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.
Work Cited:
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.
