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Getting Started A Beginner’s Household Energy Audit

Getting Started A Beginner’s Household Energy Audit. Jim Lambert. The background idea. Set priorities to minimise our household energy use (greenhouse emissions) Would need multiple actions Needs some kind of analysis to decide where to start. Household Setup. 1950s family home

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Getting Started A Beginner’s Household Energy Audit

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  1. Getting StartedA Beginner’s Household Energy Audit Jim Lambert

  2. The background idea • Set priorities to minimise our household energy use (greenhouse emissions) • Would need multiple actions • Needs some kind of analysis to decide where to start

  3. Household Setup • 1950s family home • Renovated 25 years ago • Good northerly aspect & some reasonable passive solar design • 2 people (newly retired) • Electric off peak hot water • Gas space heating • No air conditioning • 1 car (old and thirsty)

  4. Equipment (for collecting data) • Normal electricity and gas meters • Past records of gas and electric bills

  5. Greenhouse gas estimates (past bills)

  6. Basic electric (refrigeration, cooking, lighting etc.) Off peak electric (hot water) Space heating (family room) Car (estimated over 8 weeks) Greenhouse Gas estimates

  7. Electrical Energy Usage (kWhrs) (from past bills)

  8. Electricity usage(Converting kWhr to its Greenhouse equivalent) • Average (excluding abnormal periods) 5268 kWhr/year (603W continuous) • greenhouse gas 6,479 kg/year (factor of 1.23 kg/kWhr from Univ of Sydney stinkOmeter on web)

  9. Gas usage (MJ)(from past bills)

  10. Gas usage(Converting MJ to its Greenhouse equivalent) • Average 38,000 MJ/year • gives greenhouse gas 2,660 kg/year (factor 0.07 kg/MJ from stinkOmeter)) • Peak (for heating design) 207MJ/day in winter June-August

  11. Car – greenhouse emissions(Fuel consumed & Distance over 8 weeks) • Average distance 286 km/week • Average consumption 15.0 litre/100km • 2.3kg greenhouse per litre of petrol (source Australian Greenhouse Office Fuel Consumption Guide 2002-3) • Fuel usage 15.0*286/100 = 42.9 litre/week • this would give greenhouse gas 2.3 * 42.9 * 52 kg/year = 5,131 kg/yr

  12. Ideas from first pass • Spare refrigerator gone from garage • Solar hot water - easy and cost effective • Other electric has no quick fix • Reduction in load is probably more attractive than 100% solar electric • Replace car (60% less petrol consumption) • Shade sails and skylight modifications for summer cooling • Explore space heating and cooling (ground source heat pumps??)

  13. Limitations of (electric) audit method • Poor resolution of electric meters (1 kWhr minimum step) • Difficult to separate multiple loads • Very indirect method • not easy to focus on any particular device (e.g. refrigerator efficiency) • Needs rather obsessive behaviour (difficult for loved ones) • Separate portable meter availability??

  14. Example of poor resolution “Background” (overnight) electrical consumption Standby appliances connected Standby appliances unplugged

  15. Powermate meter from ATA • David Hornsby (phone 9631 5413 direct) • kWhr resolution 0.1 or 0.01 • Piggy-back plug • Available for loan - 1 week $60 • Purchase price ~$300 for ATA members

  16. Initial cost-benefit ranking

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