Energy Consumption in the Suburbs

1. Energy Consumption in the Suburbs Jeanne Scanlon Matthew Newcomer CRP 3870/8870: Sustainability in the Suburbs Professor: Bradley Flamm

2. Energy and its use Affect Every Aspect of our Lives and Every Other Topic Addressed in this Class • Nature and / in the suburban community- To enhance our connection to nature we can utilize plants in our landscaping to reduce the level of heating and cooling our structures require. • Transportation in suburban communities- Massive amounts of energy are required to maintain our current transportation system, based around the suburban landscape where the personal automobile is standard issue for any and all activities. • The places where we live, work, in suburban communities- Our structures in the suburban community, usually following the pattern of low density single family residences and large box stores surrounded by seas of parking lots are very energy intensive. The poor design and integration of these buildings contributes to the energy problems in the other areas. • Suburbia, Cities, Country; Social equity in the suburbs; Serving the needs of residents of suburban communities- These topics are also tied to the use of energy and the way our suburbs exist that dictate the way energy is used. Many political and social issues are raised when determining which area, which demographic, or municipality will get funding and support for energy improvements and resources.

4. Photo By: Peter Essick National Geographic March 2009

5. Photo By: Peter Essick National Geographic March 2009

10. Challenges and Barriers to the adoption of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Technologies • Limited Supply Infrastructure • Quality Problems • Insufficient information and training • Misplaced Incentives • Lack of Money of Financing • Purchasing Procedures • Pricing and Tax Barriers • Regulatory and Utility Barriers • Political Obstacles • Lack of Detailed Quantifiable Renewable Energy Production Data • Renewable Energy (Solar, Wind) is too expensive at startup and not reliable enough for widespread adoption

12. Hydrogen Fuel CellsElectric Cars (Batteries) Evolution of Energy Wood Coal Oil Hydrogen Fuel Cells Electric Technology (Batteries) How a Fuel Cell Works: 2H2 (hydrogen Gas) + O2 (oxygen) = Electricity + 2H20 (water)

13. Ways to Address Suburban Energy Consumption • Widespread use of solar hot water, for heating and hot water. Roof top solar hot water is cheaper and easier to install and use than both photovoltaic panels and geothermal systems. • Fundamental improvements in transportation systems and technologies; more public transportation, option to bike or walk safely available in almost all areas. Continued technological improvements to vehicle efficiency, emission reduction and use of potentially sustainable vehicles such as electric or hydrogen fuel cell. • Focus on Lifestyle and Energy efficiency upgrades and improvements; Our lifestyle is unsustainable. The United States has about 5 % of the world population, but on a yearly basis we use 40 % of the energy consumed by the world. New clean, renewable methods of generating energy are not enough. We need basic efficiency improvements which can be implemented immediately on a small scale in every building, examples would include more efficient appliances and better insulation. • Passive Design improvements to buildings. Orienting buildings along the east-west line and using landscaping to reduce the need for active heating and cooling. • Better Electricity grid and Residential Smart Metering. The electric system in residential homes is networked so that the resident can view electricity consumption in real time by device, appliance, or outlet. This feature could go along way to changing behavior and reducing unnecessary energy consumption.