Transcript Strategies for Using Energy

Strategies for Using Energy
Environmental Science 2
Conservation: The 1st Priority
The US economy was built of human
enterprise and abundant, cheap energy
For many years energy was used
frivolously and or wasted
Conservation is the easiest and most costeffective way to preserve remaining
energy reserves and prevent pollution
First we will look at conserving energy in
homes then in automobiles
1. Well-Insulated Buildings
 Insulation is the material used
to prevent the transfer of heat
 This means keep warm air
and cool air out in the winter
and cool air in and warm air
out in the summer
 Insulation is measured its Rvalue – the higher the value
the better the insulator
 An un-insulated wall has an R
value of R1 (most houses built
in the 60’s have an R value of
R1)
1. Well-Insulated Buildings
Homes today are around the R30 value
They also have insulation blown into the attic to
prevent heat transfer, as well as insulation
blown into walls and holes to seal any gaps
2. Vapor Barrier
Vapor barriers stop air drafts and prevent
moisture damage to the exterior walls
The vapor barrier can be either
polyethylene (plastic-like material) or a
foam skin
3. Windows
 No matter how well insulated a
home is windows always lose
a high amount of energy
 Earlier windows were single
paned and had a low value of
R1
 Windows today are usually
double-paned and even triplepaned leading to an R value of
R3-R7
 The key to window efficiency is
placement of the window and
sealing the window properly to
avoid leaks
4. Controlled Ventilation System
As houses become better insulated air
tends to get trapped in doors increase
indoor pollutants
Proper ventilation systems provide an
exchange of fresh air from outdoors and
indoor air while minimizing heat transfer
5. Carefully Selected Heating System
 Since homes are become
better insulated furnaces
today are larger than
need be
 Larger furnaces use more
energy to operate
 A smaller more efficient
furnace are more
effective with today’s
insulation standards
Energy Efficient Appliances
 US refrigerators consume
about 7% of the nation’s
electricity
 Models in the 70’s
consumed about
2000kWh of electricity per
year
 Today’s models consume
about 600 kWh
 If every household used
energy efficient models it
would eliminate the need
for 12 power plants
Energy Efficient Appliances
 Front loading washer and
dryers are more energy
and water efficient that
top loading models
 The reason is because
top loading models use a
pre-sent amount of water,
whereas front loading
models adjust to amount
of clothes in the washing
machine
 Appliances with higher
energy standards are
marked as “Energy Star”
More Efficient Vehicles
 Historically, fuel economy
in vehicles was not a
concern
 Speed, style and design
were prioritized to energy
use
 However, with rising oil
prices fuel economy is
now a major concern