CT108 Next Generation Technologies

Energy & Environmental Informatics

________Energy Audit________

Name: Shauna Doyle

ID Number: 13417068

DESCRIPTION OF MY HOUSE
I live in a two-storey dormer house in the countryside of Claregalway, Co. Galway. It is a six
bedroom house built in 1990. In 1998, we extended the house by building a conservatory onto the
existing dining room. Also in 1998, we upgraded all our windows to double glazed and fitted a draft
proof door and in 2003 we converted the attic into three rooms; a storage room and two large
bedrooms. The rooms were insulated and double glazed windows were installed. Last year,
insulation was pumped into the outside walls of the house to make the house more energy efficient.

Utility/Kitchen/Dining/Living Area:
My house consists of 15 rooms in total. There is a large open plan living space consisting of a
kitchen, dining/living area and conservatory at the rear of the house. There is a stove in the living
area. This heats the large room and the radiators in the rest of the house. This is where most of the
heating comes from in the house and is usually lit daily between October and April. It is lit by coal
and briquettes which uses approx. 9,000 kWh per annum. During the summer, the conservatory
allows a lot of heat and light in through the windows which means that the lights are rarely used.
However, this room gets very cold during the winter due to the large amount of windows. For this
reason, the doors are usually kept shut for these months to reduce the amount of heat lost. This
saves on electricity and makes the house more energy efficient. The living area consists of a
television, lamp and DVD player that uses electricity. There is one chandelier with three bulbs and
two wall lights in the living/dining area and four halogen lights in the conservatory. The kitchen
contains one large fluorescent tube which lights the area. There is strip lighting under the cabinets.
We have a gas cooker, dishwasher, fridge, mini oven, toaster and kettle which are used on a daily
basis. The kitchen leads out into the utility and the back door. The washing machine, tumble dryer,
freezer and microwave are kept out there. The room is quite small and there is one light bulb in the
room.

Sitting Room:
The sitting room is located at the front of the house and has a big bay window to allow
sunlight in. This traps the sunlight in the summer which heats the room between May and
September. This room features an open fire which is used daily between October and March. This is
also powered by coal and briquettes and uses approx. 8,000 kWh per annum. This fire also
contributes to the hot water and heating the radiators throughout the house. There is one radiator
which is used occasionally when the fire is not lit. This room uses quite a lot of electricity by the TV,
printer, modem, Wii, DVD players and lights, which includes one ceiling light, two wall lights, two
lamps and one spotlight.

Bedrooms:
Master Bedroom:

An L-shaped hallway connects the main living area of the house to the bedrooms.
There are four bedrooms downstairs. The master bedroom is at the rear of the house and
contains a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite. The ensuite has an electric shower which is used
twice daily. There is also a television, two lamps and an electronic alarm clock which all
contribute to the energy usage. There are three ceiling lights in total, one in the bedroom,
one in the bathroom and one in the walk-in wardrobe. The room is heated by a radiator.

Bedroom 2, 3 & 4:

These bedrooms are located at the front of the house. There is a radiator in each
room which is used in the winter months. Bedroom 2 also has a walk-in wardrobe with a
radiator and ceiling light. Bedrooms 3 and 4 have televisions with an Xbox and PlayStation
which are used daily. They all have one ceiling light and bedside lamps.
Bedroom 5 & 6:

These two bedrooms are upstairs and are very large. They both have two windows
at the back and one Velux window at the front. They are heated by an electric radiator, one
in each room. During the summer, the heat from the sun is trapped in the rooms and makes
them very warm. The rooms are not very well insulated and become very cold during the
winter. There are five halogen lights in each room but because they are both spare rooms,
they are used very rarely.

Bathroom & Hot-press:

The bathroom and hot-press are both downstairs beside the bedrooms. The hot-press
contains a water tank which is used to heat the water and pump it around the house. This water is
heated by the stove in the kitchen. The bathroom has an electric shower which is used twice on a
daily basis. There is one ceiling light and one mirror light in the room.

Hall & Landing:

It is an L-shaped hallway with a stairway near the front door leading up to the landing. There
are two radiators in the hallway, one near the front door and one down the hall. There are two
ceiling lights in the entrance hall and four halogen lights down the hall. There is one ceiling light
going up the stairway and two halogen lights on the landing. There is a stereo on the landing which
is often used. There is also a computer but this is rarely used because there are three laptops in the
house. The hallway is very cold during the winter because there is a draft which comes down the
stairs from the upstairs rooms and the radiator is old and not very efficient.

Overall, we use 29,776 kWh per annum which is above the national average. This is because
the house is not very energy efficient. 17,663 kWh per annum is used on coal to keep the house
heated because the stove and fireplace are 20 years old and a lot of the heat escapes up the
chimney. We also spend 7,092 kWh per annum on oil which contributes to heating the house. The
upstairs bedrooms are very cold during the winter due to the roof being badly insulated. This brings
a draft down the stairs during the winter months which causes the hallway to be cold too. The new
insulation which was pumped into the walls and the double-glazed windows help to retain some of
the heat and improved the amount of coal which was used previously. The windows in the house let
out quite a lot of heat in the winter because they are large. This leads to more coal being burned
during the winter months to keep the house warm. The electric showers mean that more electricity
is used rather than having an immersion. The halogen lights in the conservatory, hallway, landing
and upstairs bedrooms are very expensive to run and add hugely to the energy usage.

TOP-DOWN ANALYSIS

Summary of Findings:
By using the top-down approach I was able to calculate the total energy that is used
per annum. I got a figure of 5010 kWh for the electricity usage, 17,663.8 kWh for heating and a total
of 7092.8 kWh on gas. This adds up to a total figure of 29,776.6 kWh per annum. This is 29.42%
above the national average.
Im a little dissappointed about the results of the top down approach as we are
above the national average by quite a lot. This may be reduced by turning off the lights when they
are not being used and not turn them on until necessary. We also tend to have the televisions on
when they are not being watched and the laptops are constantly plugged in. By turning off
televisions and only charging laptops when they are low on battery, a lot of electricity may be saved.
The heating is also very high and contributes hugely to the kWh used per annum.
The reason for this is because our stove and fire is very old and therefore burns more coal than the
average to heat the house. A lot of the heat is being lost up the chimney, this may be reduced by
upgrading our stove and fire to modern, more efficient ones. The oil is often used while the stove is
on. By only having one heating source on at a time, a lot of energy would be saved.
Our house is not very well insulated and a lot of heat is lost through the big windows
and roof. Although our walls are well insulated, we have no insulation in the attic and this makes
the house very cold during the winter, causing more heating to be used.
Although our energy usage is still way over the national average, we have made
changes to cut back the amount we use. The insulation which was pumped into the walls last year,

greatly improved our heating bill and by using oil to heat our water, we get a much lower electricity
bill.

BOTTOM-UP ANALYSIS

Summary of Findings:

By using the bottom-up approach, I was able to account for most of the
electricity used in my house in the last year. By calculating the amount used on lights,
showers, appliances and electronic devices, I got a total value of 5571.72 kWh per annum.
The actual figure for electricity used in the past year is 5010 kWh. This estimate is 89%
accurate with my program. I was happy with this result as I put a lot of effort into my
research.
I was very surprised with a lot of the results of my bottom up approach. I was
shocked at the amount of electricity that the electric showers use. The cost of having two
electric showers is the same as the cost of all the lights in my house. Taking into
consideration that the lights are on for 5 or 6 hours daily compared to the shower being
used for only half an hour a day, these figures are crazy.
I was shocked by how much electricity is used on electronic devices in the
house. By having five televisions, two gaming devices and laptops which are used daily, the
power comsumption is quite high. This made me realise how much energy is being used
when everyone in the house is watching a different television.
I also learned about my contribution towards the energy consumption. I was
surprised at how little I use the electricity. By not using hair dryers and straighteners, I have
saved a lot of electricity and I am quite pleased with this result.
By doing this analysis, I was able to find out which room used the largest
amount of electricity. This room is the kitchen/living area. This is because we have many
electrical appliances in the room including a fridge, freezer, dishwasher, kettle, toaster, mini
oven and television. Also this room contains the most amount of lights and they used for 5
or 6 hours on a daily basis.
Overall, the bottom-up approach was nearly as accurate as the top-down
approach. There is very little difference between the total figures. I also included the
heating and gas in my bottom-up approach to allow me to get final figures. The figure I got
in the bottom-up approach was 30,237.44 kWh per annum. I am approx. 500 kWh over the
actual figure. This may be because there would be two weeks during the summer when we
are on holidays and less electricity is used. I am very pleased with my program as it is very
accurate and quite general so it can be used for any household.

TOP-DOWN APPROACH Source Code

// top down approach.cpp : Defines the entry point for the console application.
//
#include "stdafx.h"
#include "stdio.h"
float elecBill;
float heatBill;
float gasBill;
float elecKWh;
float heatKWh;
float gasKWh;
float totalKWh;
float avgpercentageKWh;

void main()
{
printf("Enter annual electricity bill in euro: ");
scanf("%f", &elecBill);
//scans electricity bill in euro//
printf("Enter annual heating bill in euro: ");
scanf("%f", &heatBill);
//scans heating bill in euro//
printf("Enter annual gas bill in euro: ");
scanf("%f", &gasBill);
//scans gas bill in euro//

elecKWh = ((elecBill/20)*100);
//formula of converting elec bill from euro to KWh//
printf("\nKWh of electricity used is %.1f\n", elecKWh);
heatKWh = (((heatBill*81.4)/100)*10.85);
//formula to convert heat bill from euro to KWh//
printf("KWh of heat used is %.1f\n", heatKWh);
gasKWh = (gasBill*3.1*13); //formula to convert gas bill from euro to KWh//
printf("KWh of gas used is %.1f\n", gasKWh);
//3.1 is the cost of gas per kg//
//multiply by 13 to convert from kg to KWh//
totalKWh = (elecKWh + heatKWh + gasKWh);

//adds up to get total KWh//

printf("\nTotal KWh used is %.1f per annum\n\n", totalKWh);

avgpercentageKWh = (totalKWh/23000)*100;
//23000 is the average KWh used per year//
//multiplied by 100 to get percentage//
printf("\nTotal KWh used is %.2f%% of the national average\n",
avgpercentageKWh);
}

BOTTOM-UP APPROACH Source Code

// energy assignment.cpp : Defines the entry point for the console application.
//
#include "stdafx.h"
#include <stdio.h>

void main()
{
int roomNum=0;
int i = 0;
float lightNum[100];
float wattLight[100];
float hoursUsed[100];
int energyUsedLights;
int elecDeviceNum=0;
float elecWattNum[1000];
float elecHoursPerDay[100];

//array large to hold many lights//

//array large to hold many devices//

int bkitchenApplianceNum=0;
float bappWattNum[1000];
float bappHoursPerDay[100];
int skitchenApplianceNum=0;
float sappWattNum[1000];
float sappHoursPerDay[100];
int utilityApplianceNum=0;
float uappWattNum[100];
float uappHoursPerDay[100];
int electricShowerNum=0;
float showerWattNum[100];
float showerHoursPerDay[100];
int otherDevNum=0;
float otherDevWattNum[100];
float otherDevHoursPerDay[100];
float totalelecKWhUsed=0;
float totalheatKWhUsed=0;
float totalKWhUsed=0;
float
float
float
float
float
float

oilUsed;
totalOil;
coalUsed;
totalCoal;
gasUsed;
totalGas;

printf("***************Electricity***************\n\n");

printf("Input number of rooms in house: ");

scanf_s("%d",&roomNum);

for(i=1; i<roomNum+1; i++)

{
printf("Enter number of lights in room %d: ", i);
//for loop calculating Kwh of lights//
scanf_s("%f",&lightNum[i]);
printf("Enter wattage of lights in room %d: ", i);
scanf_s("%f",&wattLight[i]);
printf("Enter number of hours used per day in room %d: ", i);
scanf_s("%f",&hoursUsed[i]);
}
float lightKWhUsed=0;
float total=0;
for(i=1; i<roomNum+1; i++)
{
lightKWhUsed = lightKWhUsed +
(((lightNum[i]*wattLight[i]*hoursUsed[i])/(1000))*365);
//formula to calculate total light KWh//
//multiplied by 365 for result for the year//
}

printf("Total KWh used per annum is %.2f\n\n", lightKWhUsed);

printf("Enter number of electronic devices in the house eg. TV/Gaming

Devices/Radio: ");
scanf_s("%d",&elecDeviceNum);
for(i=1; i<elecDeviceNum+1; i++)
//for loop to input details of electronic devices//
{
printf("Enter number of watts in electronic device %d: ", i);
//allows user input wattage of device//
scanf("%f", &elecWattNum[i]);
printf("Enter number of hours device is used per day: ", i);
scanf("%f",&elecHoursPerDay[i]);
}
float elecKWhUsed=0;
for(i=1; i<elecDeviceNum+1; i++)
{
elecKWhUsed = elecKWhUsed +
(((elecWattNum[i]*elecHoursPerDay[i])/(1000))*365);
//formula for KWh used from electronic devices//
}
printf("Total KWh used per annum is %.2f\n\n", elecKWhUsed);
//prints out KWh used on electronic devices//

printf("Enter number of big kitchen appliances in the house eg.

Fridge/Dishwasher: ");
scanf_s("%d",&bkitchenApplianceNum);

for(i=1; i<bkitchenApplianceNum+1; i++)

//for loop to input big kitchen appliances//
{
printf("Enter number of watts in kitchen appliance %d: ", i);
//allows user input their own watts//
scanf_s("%f", &bappWattNum[i]);
//reads in the wattage//
printf("Enter number of hours kitchen appliance is used per day: ", i);
//allows user enter hours used on appliance//
scanf_s("%f", &bappHoursPerDay[i]);
}
float bappKWhUsed=0;
for(i=1; i<bkitchenApplianceNum+1; i++)
{
bappKWhUsed = bappKWhUsed +
(((bappWattNum[i]*bappHoursPerDay[i])/(1000))*365);
//formula to calculate KWh for the year//
}
printf("Total KWh used per annum is %.2f\n\n", bappKWhUsed);
//tells user the amount KWh is used on big appliances//

printf("Enter number of small kitchen appliances in the house eg.

Toaster/Kettle: ");
scanf_s("%d",&skitchenApplianceNum);

for(i=1; i<skitchenApplianceNum+1; i++)

//for loop to calculate small appliances//
{
printf("Enter number of watts in small kitchen appliance %d: ", i);
scanf_s("%f", &sappWattNum[i]);
printf("Enter number of hours small kitchen appliance is used per day:
", i);
scanf_s("%f", &sappHoursPerDay[i]);
}
float sappKWhUsed=0;
for(i=1; i<skitchenApplianceNum+1; i++)
{
sappKWhUsed = sappKWhUsed +
(((sappWattNum[i]*sappHoursPerDay[i])/(1000))*365);
//formula for small appliances//
//multiplied by 365 to get a yearly result//
}
printf("Total KWh used per annum is %.2f\n\n", sappKWhUsed);

printf("Enter number of utility appliances in the house eg.

Dryer/Washing Machine: ");
scanf_s("%d",&utilityApplianceNum);

for(i=1; i<utilityApplianceNum+1; i++)

{
printf("Enter number of watts in utility appliance %d: ", i);
scanf_s("%f", &uappWattNum[i]);

printf("Enter number of hours utility appliance is used per day: ", i);
scanf_s("%f", &uappHoursPerDay[i]);
}
float uappKWhUsed=0;
for(i=1; i<utilityApplianceNum+1; i++)
{
uappKWhUsed = uappKWhUsed +
(((uappWattNum[i]*uappHoursPerDay[i])/(1000))*365);
}
printf("Total KWh used per annum is %.2f\n\n", uappKWhUsed);

printf("Enter number of electric showers in the house: ");

//for loop for electric showers//
scanf_s("%d",&electricShowerNum);
//scans in no. of electric showers in the house//

for(i=1; i<electricShowerNum+1; i++)

//for loop to allow user input shower information//
{
printf("Enter number of watts in electric shower %d: ", i);
//allows user input their own wattage//
scanf_s("%f", &showerWattNum[i]);
printf("Enter number of hours electric shower is used per day: ", i);
scanf_s("%f", &showerHoursPerDay[i]);
}
float showerKWhUsed=0;
for(i=1; i<electricShowerNum+1; i++)
{
showerKWhUsed = showerKWhUsed +
(((showerWattNum[i]*showerHoursPerDay[i])/(1000))*365);
}
printf("Total KWh used per annum is %.2f\n\n", showerKWhUsed);

printf("Enter number of other devices in the house eg. Iron/Hoover: ");

scanf_s("%d",&otherDevNum);

for(i=1; i<otherDevNum+1; i++)

//for loop for extra devices not listed above//
{
//this covers all extra electrical devices//
printf("Enter number of watts in device %d: ", i);
scanf_s("%f", &otherDevWattNum[i]);
printf("Enter number of hours device is used per day: ", i);
scanf_s("%f", &otherDevHoursPerDay[i]);
}

float otherDevKWhUsed=0;
for(i=1; i<otherDevNum+1; i++)
{
otherDevKWhUsed = otherDevKWhUsed +
(((otherDevWattNum[i]*otherDevHoursPerDay[i])/(1000))*365);
}
printf("Total KWh used per annum is %.2f\n\n", otherDevKWhUsed);

totalelecKWhUsed = totalelecKWhUsed + (lightKWhUsed + elecKWhUsed + bappKWhUsed

+ sappKWhUsed + uappKWhUsed + showerKWhUsed + otherDevKWhUsed);
//adds up all devices//
printf("Total KWh used on electricity per annum is %.2f\n\n\n",
totalelecKWhUsed);
//shows user amount KWh for all electricity//

printf("***************Heating/Gas***************\n\n");
printf("Enter the amount of oil used per year in litres: ");
//allows user to enter amount of oil used per year//
scanf_s("%f", &oilUsed);
//scans the amount used//
totalOil = (oilUsed*35000*0.0002777);
//forumla for converting oil in litres to KWh//
printf("Total KWh used per annum is %.2f\n\n", totalOil);
//outputs the amount used on oil//
printf("Enter the amount of coal used per year in tonnes: ");
//amount of coal is inputted in tonnes//
scanf_s("%f", &coalUsed);
totalCoal = (coalUsed*29307599.99996269*0.0002777);
//formula of converting coal in tonnes to KJ first and then to KWh//
printf("Total KWh used per annum is %.2f\n\n", totalCoal);
totalheatKWhUsed = (totalCoal + totalOil);
//adds up the total for coal and oil//
printf("Total KWh used on heating per annum is %.2f\n\n\n",
totalheatKWhUsed);
//shows how much is used on heating//
printf("Enter the amount of gas used per year in kg: ");
//amount of gas is inputted in kg//
scanf_s("%f", &gasUsed);
totalGas = (gasUsed*13);
//1kg of coal is 13KWh//
printf("Total KWh used on gas per annum is %.2f\n\n\n", totalGas);

totalKWhUsed = (totalheatKWhUsed + totalelecKWhUsed + totalGas);

//adds up electricity, gas and heating to get a total figure of KWh//
printf("Total amount of KWh used per annum is %.2f\n\n", totalKWhUsed);
//outputs the total of KWh per annum//
}

Results:
Top-Down Approach:

Bottom-Up Approach: