APES 6.13 Energy Conservation

Enduring Understanding:

  • Humans use energy from a variety of sources, resulting in positive and negative consequences.

Learning Objective:

  • Describe methods for conserving energy.

Essential Knowledge:

  • Some of the methods for conserving energy around a home include adjusting the thermostat to reduce the use of heat and air conditioning, conserving water, use of energy-efficient appliances, and conservation landscaping.
  • Methods for conserving energy on a large scale include improving fuel economy for vehicles, using BEVs (battery electric vehicles) and hybrid vehicles, using public transportation, and implementing green building design features.

Importance

  • There are negative consequences for every type of energy, both renewable and nonrenewable
    • The only way to avoid them is to use less energy, which is energy conservation
  • Conserving energy and increasing the energy efficiency of products/processes, we can…
    • Reduce our dependence on energy resources
    • And decrease our footprint on the environment

Ways to Conserve

At Home

  • Adjusting the thermostat
    • Not relying so much on the AC in summer or the heat in winter
  • Using energy efficient appliances
    • Even something as small as a lightbulb can not only save energy but also a couple dollars each year
  • Conserving water by…
    • Taking shorter showers
    • Doing larger loads of laundry on the cold cycle
  • Landscaping for conservation
    • Reducing irrigation energy
    • Decreasing need for sprinklers, also relates to water)
    • Planting native plants will mean you use less water because they are perfectly adapted
    • Having a native lawn also protects biodiversity!
    • Planting trees to match and compensate for your energy needs
    • Planting trees can provide shade in the summer, reducing your need for AC
    • When winter comes, the leaves will fall and let sunlight comes through
    • Trees can also be a wind-break, keeping temperatures up

Conservation in Transportation

  • Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards (CAFE) regulate the fuel efficiency that needs to be achieved in order for businesses to operate in the US
    • Over time, we have increased the efficiency of our vehicles
  • Electric vehicles and hybrids are more efficient than internal combustion engines
    • It is important to ensure that we power them with energy from renewable sources, however
  • Ride sharing and using public transportation also moves more people with less fuel

Conservation in Building Design

  • There are aspects of building design that can also help conserve energy
  • Passive design elements include…
    • Passive solar in the form of properly placed windows
    • Thermal mass like a rock floor that absorbs heat and slowly releases it
    • Insulation which keeps energy and heat where it should be
    • Lighting from the sun
    • A green roof, which provides shade and thermal mass
  • Active methods and technologies include…
    • Strategic heating systems such as geothermal or solar
    • Solar panels