Energy efficiency is a critical consideration in today’s world in view of scarce resources. As a result, it is expedient to ensure that one’s energy use meets the threshold for adequate management and efficient usage. This paper considers energy efficiency in the home by looking at an efficiency table and determining how better to efficiently use energy.
| Electricity | Gasoline | Wood | Solar | Natural Gas | |
Day 1 Thursday (2/5/2015) | Lights – 7 hours Computers – 2 hours TV – 6 hours Laundry - wash and dry | Going to work (30 minutes); mowing the law (1 hour) | Solar panels heat water (10 hours of sunlight) | Cooking (2 hour) | |
Day 2 Friday (2/6/2015) | Lights – 4 hours Computers – 3 hours TV – 8 hours Electric oven – 1.5 hours | Visited friends after work (3 hours) | Ran fireplace for 4 hours (2 logs) | Solar panels heat water (10 hours of sunlight) | Cooking (2 hour) |
Day 3 Saturday (2/7/2015) | Lights – 7 hours Computers- 8 hours TV – 12 hours Laundry - wash and dry | Drove to the supermarket and later to visit family (3.5 hours) | Solar panels heat water (10 hours of sunlight) | Cooking (3 hours) | |
3-day cost estimate (optional) Divide monthly bills (30-day cost) by 10 to get an average | $16.65 | $25.00 | Free – I cut these from my yard. | Free – our solar panels are paid off. | $5.01 |
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As can be seen in the above table, the majority of energy use comes through the use of electricity. Research has shown that the highest percentage of electricity in the country is derived from fossil fuel sources, which is up to 67 percent of the total energy (OECD, 2012). Owing to the increasing concerns about the use of fossil fuels to produce energy both at the economic and environmental levels, it becomes necessary to use alternative sources of energy to provide adequate energy use within my home. Using alternative sources of energy is a way in which energy use can be reduced. In this case, we can reduce the costs associated with lighting and internal heating to be transferred to the cheaper solar energy option. Through this transfer, the energy use from electricity will be reduced. This means an automatic reduction in the use of fossil fuels for the production of energy. Furthermore, environmental concerns and economic concerns will be addressed simultaneously. It is also possible to remove the wash and dry function from the washing time. Noting that laundry is done on a daily basis, a significant amount of energy is spent on drying the clothes – a function that could be naturally achieved when clothes are hung in the sun to dry. By allowing clothes to dry naturally, especially when the sun is available, there are energy savings being done with regard to electricity. Gasoline use can also be reduced through team effort. For example, one could decide to be riding with a friend to work on specific days, thus saving the costs of fuel. Alternative rides to work can reduce energy use on the part of gasoline. The solar panels could be used for energy provision within the house to provide heating and lighting, especially when the sun is available in plenty. All in all, it may be extremely hard to reduce TV watching, wash, and dry functions as well as switch lighting to more sustainable solar energy. Nonetheless, it will also reduce costs and become an environmentally friendly way of working through energy needs. Moreover, collaborated rides to work will provide more savings.
References
OECD. (2012). OECD Factbook 2011-2012: Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics. Retrieved January 10, 2017, from OECD: http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/factbook-2011-en/06/01/04/index.html?contentType=&itemId=/content/chapter/factbook-2011-49-en&containerItemId=/content/serial/18147364&accessItemIds=&mimeType=text/h
