Analysis of Electricity Consumption

A. Reading and Recording Electricity Consumption:

Read the electric meter at the same time every day for a 10-day period and record the values.
Make daily notes on the patterns of electricity use in your household, particularly the use of
large appliances.
o 4 water heaters
o 11 TVs
o Apartment in backyard
o Pool
o Hot tub
o My dad owns a construction company, run from home and several appliances are on
at all times. This contributes greatly to our electricity bill.

Note the usual settings for the air conditioner and water heater, the amount of cooking done,
the type of lights used, the amount of laundry done, and so forth.
o Laundry done once a week on Sunday
o Multiple water heaters
o Dinner cooked every night
Also, make notes on aspects of the weather that may affect heating or cooling. Weather
notes should include cloud cover and high and low temperature readings for that day. Report
local temperature readings and thermostat settings in degrees Celsius.
Table 1: Meter Readings, Observations and Usage Notes for the period of October 10
th
-19th
Date Meter Reading
(kWh)
Daily Usage
(kWh)
Weather
Observations
Notable Appliance
Usage
10/10 90110 Rain
High of 51C
Low of 27C

10/11 90220 110 Rain
High of 54C
Low of 27C
Gone most of the
day: XC meet
Heating and air are
not on full power
10/12 90343 123 Little rain
High of 29C
Low of 25C
Lots of TV
Heat on
Laundry day
10/13 90486 143 High of 48C
Low of 28C
Construction Work
on lawn and garage
Heating and air on
10/14 90600 114 Rain
High of 48C
Low of 38C
School most of the
day
Dad stayed home to
work
Air on all day
10/15 90706 106 Rain
High of 43C
School most of the
day
Low of 28C Dad drove to cary
for work
10/16 90806 100 High of 38C
Low of 20C
School most of the
day
Dad drove for work
10/17 90915 109 High of 42C
Low of 32C
School most of the
day
Dad drove for work
10/18 91025 110 High of 43C
Low of 21C
XC meet=gone
most of the day
Refilled hot tub
10/19 91146 121 High of 33C
Low of 14C
Lots of TV
Heat on most of the
day
Laundry day
Average Daily Usage 115.1

B. Calculating Monthly Energy Consumption:
1. Obtain a copy of your electricity bill. Calculate the average daily cost for electricity in your
house.
$13.98 is the average daily cost for electricity at my house according to my electricity bill
$13.06 is the average daily cost for electricity at my house according to my lab
2. After calculating the daily electricity usage (in Table 1), average out the cost per kWh. If it is
indicated on your electricity bill, how does your estimate compare?
$.113 per kWh
My estimate was below the actual. I estimated 115.1Kwh per day and my power bill lists the
average as 123 kWh per day.
Table 2: The Cost of Electricity
Total Amount of
Power Bill
Days of Power Bill Average cost per
day
Average usage per
day (from table 1)
Average cost per
kWh
45.47 29 13.98 115.1 .113

3. In order to determine the amount of CO
2
released by your electricity consumption each month,
multiply the number of kilowatt-hours used per month by the kilograms of CO
2
produced per
kWh (see table 3 below). If a coal-burning power plant is the main source for your electricity,
the amount of SO
2
emitted per month can be approximated by multiplying the number of
kilowatt-hours used per month by kilograms of SO
2
/kWh. Consult your local power utility to
determine the fuel mix used to generate electricity in your area. (If coal or oil is used, determine
the amount of SO
2
produced.)
Coal is used
3567kWh x.97kg/kWh=3459.99kg CO2 per month
.006kg/kWh x 3567kWh=21.402kg SO2 per month

4. Find out if you use any natural gas or propane in your house (this is most likely used for a stove,
dryer, or logs). If so, consult your recent bill and indicate the amount of gas consumed. List the
appliances using gas and then, calculate your CO
2
emissions using the chart below.
Do not use natural gas or propane
Table 3: Carbon Dioxide and Sulfur Dioxide Emissions, by Source, for generating electricity

5. Description of dwelling and picture:
Inspect and report on the following for your home and include a picture:

(phone camera is not working so I used old Christmas pictures)
House is 3 floors including a basement an addition out front and in the back. Addition in back is
now an apartment that also contributes to our electricity bill.
My dad owns a construction company, run from home and several appliances are on at all times.
This contributes greatly to our electricity bill.
a. The amount, location and quality (type and R-value) of insulation
A lot of insulation in the walls of the house along with a fully insulated attic.
Types:
Sprayed foam and foamed-in-place
Rigid fibrous or fiber insulation
Structural insulated panels (SIPs) <- what is used in the attic
b. The amount of shade provided by trees or shrubs
House is not covered by much shade
Over 30 trees were cut down when we bought the house due to mothers fear of trees
falling on the house
c. The condition, composition, and color of the roof
Roof shuttered a few years ago
Black
Some parts are steep slope, others are almost flat
d. The air circulation in the attic
Attic is fully insulated
Not much air circulation
e. The tightness of the fit for doors and windows
Most doors shut completely due to new weather stripping
Some windows have slight air flow around the edges
f. The color of outer walls (does it absorb or reflect heat?)
Yellow and brick
Brick absorbs heat
Yellow reflects
g. Any other features that may affect the dwellings heat balance
Pool outside both reflecting and absorbing heat