Energy Conservation Worksheet

Instructions: Complete a personal energy audit by calculating the estimated amount of energy
you use in a year. Determine your personal impact on energy resources and the environment.
Calculate the financial costs of your energy use. Graph your yearly energy use, reflect on your
energy usage, and draw a conclusion. Submit your worksheet to your instructor when completed.

Samantha Bellaire 1.25.2025

Title: Energy Conservation Worksheet

Objective(s):

See Energy Conservation Activity description for the objectives of the energy audit.
Determine the personal impact I have on energy resources and the environment through various
calculations regarding household appliances.

Materials:
 A calculator

Procedure:
Part 1 – Yearly Energy Use by Appliance

1. Use the Appliance Energy Reference Chart (Figure 1) to select 15 appliances you or your
family use regularly. If you choose an appliance that is not listed, you will have to
research how much power (watts) the appliance uses.
2. Record the 15 appliances you chose and the corresponding power (watts) for each in the
first two columns of Data Table 1. Be sure to consider all appliances of one type. For
example, count all lightbulbs in your home and multiply that number by the number of
watts used by a lightbulb. If you have 10 lightbulbs in your house and each uses 65 watts,
you should record 650 in Column 2.
3. Follow the directions above Data Table 1 to complete columns 3-8.

Figure 1. Appliance Energy Reference Chart

Appliance Power (watts) Appliance Power (watts)

Clothes washer 512 Coffeemaker 600
Clothes dryer 5,000 Food processor 350
Dishwasher 1,200 Microwave 750
Hot water heater 5,000 Range/oven 3,500
*Air Conditioner/Heat 3,500 Toaster/toaster oven 1,200
Refrigerator 800 Computer 75
Blender 300 Chargers (computer, phone, etc.) 5
Television 100 Vacuum cleaner 650

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 Game console (Xbox, PlayStation, etc.) 150 Lightbulbs 65
Pool or well pump 750 Hair dryer 1,200
Ceiling fan 75 Iron 1,000
Other: Other:

Instructions for Columns 3-7 of Data Table 1:

 Column 3 – Convert watts to kilowatts.

 Column 4 – Estimate the number of hours used per day.
 Column 5 – Multiply power (kilowatts) by estimated hours per day.
 Column 6 – Estimate the number of days used per year.
 Column 7 – Multiply energy per day (kilowatts hours) by estimated days per year.
 Column 8 - In the last row of the chart, calculate the total energy (kilowatt hours) used
per year for all appliances. Then, divide the energy per year (kilowatt hours) for each
individual appliance by the total energy (kilowatt hours) used per year for all appliances.
Multiply that answer by 100 to get the % of the Total.

Data Table 1 – Yearly Energy Use by Appliance

Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5 Column 6 Column 7 Column 8

Appliance Power Power Estimated Energy Estimated Energy % of the
(watts) (kilowatts) hours per per day days per per year Total
day in use (kilowatt year in (kilowatt
hours) use hours)

Washer 512 .512 5 2.56 365 934.4 2.4%

Dryer 5,000 5 5 25 365 9125 23.3%
Dishwasher 1,200 1.2 5 6 365 2190 5.6%
Refrigerator (X2) 1600 1.6 24 38.4 365 14,016 35.8%
Pool pump 750 .75 2 1.5 300 450 1.1%
Vacuum Cleaner 650 .65 1 .65 150 97.5 .25%
Toaster 1,200 1.2 1 1.2 315 378 .96%
Range/Oven 3,500 3.5 3 10.5 350 3,675 9.4%
Hair dryer 1,200 1.2 2 2.4 275 660 1.7%
Microwave 750 .75 3 2.25 365 821.25 2.1%
Computer (x2) 150 .15 5 .75 325 273.75 .7%
Food processor 350 .35 .05 .0175 200 3.5 .008%
Blender 300 .3 .5 .15 200 30 .08%
Air conditioner 3500 3.5 6 21 300 6,300 16%
Coffeemaker 600 .6 1 .6 365 219 .602%
Total Energy per year (kilowatt hours) 39,173.4 100%

*Use the following estimations for air conditioner/heat: 6 hours per day and 300 days per year.

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 Part 2 – Energy Resources and Costs

1. Convert your yearly energy (kilowatt hours) use from Data Table 1 to British thermal units
(Btus) using the following conversion factor. Record your total energy use in Btu on the line.
CONVERSION FACTOR
1 kilowatt hour (kwh) = 3,412 Btu

Total Energy Use per year in Btu = 133,659,640.8 Btu

2. Calculate the amount of coal, natural gas, oil, and uranium required to meet your energy needs
yearly. Use the following conversion factors. Place these values in Data Table 2.
CONVERSION FACTORS
1 pound of bituminous coal = 12,000 Btu
1 cubic foot of natural gas = 1,028 Btu
1 barrel of oil = 5,800,000 Btu
1 gram uranium = 4 x 107 Btu

3. Calculate how much each energy source will cost you per year for energy use. Use the
conversion factors below. Place these values in Data Table 2.
CONVERSION FACTORS
Coal costs about $25 per ton
Oil costs about $90 per barrel
Natural gas costs about $5 per 1000 cubic feet
Uranium costs about 2 cents per gram
2,000 pounds = 1 ton

Data Table 2 – Energy Source Amounts and Costs Per Year

Energy Source Amount Needed Total Cost

Coal Pounds needed: 11,139.3 $139.24
Natural Gas Cubic feet needed: 130,019.1 $650.10
Oil Barrels needed: 23.0 $2,070
Uranium Grams needed: 3.3 $0.07

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Part 3 – Graph, Reflection and Conclusion

Graph

Using the graphing tools of your document, create one pie chart that shows the percentage each
appliance contributes to the total percentage of yearly energy use. (To make the categories easier
to see in your pie chart, group appliances together by type, such as heating and cooling or
computer/electronics.)

Reflection Questions

Answer the reflection questions using what you have learned from the lesson and your data. It
will be helpful to refer to your class notes. Answer questions in complete sentences.
Compare your yearly energy use pie chart to the pie chart of home energy use presented in the
lesson.
1. Explain the differences or similarities between the charts.
My personal energy use pie chart highlighted a heavy reliance on appliances such as refrigerators
and air conditioners, which are consistent with broader household energy use trends. However,
the percentages may differ due to variations in individual appliance usage habits and efficiency
levels. For instance, homes with fewer inhabitants or no pool pump may see lower energy usage
in certain categories. Additionally, regional differences may occur: my air conditioning use is

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higher as I live in a hotter climate, and have a pool, because it is a standard in my neighborhood,
which may not exist elsewhere.

2. Explain why the cheapest fuel is not the best choice for the environment.
While coal and natural gas are relatively inexpensive fuels, they produce significant greenhouse
gas emissions and contribute to air pollution and climate change. In contrast, cleaner energy
sources such as solar and wind may have higher initial costs but result in fewer environmental
impacts, making them more sustainable choices.
3. Describe five methods from the lesson that could reduce your energy usage.
Five methods that could reduce my energy usage include:
 Using fans to cool my home and distribute heat, as it would reduce my energy
consumption for the air conditioner. I should also investigate better insulation.
 I should unplug devices that aren’t in use.
 I should turn off lights and unplug appliances to eliminate phantom energy loads.
 I should adjust the thermostat on my water heater to a lower temperature, or wash my
clothes in cooler water.
 I should use power strips to easily disconnect multiple devices and reduce standby energy
use.
Conclusion

Include a conclusion that is detailed in terms of accurately describing the lab and any
conclusions drawn supported by data. Generally, this section will include a summary and
interpretation of the lab results. Any experimental errors should also be reported and analyzed.
Also, discuss what things you can do to investigate or apply these concepts further.
The energy conservation lab provided a comprehensive analysis of yearly energy
consumption across various household appliances. The results demonstrated significant
differences in energy usage by appliance type, with refrigeration and air conditioning being the
largest contributors, accounting for 35.8% and 16% of the total energy use, respectively. These
appliances dominate due to their continuous operation and high power demand. Kitchen
appliances, including the dryer, range/oven, and dishwasher, collectively represented a
substantial portion of energy use at approximately 41%. Electronics and cleaning appliances had
a comparatively minor impact, with percentages below 3% for individual devices.
The findings highlight the importance of targeting high-energy-consuming appliances
when seeking to reduce overall energy consumption. For example, adopting energy-efficient
refrigerators or minimizing air conditioner use during non-peak times could significantly lower
energy usage. The pie chart further underscores the disproportionate energy demands of certain
appliances, suggesting that lifestyle adjustments and technology upgrades could have an outsized
impact on energy savings.
Potential sources of error in this analysis include inaccurate estimations of daily and
yearly usage hours for specific appliances. Additionally, variations in appliance efficiency,
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particularly for older models, may result in deviations from the reference data. Future
investigations could involve direct energy monitoring to provide more precise measurements.
To further investigate these concepts, I should focus on one specific aspect of my home,
and see how I can improve its energy usage. For example, in my room, I have many outputs of
energy: my fan, my chargers, my lightbulbs, and air-conditioning. While I am not home, I should
focus on turning these things off, that way I can reduce my personal energy consumption in my
five-person house. Further, I should educate my family about turning off unused devices, and
make a future plan exploring renewable energy resources to offset our non-renewable use.
Overall, this lab reinforced the importance of monitoring energy consumption and adopting
sustainable practices to reduce environmental impact and financial costs.

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trademark of Florida Virtual School.