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{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="center" | |||
! Electrical Usage from Common Appliances Per Day !! Energy Source in Amount Required !! Amount Required Per Month | |||
|- | |||
|Dehumidifier run for four hours (4hr x 645 watts = 2.58 Kwh) || 8.73 cubic feet of Natural Gas || 261 ft^3 of Natural Gas | |||
|- | |||
| Portable Space Heater run for six hours (6 x 1,500 watts = 9 Kwh) || 26 fl. Oz. of Gasoline || 6 gallons of Gasoline | |||
|- | |||
|Toaster Over run for half an hour(.5 x 1,350 watts = .675 Kwh) ||2.28 cubic feet of Natural Gas||68.4 ft^3 of Natural Gas | |||
|- | |||
|Television on for five hours (5 x 300 watts = 1.5 Kwh)||Half pound of Coal||15 pounds of Coal | |||
|- | |||
|Hair Dryer run for half an hour (.5 x 1,200 = .6 Kwh)||3.1 fl. Oz. of Ethanol||3 liters of Ethanol | |||
|- | |||
|Home Computer run for twenty hours (20 x 150 watts = 3 Kwh)||One pound of Coal||30 pounds of Coal | |||
|} | |||
==References== | ==References== |
Revision as of 21:54, 3 December 2010
Objective
To design a metering scheme that will monitor and display the impact of the electricity usage to visitors staying at the Samoa Hostel.
Background
The Samoa Hostel intends to educate visitors about topics related to ecology and conservationism. Part of this is an effort to allow visitors to monitor how much energy they are using, including electricity consumed by appliances that are plugged in but not in use. Studies have shown that self-monitoring of energy usage cuts consumption by a significant degree. Our solution's purpose is to find a meter for each of the twenty-four rooms of the hostel. Most meters being intended for monitoring either a single socket or an entire building has presented a unique challenge for our solution.
Constraints
- Each room has one meter.
- The meter is at eye-level (five feet).
- The meter has an easy to read LCD screen.
- The meter is easy to operate.
- The meter can measure up to 220V accurately.
- The meters will not interfere with each other.
Criteria in Order of Significance
- Safety meets National Electric Code
- Education encourage conservation
- Durability withstand everyday use
- Cost less than $250.00
- Aesthetics looks professional
Solution
The metering scheme will use the EM-2500 meter. Each bedroom will contain one EM-2500 meter, set at a height of five feet and two feet from the light switch, The meter will connect to the insulated hot wires leading to the lightbulb and to the electric outlet. Using current transformer connectors that wrap around main insulated electrical lines is more safe and effective than conventional splicing, or invasive systems. It will display energy used in Kilowatthours (KWh).
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Fig 1: The attachment of wires for wall mounting the EM-2500. Picture by Energy Monitoring Technologies.[1]
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Fig 2: Basic setup of a hostel room showing the EM-2500 Meter Reader at five feet high with a conversion chart next to it. Picture courtesy of David Scully.
Costs
Material | Cost ($) |
---|---|
One EM-2500 | 215.00 |
Licensed Electrician (for 1 hour) | 35.00 |
Miscellaneous Materials | 10.00 |
Total Cost | 260.00 |
Results
Text here
Text here
Text here
Discussion
Electrical Usage from Common Appliances Per Day | Energy Source in Amount Required | Amount Required Per Month |
---|---|---|
Dehumidifier run for four hours (4hr x 645 watts = 2.58 Kwh) | 8.73 cubic feet of Natural Gas | 261 ft^3 of Natural Gas |
Portable Space Heater run for six hours (6 x 1,500 watts = 9 Kwh) | 26 fl. Oz. of Gasoline | 6 gallons of Gasoline |
Toaster Over run for half an hour(.5 x 1,350 watts = .675 Kwh) | 2.28 cubic feet of Natural Gas | 68.4 ft^3 of Natural Gas |
Television on for five hours (5 x 300 watts = 1.5 Kwh) | Half pound of Coal | 15 pounds of Coal |
Hair Dryer run for half an hour (.5 x 1,200 = .6 Kwh) | 3.1 fl. Oz. of Ethanol | 3 liters of Ethanol |
Home Computer run for twenty hours (20 x 150 watts = 3 Kwh) | One pound of Coal | 30 pounds of Coal |
References
- ↑ Picture by Energy Monitoring Technologies, Inc.