Home Electricity Audit – Part 2
Answer each of the
following questions to the best of your ability on a separate piece of paper
in complete sentences. SHOW YOUR WORK (especially since there are
multiple ways to calculate some of the answers). You can use a calculator to
complete these exercises. Your completed product is due on Thursday, March 5th.
Conversion Factors
1 kWh = 3.41 x 103
BTU
1 pound bituminous
coal = 12,000 BTU
1 barrel oil = 5.6
x 106 BTU
1 ft3
natural gas = 1,030 BTU
1 g Uranium 235 =
4.0 x 107 BTU
1. Based on your
measurements, how much electricity do you consume in a year? NOTE: Based on the
information you have, there are multiple ways to answer this question).
2. Suppose the
electricity in your region was supplied entirely by the burning of natural gas.
a. How many cubic
feet of natural gas is needed to support your energy usage?
b. 1,000 ft3
of natural gas contains about 20.2 kg of methane and when burned completely
produce 122 lb of carbon dioxide. How much methane would you consume in one
year, and how many pounds of carbon dioxide would you produce?
3. Suppose only
coal were used in the generators instead of natural gas.
a. How much coal
would be burned to provide your energy?
b. When coal is
burned, about 2.3 lb of CO2 is produced for every kilowatt-hour of
electrical energy consumed. How much carbon dioxide would be produced by your
yearly electricity use?
4. Suppose the electrical
power was produced by nuclear power. How much uranium would be needed for your yearly
consumption?
Extra Credit 1 – In reality, your electricity comes from a
variety of resources, both renewable and nonrenewable. Using data accessed
through the class website, more accurately recalculate your values for answer
2-4.
5. Calculate
comparative costs for the fuels used to produce your electricity.
a. The cost for
uranium oxide (U3O8), the primary nuclear reactor fuel, is $35.50 per pound or about $0.078
per gram. What would be the cost of the uranium to generate your electricity?
b. On average, coal
costs about $45.36 per ton. Calculate the cost of the coal needed to produce
your yearly electricity.
c. The cost of
natural gas for electric utilities, on the average, is about $10.33 per 1,000
cubic feet. How much would it cost to generate your electricity solely natural
gas?
d. Con Edison (your
electricity supplier) charges about $0.102 per kilowatt-hour of electricity,
however consumers can opt to purchase electricity from Green Mountain Energy,
which produces electricity via wind turbines for $0.121 per kilowatt-hour.
Calculate what your yearly electricity bill with each billing option would be
based on your yearly consumption.
Extra Credit 2 – In reality, your electricity comes from a
variety of resources, both renewable and nonrenewable. Using data accessed
through the class website, more accurately recalculate your values for answer
5a-c.
6. Based on what
your have calculated and determined, where do you think your electricity should
come from? Support your answer by discussing both economics and
environmental impacts such as the method of obtaining or usage of the fuel.
7. Describe and
discuss five methods for reducing your electricity consumption.
Extra Credit 3 – For at least two of those methods, calculate by how much this method would reduce your electricity consumption and your electric bill.
Energy
Consumption Audit Rubric
Mastery – 4
|
Proficient – 3
|
Satisfactory – 2
|
Needs Revision – 1
|
|
Claim about energy usage (Skill)
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States clear, nuanced, well-reasoned claim regarding where/how
your electricity should be generated
|
States clear, well-reasoned claim
|
States a logical, but vague claim
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States an illogical or indefensible position
|
Support of claim (Skill)
|
Thoroughly supports claim(s) with several detailed, convincing,
specific reasons/pieces of evidence as well as refuted counterclaims
|
Thoroughly supports claim(s) with multiple detailed, specific
reasons/pieces of evidence as well as attempts at forming counterclaims/
refutations of them
|
Supports claim(s) with multiple detailed, convincing specific
reason/piece of evidence
|
Supports claim(s) with reasons/ evidence that are not convincing
due to lack of detail, specificity, or clarity OR not having enough pieces of
evidence to support each claim
|
Mathematical fluency
(Skill)
|
Very consistently completes mathematical problems correctly (no
more than 2 total errors with no major errors).
|
Consistently completes mathematical problems correctly (3 or 4
total errors and up to one major error).
|
Sufficiently completes mathematical problems correctly (5 or
more total errors or more than one major error).
|
Does not sufficiently completes mathematical problems correctly
(5 or more total errors and/or more than two major errors).
|
Demonstrates knowledge of class material (Content)
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Very consistently demonstrates deep knowledge of related
material by correctly using vocabulary and explaining examples clearly.
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Consistently demonstrates knowledge of related material by
correctly using vocabulary and explaining examples.
|
Demonstrates knowledge of related material by using vocabulary
and explaining examples, but with some errors.
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Does not demonstrate sufficient knowledge of class material
through errors or lack of usage/ explanation.
|
Writing conventions (Work Habits)
|
Writes elegantly and in a sophisticated manner while very
consistently adhering to spelling and grammar conventions. Shows work and
answers for mathematical problems clearly and neatly.
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Very consistently adheres to spelling and grammar conventions.
Shows work and answers for mathematical problems clearly and neatly.
|
Consistently adheres to spelling and grammar conventions. Shows
work and answers for mathematical problems but work is unclear or vague at
times.
|
Mostly adheres to spelling and grammar conventions. Shows work
inconsistently for mathematical problems.
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