Residential and Commercial Consumption

As technology grows, we are able to find new and different ways to deal with the concern of global warming. However, there are quite a few things that we can do today, with the current level of technology available, to help aid in the fight to fix the damage caused. When you discuss the damage that has been done, the issue of carbon stabilization comes into play. Carbon stabilization has to do with the current and ideal levels of atmospheric CO2 (Carbon Dioxide). As the plan currently stands, the attempt is to cap the level at 500 +/- 50 ppm, or less than double the preindustrial concentration (280 ppm). However, in order to obtain this goal, the emissions of carbon must be held at the present level, 7 billion tons of carbon per year (GtC/year), for the next 50 years. This “sensible horizon” has prompted the creation of stabilization wedges for the environment. These wedges are, in essence, suggestions that could fix the amount of carbon being released into the atmosphere. For the purpose of this group’s research, the wedge we shall be discussing has to do with the energy consumption of commercial and residential electricity. This wedge alone could contain enough power to set in motion a change that could further benefit the planet we inhabit.

The reduction of electricity consumption within the residential and commercial aspects of our lives is one of the easiest wedges to form. There are not only many ways to save the extra electricity we use daily, but many of these ways simply require a slight lifestyle change, or a couple of extra dollars at the register. However, there are also ways to add to the reduction of commercial and residential electrical energy use before a home owner has any say in it. More efficient buildings can be made, using better building codes, and these buildings themselves can be outfitted with efficient appliances, mainly those that have earned an energy star rating. This could cut carbon emissions by ј in buildings and appliances alone. For residential mainly, there are many ways to save on the amount of energy used, and all it takes is a little change. For example, children have the habit of standing in front of a fridge with the door open, deciding what they want to eat. Every time this happens, the compressor inside of the refrigerator runs for 8-10 minutes in order to maintain the proper temperature inside for the foods. So, if on average the door is opened by a child 4 times a day for him or her to decide what they want for a little snack, the compressor is running anywhere from 32 - 40 minutes a day. Figure that into the other times the fridge is opened during the day, and that’s quite a large amount of time for a compressor to be running daily. However, limiting the amount of times the door opens drops the amount of electricity wasted on the compressor.

Lighting seems to be the biggest way to save electricity between both residential and commercial. In residential situations, the shift from incandescent bulbs to fluorescent shows a great change in the amount of electricity saved. For example, take a normal 100 watt incandescent bulb. This bulb would cost normally 50 cents, last for 167 days, and have an annual energy use value of $21.90. However, an equivalent 27 watt compact fluorescent bulb would cost close to $9, have a life of 4.5 years and an annual energy use of $5.91. Assuming the light in question was left on for six hours per day, and electricity cost is set at $.10 per kWh, the incandescent would cost a consumer $103.55 while the more efficient CFL would only cost $35.60, giving the consumer a savings of $67.95. Switching to energy star lights within any house of business can lead to tremendous savings on an electrical bill. Replacing five frequently used bulbs can save more than $60 per year on a bill, while replacing 25% of your high-use incandescent bulbs to CFLs could lead to a 50% savings on an electrical bill. These energy savings may not mean much, but the replacement alone reduces electricity demand, which in turn reduces the need to burn fossil fuels, and thus can prevent the emission of at least 112 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

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