Tech Directions - September 2007 - (Page 29)

Help Students Become Wise Energy Consumers By G. H. Massiha, Herbert A. Hebert, and Kuldeep S. Rawat massiha@louisiana.edu; hah5863@louisiana.edu; ksrawat@mail.ecsu.edu W E introduce students in our department’s construction course to a variety of energy-saving practices and processes. The activities described here give them an opportunity to apply design methodology in the creative pursuit of a solution to an open-ended problem. Students complete the task of calculating energy use in a house and proposing ways to reduce consumption. An introductory lecture gives students the necessary background for their activities. After receiving the background information, students perform various calculations, complete a home energy efficiency test (Table 1), and write a report that shows their calculations and discusses energy-saving strategies. Background Our dependency on electricity is so widespread that it’s easy to forget that less than a century ago gas or oil lamps and candles lit people’s homes at night. Cooking was done on or in a coal stove. Coal also heated water for washing dishes and G. H. Massiha is professor of engineering and Herbert A. Hebert is a construction technology and management instructor, Department of Industrial Technology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette. Kuldeep S. Rawat is an assistant professor, Technology and Aviation Science Department, Elizabeth City (NC) State College. regulate energy use and thus ensure taking baths. Our grandparents or that people will have plenty of elecgreat-grandparents can recall when tricity for new applications in the buildings were heated with coal- or future. Understanding the causes of wood-burning stoves. People stored energy waste and taking appropriate food in iceboxes cooled with blocks of ice cut and hauled from local icehouses. New inventions 20% requiring electricity Water Lighting & heater have dramatically small appliances improved our way of 10% life. The wondrous power of electricity 8% Refrigeration that heats our 50% homes, operates Air conditioning 4% Cooking & heating complex industrial 3% Clothes machines, micro5% dryer waves, TVs, computOther ers, and so forth had its beginning thousands of years ago, when ancient Greeks Fig. 1—Energy consumption breakdown for the discovered that rubaverage residential household in southern Louisiana bing amber with fur steps to eliminate it is the first step would produce energy. toward energy conservation. Consider that the simple act of Observe the pie chart of energy flipping a switch to turn on a light consumption provided by SLEMCO, results from thousands of years of a utility company located in scientific investigation and experiLafayette, LA. (See Fig. 1.) mentation! Our dependency on elecThe pie chart clearly shows that tricity continues to increase at rates our major energy consumption goes faster than ever before. Use of electo air conditioning, heating, water tricity provides greater access and heaters, lighting, and small applicapabilities in safety, communicaances. You can determine your own tion, computerization, health, enterhome’s particular electrical energy tainment, and other conveniences of usage by answering questions in the every kind. Home Energy Efficiency Test on page Our entire way of life depends 30. You can also engage in energydramatically on electricity and the saving methods that will help you technology involved in distributing make the most efficient use of enit. Because of that, we should all ergy. F come to understand how to better www.techdirections.com POWER & ENERGY 29 http://www.techdirections.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Tech Directions - September 2007

Technically Speaking Contents Direct from Washington The News Report Technology’s Past Technology Today Mastering Computers Dome, Sweet Dome—Geodesic Structures Teach Math, Science, and Technology Principles Help Students Become Wise Energy Consumers How Does FERPA Affect You? Camera Operator and Videographer e-gallery Product Central Free for the Asking More than Fun

Tech Directions - September 2007

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