Free Home Energy Audit And Implementation Plan Analysis Case Study Sample

(Class Code + Course Code)
(City, State)

Introduction

There are a significant amount of industrial actors that process large quantities of combustibles in order to produce electricity which cause detriment to the surrounding as a result of the combustion of these fossil fuels. The objective will be to adjust the consumption of the current in order to minimize the electrical energy consumption. An important goal of the energy audit is to determine from where the energy is derived and to ascertain the importance of energy consumption reduction [2].

Part A

Electrical Energy Production and its Consequences
Electrical energy production involves the collection of electrical power from the energy origins. The electrical energy has conventionally been produced by the application of using fossil fuels in order to power a motor, which is applied an energy source for a mechanical generator to produce electricity by means of cogeneration. There are other electrical generators that operate on turbines that are propelled by steam energy, hydroelectric energy of nuclear energy [2, 3].
The implementation of the combustion of fossil fuels totals to nearly the entire amount of greenhouse gas production for the EDF Energy organization. The retrieval of fossil fuels is energy intensive. As the petroleum undergoes a refining process and subsequent consumption, there will be combustion in order to liberate its energy that will produce detrimental greenhouse gasses [3].
Coal has the quality of liberating elevated amounts of carbon in its combustion. The liberation of elevated amounts of carbon produces substantial carbon dioxide residues in the manufacture of electricity. In addition, nitrous oxide is liberated from the combustion of coal. Nitrous oxide has the characteristics of several hundred times the toxicity of carbon dioxide [8].
The option of applying nuclear energy is an acceptable option. Notwithstanding, the implementation of nuclear energy creates nuclear waste. The nuclear waste that is created in the application of nuclear energy generation is in the form of expended irradiated rods [3]. The most viable option is the consideration of the use of renewable energy sources. Renewable energy sources are energy sources that are sustainable and less detrimental to the surroundings [2].

Energy Audit

In order to review the energy consumption in the residence, a home energy audit has been performed. In order to achieve this objective, a metering device was used for the assessment of electrical energy consumption. The home energy metering device was applied in order to evaluate the energy consumption of all of the electro domestic appliances in the residence.
In the examination of the energy consumption of the electro domestic devices and the monthly electric bill, it becomes possible to assess the energy consumption in the residence [3, 5]. The energy metering device was positioned in a series circuit with all of the electro domestic appliances in the residence. The metering device was applied in order to evaluate the electrical energy consumption of all of the electro domestic appliances in the residence. The metering device was applied for the measurement of the number of kWh consumed, wattage, amperage and the voltage. The power proportion can be demonstrated by applying the following mathematical relationship:
PW/ Sva = PF
The power factor is demonstrated by PF, the real power is represented by W and the apparent power is represented by Sva. An electrical systems’ efficiency is demonstrated by the following mathematical formula:
Power produced/ Power input = efficiency η
Figure 2: Tabulations of the estimated price of electrical energy and the actual prices.
The tabulations consider the cost of the production of a kWh of electrical power to be 8.53 p. This includes a constant daily charge that totals to 28.11 p. The cost that is associated with gas is 3.36p for each kWh of electrical energy produced. The significant point that should be considered is that during the winter months, the costs associated with gas and electrical energy is more expensive. The winter period has duration of four months.
Approximately 2.36 kWh of electrical energy is consumed by the halogen heating system. The initial pie chart is a representation of the manner by which the electricity is consumed in the residence, with the electro domestic appliances being divided into categories that are reliant upon their operation.
The second chart and the third chart are representations of the energy consumption in the residence. The energy audit is performed on a room by room basis. The energy audit enables the valuation of the areas of the greatest electrical energy consumption. The second and the third charts demonstrate the electrical energy use considering the first electrical heaters. The second chart is a depiction of the electrical energy consumption of the home excluding the heaters.
The lounging areas are the rooms that demonstrate the most electrical energy consumption when the halogen heating system is activated. Notwithstanding, when the halogen heating systems are no activated, the area of the residence that consumes the most electricity is the kitchen. It can be considered that the average energy consumption that will be accrued during the year will demonstrate one primary distinction. The distinction is the quantity of energy that will be required for the operation of the heating and lighting systems during the winter months. Maintaining this assumption, the amount of kWh consumed on a summer day can be approximated and a conclusive value can be derived due the mean daily electrical power consumption. The mean electrical energy consumption for this residence is 21.38 kWh and the average gas consumption is 28.21 kWh.

Electro Domestic Device Evaluation

In order to conceive the manner by which each of the appliances consumes energy, it becomes effective to review the energy consumption of one of the electro domestic devices. The electro domestic device that has been selected is the television. The TV usually operates on standby mode when there is no one watching. In order to make a comparison of the energy that is being consumed by the televisions when it is on standby more, there was the requisite of applying the energy meter while the television was activated.
The approximation is that when the television is operated four hours and operated on standby mode for twenty hours per day, the average energy consumption of the television was 0.44 kWh when activated and 0.32 kWh when on standby. Another consideration is the power factor of the television set. The power factor is ninety when the television is activated and 48 when the television is operated on standby. The differential in the power factor demonstrates a substantial decrease in the operating efficiency
The challenge is that with all of the electro domestic appliances that are left on standby. This is considered as vampire energy loss [12]. The energy loss that is realized from the electro domestic appliances that are left on standby operating mode totals to more than 68 billion kilowatt hours of electricity on an annual basis [13]. The 68 billion kilowatt hours of electricity is translated to more than 97 billion pounds of greenhouse gases that are dissipated into the atmosphere [11].
The wattage consumed by the television is 119.8 W. This is calculated by taking the voltage of the television which is 239.05 V and multiplying the voltage by the current which is 0.503 amperes. The real power that is consumed by the television set is 119.8 W.

Energy Saving Recommendation

The initial recommendation would be to modify the residents’ energy consumption habits. This is perceived as a cost effective option, there is no primary expense. The only modification that is required is a behavioral change on behalf of the residents [5]. The second recommendation would entail insulating the loft areas and the perimeters of the home. In addition double paned windows should be installed [6].
The photovoltaic panels that are applied for solar micro generation are composed of several sheets of material that has a semi conductive quality [7]. As the light is passed through the photovoltaic sheets, an electrical field is created. The solar thermal energizing of the water is reliant on the application of conduits to channel the water from the areas of solar radiation to a water tank where the water is accumulated [10].
The heat pumps use ground source energy which is entered in the areas under the gardens [4]. The heat can be transmitted through pipes and applied for the thermal management of the residence. The wind turbine is an option that enables the accumulation electrical energy from wind events. The wind turbines can be attached to the roof of the residence or they can be mounted upon a support at the side of the residence [10].
Modifications in the activities of the residents would be the most effective implementation. The insulation would provide benefits that would allow for its payment from the savings on the electrical bill [6, 7]. The next recommendation would be the installation of a solar photovoltaic panel. The solar photovoltaic panels would provide return on investments that are accumulated through energy that is returned to the electrical grid and government grants [8].
The initial expense that would be incurred with a solar voltaic panel would be £7000. Insulation would cause the residence owner to incur an expense of £5975. There would be an average annual accrual of £455. It would take thirteen years to recuperate the investment on the insulation [6, 7].

Part B

The application of renewable energy sources is beneficial. The exploitation of renewable energy sources with regards to residential and industrial use has its proprietary challenges. In order to provide an objective and precise evaluation of the recommendations that have been made, there is the requisite of examining the recommendations in order to review any potentially adverse consequences. Furthermore, there is the need for making inquiries with regards to the moral and ethical viability of the suggestions.
In the exploitation of a renewable energy model, there are several characteristics that must be considered. The most significant factor that should be considered in the application of the implementation of a renewable energy system is the expense that will be incurred. This consideration of expense includes the maintenance requisites. Solar photovoltaic panels and wind turbines arte cost intensive with regards to their procurement. The energy that results from the exploration of the renewable energy sources may be free of cost, however if it takes a long time to recuperate the investment, the efficient operation of the renewable energy resources becomes unmanageable.
The cost recuperation interval for a wind turbine may be as long as fifteen years. The investigations with regards to the efficiency of renewable energy resources are fairly new. In addition, renewable energy requires further research prior to its consideration as a practical energy source. There are millions of pounds that are invested in the research and development of renewable energy sources on an annual basis. Many of the renewable energy models only provide a slight percentage of improvement in the efficiency of energy consumption. A solar photovoltaic panel’s efficiency rating may only attain 15%. This rating is deficient with regards to practical application. Should efficacy be placed in renewable energy models that may not prove to be cost effective? The solar photo voltaic panel may have the semblance of being cost effective; however, it may not have the capacity of reaching its optimal energy production due to its location.
An ambiguous but nevertheless valid point of discussion would be to ask if the disclosure of the obsolescence of a specific renewable energy model could be attained in a short amount of time. The implementation of renewable energy resources is a field that is in its developmental stages. The owner of a residence could invest in a renewable energy model that becomes obsolete before it is able to recuperate the costs of installation. In order to consider the expansion of the renewable energy industry, consumers the participation of industry are required.
In order for the viability of renewable energy to take place, incentives must be made available to organizations and homeowners that utilize renewable energy resources. If the industries do not receive the support of the government, there will be a number of consumers who will have renewable energy systems that are not economically feasible. Planning of the installation of a renewable energy micro generation system requires a cost to benefit evaluation. The assessment of the cost and the benefits are an important consideration in the utilization of renewable energy resources.
The second point that can be made with respect to the suggestions is the fabrication of the renewable energy devices. Considering that the development of these machines is in its early stages, the systems have the characteristics of being quite massive and comparatively inefficient. In the event that renewable energy is to prove an environmentally friendly form of energy generation that does not result in additional detriment to the environment, the requisite is that the renewable energies have the quality of being as carbon neutral as possible. The manufacture of a wind turbine utilizes a substantial amount of energy, which result in the consumption of fossil fuels. The moral responsibility of an engineer is to “minimize and justify the any adverse effect on society or on the natural environment for their own and succeeding generations” [14]. There is a substantial amount of greenhouse gas produced in the manufacture of a wind turbine. This infers that the wind turbines have the requisite of being productive and durable. It is the responsibility of the engineer to ensure this quality, in order to minimize any adverse outcomes that will be exerted on future generations. It would be more effective to perform additional investigations into the viability of wind turbines prior to their implementation.
Another important consideration is safety in the utilization of a renewable energy model. Safety is the most important concern of the professional engineer. Planning the utilization of a renewable energy project requires a risk assessment. There have been a number of engineering disasters that have taken place as a result of insufficient training or faulty engineering designs. In the circumstance of everyone adopting a cost avoidant turbine into their homes and a defect found in the manufacturing or design process, the results could be catastrophic. There have been nuclear and chemical disasters that have occurred, however, not all of the homes in the UK are located in the vicinity of a nuclear or chemical energy facility [15]. The occurrence of accident is highly improbable; however, these are situations that should receive adequate attention.

Conclusion

The presentation of renewable energy generation should be perceived as a viable energy source for the future. Notwithstanding, there is a substantial amount of progress that must be achieved prior to the widespread implementation of renewable energy. The efficiency ratings of the solar photovoltaic systems must be elevated and could soon be made obsolete by more efficient renewable energy generation models. Intensive research and development is required in the renewable energy generation sector. In addition increased investment in training programs for engineers is needed in order to make the renewable energy systems of the future as efficiently applied as the fossil fuel energy generation models of the present.

Reference List

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