Assignment 3 - Team Cacti
Please answer the following questions about the article: what did you find interesting? what did you find not find interesting? what did you not understand? what did you learn (if anything) reading the article?
There were two specific ideas mentioned that were highly interesting. The idea of giving consumers near real-time feedback on their energy usage habits seems incredibly useful. There is currently a large disconnect when trying to compare device use to a end-of-the-month bill. It is hard to tell what device ended up using the most energy ("was it my fridge? maybe my tv?") and whether or not small changes (like being diligent about turning lights off when leaving the room) are helping. Good habits around energy consumption could be adopted quickly if there was decent feedback. With the implementation of a smart monitor, the fact that "unplugging appliances while they are off saves energy" could become much more apparent. Changes in energy use could be obvious within days, rather than still-confusing after months.
The other thing we found very interesting was the idea of providing a simulator for seeing how various changes around the house could affect energy consumption across various timeframes. This speaks to the ability to better understand the repercussions of various actions. The easier it is to see problems associated with an action, the easier it is to stop taking that action (ie, if you touch a hot stove, it is very apparent that you should not do that). The graph "Figure 7: Effect of Different Boundary Objects on Willingness to Change Behavior" was surprising, since it seemed to us that measurements like trees or money are easier to visualize than amounts of coal or kilo-watt hours. We did not understand why pounds of coal per year was the most effective way to show energy usage in a way that will make people change their habits. It seems like a much more abstract affect than others.
We were also unsure of how much room there is for collaboration or contribution. The idea that consumers being informed of their usage is great, but we didn't really see what actions these consumers would take as they move up levels in the ecology of participation (figure 2). What does collaboration mean in this context? Would it be working with others in your neighborhood to reduce the footprint of the whole area? Does it mean educating and helping others reduce their consumption?
Based on an exploration of the web, scientific articles, newspaper stories, ….. ? Write a Short Essay (about 1 page) about an interesting question / website related to one or more of the themes: Energy Sustainability, Smart Meters, Smart Grid
On the topic of Energy Sustainability the National Science Foundation website has a very interesting program dealing with energy sustainability called “Energy for Sustainability.” The Energy for Sustainability being describes how it supports fundamental research and education that will enable innovative processes for the sustainable production of electricity and transportation fuels (Energy for Sustainability). What we found interesting about this program was how it focuses on utilizing the most abundant and sustainable energy source, the sun, along with utilizing electrical power too. What was also interesting was how they broke down the programs interest in each source of energy into what they could be used for and what they are looking to get out of it. For instance, in Biomass Conversion, Biofuels & Bioenergy category they are interested in how process like Photosynthesis can be adapted and used to make transportation fuels of the future and that they would like to focus on research to make biofuels beyond the current cellulosic ethanol fuels(Energy for Sustainability). Another interesting aspect of the program was just how many energy options they are willing to fund. Biomass Conversion, Biofuels, Bioenergy, Photovoltaic Solar Energy, Wind, Wave Energy, and Fuel Cells are all possible sources for sustainable energy are each possible areas of research, each with there own description on what they are looking for(Energy for Sustainability). The Wave Energy interest in the program was particularly interesting because waves pack a lot of power and especially ocean waves can be harnessed for sustained and very renewable energy. Plus coastal cities can harness this energy and rely less on energy that pollutes our air and water.
Another side of this ongoing debate on Energy Sustainability is the ramifications that the development of renewable energy would have on the current global system. Currently, the economies of the countries in the Persian Gulf are all dependent on fossil fuels (perhaps with the exception of the United Arab Emirates). While very few of us in the United States, or throughout most of the world, would argue that the discovery of a renewable energy source is not important, we do tend to neglect the fact that should such a source be developed and implemented, nearly every state in the Persian Gulf would be in severe risk of going bankrupt within several years. This raises another ethical issue that must be addressed. We are not arguing that this is a legitimate cause to stop the pursuit of sustainable energy; however, it stands to reason that such a development will also have severely negative impacts on certain areas of the globe. Thus, when we discuss renewable energy, we must also realize that by migrating away from fossil fuels, we are taking away the one, or one of the few, natural resources that an entire region of the globe depends upon for their well being.
Work Cited:
How Much Oil does the US use?
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_oil_does_the_US_use_a_day
Energy for Sustainability, National Science Foundation,
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=501026
Briefly describe your own interests, experiences, actions, changes in your behavior (if any) related to “energy awareness”!
Zac: I have minimalist tendencies, which translates into trying to be minimal about my consumption as well. I try to buy fewer things, keeping those that I own to higher quality more general use. I try to keep as much of my organization on my computer and the internet, avoiding need for multiple notebooks and extra paper (I don't even have a printer right now). This carries into energy consumption too. Most of my travel is by bicycle or public transportation and I try to be very conscious about turning off appliances around the house when leaving the room. I'm very interested in the idea of smart meters because I would love to get better feedback about changes I made around the house. I feel like my changes are very disconnected from any form of feedback, so I have to take ideas like unplugging electronics for granted, rather than see that it has made a definite difference.
Tom: Recently, I was contacted to join the Smart Grid Network. I believe that joining the smart grid network and having all the information readily available would change how I use energy and how I can influence my roommates in their energy consumption . Also, with Xcel’s price adjustments I got my roommates to try and stay under 600kwh for each month and for the most part we have. Some of my roommates still need to remember to shut off lights. But, personally with the smart grid I can explain to them just how much energy they are wasting by leaving the lights on.
Jacob: I am working on a double degree, one with Computer Science Engineering and the other with International Affairs. I have always been cognisant of my energy usage; however, as my focus in International Affairs is in the Middle East, I have started to become more aware of the consequences the Middle East is facing with their dependence on fossil fuel exports. Considering how the economies of several GCC states are over 80% dependent on fossil fuel exports, some action must be taken to help develop economies of the Gulf states as we begin to migrate away from the fossil fuels that drive their wellbeing.
Aaron: In general I have always been fairly aware of my energy consumption. I feel that the smart grid initiative stands a much better chance of altering a persons energy consumption because it shows them their usage on a scale small enough to be noticeable. This is in contrast to, for instance, public transportation initiatives where the difference in cost is not very substantial and the environmental benefits are almost unnoticeable when one persons daily consumption is compared to that of our country's. (400 million gallons/day of gasoline)
Luke: I have previously taken an Energy Sustainability course, partially directed towards climate change, but I do believe the two are very interconnected. While having taken online energy consumption survey, my roommate was told that he if everyone lived the way that he did we would need 4.2 Planet Earths to sustain his lifestyle. I was shocked, considering I live very similarly to the way that he does hence us living together. Even though we have Energy Star appliances, always turn off our appliances and lights when we leave the room, and use surge protectors for practically everything, energy was still considered one of our top consumptions. I do believe that 'awareness' about energy consumption is the largest issue. Due to the fact that we live in Boulder, Co, that has a great impact on our awareness of energy use and environmental impact, but the fact that even though I use '4.2 Planet Earths' I am positive that there are a large amount of people that have never considered their footprint, and how they effect the place they live, and where their future generations will.
