) x (e) = (f) x 365 1 3/4 3400 0.2550 0.2550 941.70 Total
Wattages of Common Household Appliances Appliance Watts Appliance Watts Appliance Watts Central Air Conditioner NA 5,000 Electric blanket 200 Hedge trimmer 450 Electric Clothes Dryer NA 3,400 Shaver 15 Weed eater (electric ;)) 500 Oven 3,000 Waterpik 100 1/4 drill 250 Hair Dryer 1,538 Well Pump (1/3-1 HP) 480-1200 1/2 drill 750 Dishwasher 1200-1500 Laptop 60-250 1 drill 1000 Coffee Machine 1,500 Plasma TV 339 9 disc sander 1200 Microwave 1,500 LCD TV 213 3 belt sander 1000 Popcorn Popper 1,400 25 color TV 150 12 chain saw 1100 Toaster oven 1,200 19 color TV 70 14 band saw 1100 Hot Plate 1200 12 black and white TV 20 7-1/4 circular saw 900 Iron 1,100 Stereo 10-30 8-1/4 circular saw 1400 Toaster 1,100 Satellite dish 30 Refrigerator/ Freezer** Microwave 500-1500 Radiotelephone - Receive 5 20 cu. ft. (AC) Room Air Conditioner NA 1,100 Radiotelephone - Transmit 40-150 16 cu. ft. (AC) Vacuum Cleaner 500 Lights Freezer Water heater 479 100 watt incandescent bulb 100 15 cu. ft. (Upright) Sink Waste Disposal 450 25 watt compact fluor. bulb 28 15 cu. ft. (Chest) 1411 watthours 1200 watt-hours 1240 watt-hours 1080 watt-hours Espresso Machine 360 50 watt DC incandescent 50 Cell Phone - recharge 2-4 watts Dehumidifier 350 40 watt DC halogen 40 MP3 Player - recharge.25-.40 watts
More Appliances More Lights Blender 300 20 watt DC compact fluor. 22 Humidifier 300-1000 CFL Bulb (60-watt equivalent) 18 Video Game Player 195 CFL Bulb (40-watt equivalent) 11 Standard TV 188 CFL Bulb (75-watt equivalent) 20 LCD Monitor 80-150 CFL Bulb (100-watt equivalent) 30 Desktop Computer (Standard home/business) 80-120 Desktop Computer (Gaming) 400-1000+ Heaters*** Laptop Computer 40-120 Portable Fan 100 Engine Block Heater NA 150-1000 Ceiling Fan 100 Portable Heater NA 1500 Can Opener 100 Waterbed Heater NA 400 Curling Iron 90 Stock Tank Heater NA 100 Stereo 60 Furnace Blower 300-1000 Cable Box 20 Clothes Dryer - Gas Heated 300-400 Clock Radio 7 Well Pump (1/3-1HP) 480-1200 * The daily energy values listed here are for the most efficient units in their class and the information was obtained from Consumer Guide to Home and the General Electric website. ** TV s,vcr s and other devices left plugged in, but not turned on, still draw power. ***To estimate the number of hours that a refrigerator actually operates at its maximum wattage, divide the total time the refrigerator is plugged in by three. Refrigerators, although turned "on" all the time, actually cycle on and off as needed to maintain interior temperatures