December 1, 2016

Mr. Alfonso Gandica, Adjunct Professor

NAMS Division, Room B-108
Stockton University
Jimmie Leeds Road
Pomona, New Jersey 08241

Dear Professor Gandica:

The attached report is the submittal for our Final Project on Sustainability at the Community
Level We were amazed at some of the advances in sustainable technology in recent years.

The best thing about sustainability is that it can decrease some costs of living and promotes
environmental consciousness.

We are going to start a personal effort to make our homes and community more sustainable.
Some of these efforts are simple and inexpensive, while others are more expensive but will
be a worthwhile investment in our future. We will do this by reducing our energy use and
resource consumption. Additionally, we will encourage our friends and family to do the
same.

If you have any questions about this report, feel free to contact us at your
convenience.

Sincerely Yours,

Michael Hoffman Michael Leonchuck Ryan Matarante Sydney Sykes

(609)-288-0763 (856)-905-3442 (908)-477-1983 (609)-605-2149
hoffma92@go.stockton.edu leonchum@go.stockton.edu mataeanr@go.stockton.edu sykess3@go.stockton.edu

Attachments:
Report (2 copies)

By your signature you are certifying that each of you worked as a team member
and that the Final Project Progress Report is correct.
 STOCKTON UNIVERSITY
Galloway, New Jersey 08205

Sustainability at the Community Level

Michael Hoffman
hoffma92@go.stockton.edu
Michael B Leonchuck
leonchum@go.stockton.edu
Ryan Matarante
mataranr@go.stockton.edu
Sydney Sykes
sykess3@go.stockton.edu

GIS 3305
Energy and Ethics

Fall 2016
 Summary

Climate change, greenhouse gasses, and global warming are all current issues that need to be
addressed today. If proper mitigation practices are not implemented into governing bodies,
future economic and environmental consequences will arise. Also, the overall well-being of the
people who inhibit Earth will be at stake. However, this responsibility does not only fall on the
government and state sectors, but the nation as whole and the citizens who follow, have a
responsibility as well. America needs to be an example to the world as a sustainable operated
nation. This paper discusses in detail the importance and necessity for efficiently run
households. An introduction and background is provided, giving the history of how climate
change came to terms through anthropogenic emissions and the urgency for change.
An analyses of the current situation follows, which is broken down into two parts. The
first part, discussing the issues with the past and current design of the average house.
Additionally, homes are built like cookie-cutters, without an inclination of the climate and
average weather patterns in the geographic location it is built. This causes inefficient heating
and cooling during specific seasons of the region. Also, the actual orientation of the structure
should be beneficial in-regards to the sun. Furthermore, not only is the design and orientation of
a house advantageous but the materials used to construct the house can be useful. During the
construction, three important words should be at the forefront of the contractors. They are
known as the three Rs: recycle, reuse, and reduce. Lastly for the first part, sourcing the
materials for construction from local manufacturers elevates some of the emissions from
transportation.
In the second section of the analyses, much emphasis is brought onto the over
consumption of Americans. As a leading developed nation, the United States comes short with
consumption in moderation. Part of this problem comes from inefficient appliances, heating and
cooling of households, the size of houses, and non-renewable fueling. People are unaware of the
true extent of the energy demands of small and large appliances in their households.
Refrigerators, clothes dryers, washing machines, and even hair dryers, all consume a significant
amount of electricity. As the consumption of energy in heating and cooling dropped over the
past couple decades, the average consumption from appliances has increased. This is partially
due to the constantly evolving technology field and its integration into peoples everyday lives.
Additionally, homes have become more efficient, but the size of households have increased,
offsetting the savings. Lastly, how households receive their energy is incredibly important. The
majority of energy households receive in the United States comes from fossil fuels with only a
fraction from renewable sources. Incentives from local utility companies has to be relevant.
Finally, there are alternatives that could help improve the current energy situation in the
United States. One of the biggest problems we face in the current situation we are in is that we
are not using the most efficient appliances. Energy efficient products, such as those certified by
Energy Star, would immensely improve the overall energy situation. Not only is the amount of
energy we use an issue but how we create it is a large problem as well. A large amount of
energy used in the United States that comes from the combustion of fossil fuels. The best way to
fix this at a home and community level is to have homeowners become their own energy
providers. This is can be done through the installation of solar panels. There are many other
ways to capitalize on home design to make your house more energy efficient. Utilizing
geothermal heating and tankless water heaters can both assist in cutting down energy
consumption, costs, and waste. Although the energy situation seems to be bleaker than ever
there are things to be hopeful for. With adjustments to how we set up communities and
residential areas we can drastically change the negative trend of our environment.
 Table of Contents

Page
Letter of Transmittal

Summary

I. Introduction & Background 1

II. Analysis of Current Situation 5

III. Analysis of Proposed Alternatives 10

IV. Conclusions 16

V. Recommendations 18

Appendix
 I. Introduction & Background

The world and humanity are in a state of perpetual change. Sometimes the changes that

the world and humanity are beneficial. Some changes that have had beneficial effects are: the

development of written language, which has allowed humanity to record information for

thousands of years; advances in irrigation, which allowed for advances in farming and advances

in medicine, which has saved countless lives. However, there have been cases where changes

caused by humanity have had negative effects. One of the best examples of this is climate

change.

Climate change, also known as global warming, is a phenomenon where the average

global temperature has increased at the fastest rate in recorded history (MacMillan). This

phenomenon, due in part to an increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases, has had and will

continue to have, negative effects. Extreme weather, such as intense heat waves and powerful,

will increase in both frequency and power. Additionally, ocean temperatures have risen

significantly, which has contributed to more powerful hurricanes.

Climate change has its roots in the Industrial Revolution, the first time in history when

fossil fuels were used en masse. Despite all the technological, societal and industrial advances

(such as electricity, the early beginnings of the mass production factory system and mass

transport), the Industrial Revolution has made society dependent on fossil fuels, and thus has

been a major cause of climate change.

An important component to climate change is the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse

effect is the process by which radiation from a planet's atmosphere warms the planet's surface to

a temperature above what it would be without its atmosphere (Wikimedia). Although the

greenhouse effect has allowed life on earth to thrive for thousands of years, since the Industrial

Revolution, the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (namely carbon dioxide, methane

1
 I. Introduction & Background

and ozone) have risen significantly past natural

levels. The added greenhouse gases have

trapped more solar radiation in the atmosphere,

thereby increasing the average temperature of

earth.

The United States is one of the primary

contributors to greenhouse gases and global

warming. The United States is second in total

greenhouse gas emissions, despite making up

Retrieved from: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-
greenhouse-gas-emissions-data just 4 percent of the worlds population, ... [it

produces] a whopping 16 percent of all global CO2 emissionsas much as the European Union

and India (third and fourth place) combined (MacMillan). However, over the past 150 years,

the United States has produced the most greenhouse gas emissions.

Why is the United States producing a significant portion of greenhouse gases, when

having only four percent of the

population? The reason is due to the

American lifestyle. The average American

annual CO2 emissions are 14,920 pounds per

household (Environmental Protection

Agency), for electricity consumption, over

8000 pounds of carbon dioxide from natural

gas consumption as well as a significant

amount from other sources, such as gasoline

Retrieved from: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-
greenhouse-gas-emissions-data

2
 I. Introduction & Background

and coal. The American lifestyle is reliant on fossil fuels and energy for heating, recreation

transportation and many other aspects of everyday life, thus making it one of the primary

emitters of greenhouse gases.

The United states emits greenhouse gases from many different sectors, such as

transportation, industry and agriculture. However, one of the worst offenders of energy

consumption (although not a sector) is community energy consumption. There are several

reasons for this. One such reason is that current home designs are incompatible with the

environment. That is, a majority of homes in the United States are cookie-cutter versions of

each other, and lack variety. Similar houses can be found in the Northeast and the

Southwest. These houses are not designed with the local climate in mind. Another reason that

residential buildings consume so much energy is the methods of fueling homes is

irresponsible. This is from both the production side and the consumption side. The energy

generated is usually from a coal power plant. Further, Americans consume more energy than

any other country. There needs to be clean energy for this to be practical. As previously

mentioned, overconsumption is another reason that communities significantly contribute to the

greenhouse effect. Americans tend to have homes that are larger than necessary and outdated

appliances. This leads causes too much energy to be consumed in order for the house to be

run. Finally, the structure of homes is a reason that communities are inefficient. Community

buildings need to be constructed in a way that meets the needs of the inhabitants, while

surpassing the current environmental efficiency standards. These improvements can be cheap,

however, there are some that are expensive. However, through accomplishing these necessary

improvements, the world will be a better place for the future generations

3
 II. Analysis of Current Situation

The current situation regarding home energy efficiency is far from where we aspire to be.

This section will discuss the issues of the current situation in home energy efficiency. This

includes home design, materials and construction, consumption, and home fueling.

Since about the 1950s, an interesting trend has appeared in the design of homes

throughout the United States. Home design is becoming more and more similar, regardless of

the location and environment of the home. Home design today can be described in one word:

cookie-cutter. A home in Pennsylvania looks extremely similar to a home in Nevada.

Developments are cropping up all over the country consisting of hundreds of homes, designed

with a handful of styles. The issue with this method is that the environment is not brought into

consideration during the design process. Integrating homes into their local environment is the

first step towards increasing home energy efficiency, and creating a sustainable community.

According to the National Institute of Building Science (2016), location and orientation

are both essential aspects of designing a sustainable home (para. 5). The location of a building is

a vital factor that affects the materials used and construction of the home down the line. A home

in the northeastern United States should be designed differently than a home in the southwest,

based solely on the environment and climates of those specific regions. Orientation is also a

defining factor in the sustainability of a home. Homes should be oriented to incorporate passive

solar technologies. This can be accomplished by orienting a building with one exterior wall

facing completely south, to maximize sun exposure. This south facing exterior wall should have

the most windows, thus allowing sunlight to naturally heat the building at no extra cost. From

the figures below, it can be seen that heating a home makes up the greatest percentage of overall

energy use.

4
 II. Analysis of Current Situation

Currently, homes are constructed in a very

Retrieved from:
https://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/
inefficient, unsustainable way. Integrating location and

orientation of a home into its design is an important primary step in the development of a

sustainable building.

The materials used in the construction of a home are vital in determining its

sustainability. The worldwide demand for raw materials is driving up prices and depleting

availability of said resources. When building a home, three materials guidelines can be

followed: recycle, reuse, and reduce. Recycled materials should be used whenever possible in

either new home or retrofit construction. Natural insulation materials, new flooring, siding and

roof materials can all be made with recycled materials. When possible, materials should be

reused between old construction and retrofit construction. Finally, material waste should be

minimized when building a home in order to optimize the carbon footprint of the project.

According to the U.S. Green Building Council (2016), USGBC, only 23% of new single-family

residential construction in 2013 was considered sustainable (para. 2). While this is an

improvement from the statistics from 2003, it is not yet enough to make a significant impact on

the excessive energy use associated with the construction of residential buildings.

5
 II. Analysis of Current Situation

In addition to using materials that meet the recycle, reuse and reduce standards, it is

important to source materials from local manufacturers when possible. By sourcing materials

from local manufacturers, a building projects construction impact can be greatly reduced due to

the elimination of transportation of materials over great distances. Furthermore, using products

that are sustainably developed is another way to increase the energy efficiency of a home

building project. The figure below displays the energy savings of homes that have taken steps to

become more energy efficient. The important note here is that just after upgrading design factors,

to allow for more sustainable materials use, the energy cost of heating the building reduced by

over half.

Retrieved from
Overall, by including both the sustainable http://www.castledeepenergy.com/?page_id=64

design and integration of sustainable materials into a residential building project, a home can be

much more energy efficient than its conventional counterpart.

6
 II. Analysis of Current Situation

Over consumption in the United States has been around since the signing of the

Declaration of Independence. However, following the Industrial Revolution, Americans have

been continually over consuming energy. As a nation, America has been stereotyped by

overconsumption of energy and exhausting natural resources; more so than any other country.

According to the World Population Balance (2015), the United States consumes nearly 20% of

the worlds energy, with only 4.5% of the worlds population (para. 3). This is important

because America needs to be a leading example in efficient energy consumption. Further, when

directly looking at the households and small business in a community, the use of appliances and

lighting systems has become one of the main contributors to energy consumption. The U.S.

Energy Information Administration (EIA) (2015), provides up to date data with in-depth

analyses and statistics on energy consumption in the United States. In one such report they

wrote, In 2012, the residential sector accounted for 21% of total primary energy consumption

and about 20% of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States (computed from EIA 2013)

(para. 1). Additionally, appliances have grown in their overall consumption in the average

household. The EIA (2013) provides a graph in a 2013 report of how this change has occurred

since 1993, which can be seen in Figure 1. They described the change, saying: While energy

used for space conditioning has declined, energy consumption for appliances and electronics

continues to rise (para. 2). This can be expected to only rise in the coming decades with

technology becoming more and more integrated in households.

Certain appliances use more energy than others, with clothes dryers, dishwashers,

refrigerators and freezers topping the list. An article provided by IGS Energy (2015), discussed

the average electricity consumption of certain appliances. A clothes dryer uses anywhere from

1800 to 5000 watts, a dishwasher uses 1200 to 2400 watts, a hair dryer uses 1200 to 1875 watts,

7
 II. Analysis of Current Situation

and a coffee maker uses 900 to 1200 watts. They wrote, While everyone needs electricity for

daily activities, the majority of people arent aware that many small household appliances often

use much more energy than even some large appliances (para. 3). More importantly, the

amount of these small appliances in households has only increased over the past several decades.

While larger appliances are becoming more efficient, the addition of smaller hand appliances is

offsetting the savings. Author Drew Desilver (2015) of the Pew Research Center wrote an article

on the trending energy efficiency of larger homes in the United States. He described, since 1993

energy consumption has dropped in heating and cooling of homes but energy consumption in

appliances has grown. He wrote, Conversely, the share of energy consumption that goes to

appliances, electronics and lighting rose from 24% to 34.6% over that same period (para. 9). It

is evident, this is an issue that needs to be attended.

Not only are appliances inefficient, heating, cooling and lighting systems are also

contributing to over consumption of energy in households. Moreover, the sheer size of modern

houses is also an issue. Desilver (2015) further discusses data on how the average energy

consumption in houses has dropped slightly from Retrieved from

http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=10271&src=%E
2%80%B9%20Consumption%20%20%20%20%20%20Residen
tial%20Energy%20Consumption%20Survey%20(RECS)-b1
1970 to 1990. However, since 1990, the average

8
 II. Analysis of Current Situation

U.S. home has grown over 250 square feet. He wrote, U.S. homes have become considerably

more energy-efficient over the past four decades, according to government data. But homes also

are a lot bigger than they used to be, and their growing girth wipes out nearly all the efficiency

gains (para. 1). With larger homes comes an increased demand for heating and cooling.

Additionally, larger homes contribute significantly to the need for more lighting and smaller

appliances throughout the house. This only further reinforces the previously discussed rise of

energy consumption in appliances and lighting.

Appliances, heating and cooling, and now bigger houses all can be detrimental to energy

consumption if proper sustainable practices are neglected. Additionally, the production and

source of energy that households receive is another important aspect to analyze. The EIA (2016)

states, About 67% of the electricity generated was from fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and

petroleum (para. 1). Out of the 67%, 33% of electricity generation comes from coal, which has

been the largest contributor to greenhouse gasses in Earths atmosphere. Also, with exception to

hydropower, only 7% of the total generation of electricity in the United States comes from

renewables. In the end, homeowners and people alike in all communities across the nation need

to take a stance and revert the past and current habits of over consumption of energy. Through

concrete guidelines for the construction, operation, and fueling of households, climate change

mitigation on the community scale can be possible.

9
 III. Analysis of Proposed Alternatives

As stated throughout the previous section, the current energy situation in America is an

issue that if left as is will become an even larger harm to our environment. There are many

problems with our energy situation, especially with how we set up communities and how we use

our energy in our houses. Even though the situation seems relatively bleak, there are a multitude

of ways to fix the way we set up communities. Ranging from home design to the appliances in

our home.

One of the biggest problems we face in the current situation we are in is that we are not

using the most efficient appliances. Energy efficient products, such as those certified by Energy

Star, are a great place to start. Per estimates made by Energy Star If all clothes dryers in the US

were ENERGY STAR certified, Americans would save more than $1.5 billion each year in

utility costs and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to more than 2 million vehicles

(Energy Star). This estimate only applies to dishwashers. so the amount of emissions prevented

yearly if all appliances were

Energy Star would be immense.

Additionally, the amount of money

that is also being thrown down

the drain could also be used to

revitalize the economy. The same

goes for appliances as little as

lightbulbs. In almost every room

in a house there are at least four

Retrieved from
https://www.energystar.gov/sites/default/files/assets/images/Imp
light bulbs. The average household in the US has act%20of%20ENERGY%20STAR.JPG

roughly 30 to 40 light bulbs, estimations by Energy Star find that 75% of those lightbulbs are

10
 III. Analysis of Proposed Alternatives

inefficient Energy Star). Furthermore, if every homeowner replaced their five most used

lighting fixtures with Energy Star light bulbs, there would be a reduction of greenhouse

emissions equivalent to 5 million cars (Energy Star). Just replacing light bulbs and dishwashers

could help discount the emissions of 3.3% of drivers in the US.

Not only is the amount of energy we use an issue but

how we create it is a large problem as well. As we stated

earlier there is a frighteningly large amount of energy used

in the United States that comes from the combustion of

fossil fuels. The best way to fix this at a home and

community level is to have homeowners become their own

energy providers. This is done through the installation of

solar panels. The installation of solar panels allows you to

create your own energy while also allowing the opportunity Retrieved from
http://www.solarcity.com/residential/benefits-of-
solar-energy

to provide to the grid as well, meaning not only is your

energy clean you also are providing clean energy to others.

SolarCity is one of the largest providers of solar energy in

America and according to their data, the environmental

benefits are staggering. SolarCitys studies show

SolarCitys Carbon foot print per unit of energy is 95%

lower than that of fossil fuels. (SolarCity) They also

suggest that it only takes a year for the positive effects of the

panels on the environment to be noticed stating the typical

Retrieved from
http://www.solarcity.com/residential/benefits-of-solar-
system starts delivering net carbon reductions in less than a energy

11
 III. Analysis of Proposed Alternatives

year (SolarCity) Not only do solar

panels provide clean energy but they

also save you money in more than one

way. Solar panels eliminate large

portions of yearly energy costs, as well

as offering long term savings on energy Retrieved from: https://cleantechnica.com/2013/07/12/solar-pv-to-hit-grid-

parity-134-billion-annual-revenue-by-2020/

bills. This is due to the fact that prices of fossil fuels will fluctuate and are finite, however the

sun always shines. Per the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) There is a 30% federal

investment tax credit (ITC) for solar energy systems. In addition to federal ITC, many states,

counties, municipalities, and utilities offer rebates and other incentives for Solar energy

technologies. Therefore, you are not only saving money on energy you are pretty much getting

paid for installing them by the government.

Another cause of our energy concern is that we do not properly build houses to maximize

energy efficiency. Whether it is the size, orientation, or even building to the environment it is

not done properly to maximize efficiency in the United States. An easy way to reduce energy

consumption is to keep the environment in mind when building our houses. Instead of tailoring

the way we build homes to the climate and geographic locations, we get relatively cookie cutter

house styles. One way to fix this is to properly orient your house to take advantage of the sun.
Retrieved from: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/green-
basics/siting-sun-passive-heating-and-daylighting The first adjustment that needs to be

made is that east/west sides need to be

designed shorter in length than the walls

on the north/south sides. This allows for

the lesser utilized rooms like laundry

12
 III. Analysis of Proposed Alternatives

rooms and garages to be put on the sides out of the way

while also providing as a thermal buffer zone against

infiltration by cold east/west winds (Home Guides) The

next step is to maximize the length of north/south walls and

maximizing the window area on the south facing walls. This

allows for the windows to act as passive solar heaters for

cold winter months. To prevent overheating one should also

capitalize on either using the surrounding environment or

Retrieved from: https://greenpassivesolar.com/passive-
using solar slats to block the hot summer sun, but still solar/building-characteristics/orientation-south-facing-windows/

allow for heat in the winter.

There are many other ways to capitalize on home design to make your house more energy

efficient. Utilizing geothermal heating and tankless water heaters can both assist in cutting down

energy consumption, costs, and waste. Tankless water heater help save money and energy by

cutting down on water usage. A tankless water heaters uses 30 to 50 percent less energy than

units with tanks, saving a typical family about $100 or more per year, depending on water usage.
Retrieved from: http://www.our-home-
improvements.com/tankless-water-heaters.html Tankless heat water only when you turn on the faucet

(Family Handy Man). This prevents the unnecessary

use of natural gas to heat the water, while you also only

use the water you need so it does not sit in the tank. They

also provide benefits that normal water heaters cannot

compete with. They also offer a continuous supply of

hot water, which is ideal for filling a big hot tub or a

whirlpool. They're more compact than a standard water

13
 III. Analysis of Proposed Alternatives

heater and mount on a wall (Family Handy Man) Geothermal heating is can help as well. It

provides cheaper operation and cleaner and safer heat than conventional heating systems. For

starters, geothermal units are way more efficient. The most efficient gas furnace has an

efficiency rating of 94%. Geothermal delivers a 400% efficiency rating. 4 units of energy are

delivered for every 1 unit of electrical energy. This does not bend the laws of physics;

geothermal systems are transferring heat, not creating it by burning something. A more efficient

comfort system lowers the bill significantly, up to 70% (Geothermal Genius). The systems are

cleaner and safer because there is no

combustion. There is no chance of

carbon-monoxide poisoning. By

adding high efficiency air cleaners

with geothermal, a high indoor air

quality level can be reached

(Geothermal Genius). Even

Retrieved from: http://www.nfecoop.com/content/what-
geothermal
making these two small adjustments to how we

build houses we can severely decrease how much energy we consume as well as how much

money we spend on energy.

Although the energy situation seems to be bleaker than ever there are things to be hopeful

for. With adjustments to how we set up communities and residential areas we can drastically

change the negative trend of our environment. This can be done through changing the appliances

we use and how we create energy. We can also change how we build houses and start tailoring

them to the environment while also implementing changes to our water systems. Hopefully in

14
 III. Analysis of Proposed Alternatives

the future these changes become common practice in homebuilding and we can build better and

greener communities.

15
 IV. Conclusions

The current energy situation in the United States can be defined in one word:

overconsumption. Americans use significantly more energy than other countries, including

developed ones. This is due to increasing electricity use. This practice is becoming the norm;

more countries, both developing and developed, are adopting the American lifestyle of large

homes and more electricity consumption. This practice is unsustainable. A significant amount

of the energy that is used is not clean energy. The American lifestyle produces significant

quantities of greenhouse gases, which, in turn, leads to climate change.

It can be concluded that there are several reasons that the American lifestyle, especially

in communities, is unsustainable. Homes in America are not currently designed to be

sustainable. Homes are cookie-cutter versions of each other, and do not take into account the

environment of the location they are built in. Homes should be designed and constructed with

the environment in mind, such as utilizing passive solar technologies as a heating method instead

of using electricity. Additionally, homes are constructed without using the correct materials.

Homes should follow the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle method. This involves retrofitting and

upgrading homes, instead of building new ones. This includes practices such as using natural

insulation or using recycled materials in home construction and improvements.

As an over consumer of energy, America needs to change its practices. The United

States consumes nearly 20 percent of the worlds energy, in comparison to its small population

size. America needs to lead by example. This can include upgrading appliance to more energy

efficient ones, and reducing the amount of small appliances in a household. Further, Americans

can be more consciousness about their heat and cooling methods, as these contribute

significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.

16
 IV. Conclusions

Despite the bleakness of the current situation, there are alternatives that can be utilized.

One such alternative, is using Energy Star certified appliances. These appliances, reduce energy

consumption significantly and provide monetary savings as well. Additionally, energy efficient

lightbulbs would contribute to increased efficiency. Another alternative is producing energy

through solar panels. This allows individuals to produce their own clean energy, and become

clean energy producers for other as well. Through participating in actions such as these,

American can become the world leaders in clean and efficient energy.

17
 V. Recommendations

To solve the rapidly worsening energy situation in America we recommend that

architects, as well as future homeowners need to consider more energy efficient methods of

home design. However, does not stop at home design. Further actions must be taken.

We recommend people use more efficient appliances and consider alternative methods of

heating. Since estimates made by Energy Star believe that there could be savings of $1.5 billion

each year in utility costs as well as prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to more than

2 million vehicles.

Some other ideas involve home design and construction. Homes that attempt to utilize

the full potential of the sun are more energy efficient, they are more environmentally friendly,

and they also save you money in the long run. We recommend capitalizing on techniques such

as passive solar heating and proper orientation of your home. It allows you to heat your house

using the nuclear reactions of the sun, which is free and happening regardless of whether you use

solar heating or not, instead of trying to use oil whose prices are ever fluctuating.

Additionally, we also recommend that you use technologies such as solar panels,

geothermal heating, and tankless water heaters. These allow you to generate clean energy and

water while also saving money from tax credits and energy incentives. Before doing this you

should research what type of incentives you can receive. The last recommendation we will make

for home owners is that everyone switch to Energy Star appliances. They are more energy

efficient as well as they save money by not being wasteful. To governments, local and federal,

and energy companies we implore you to give larger incentives to people who capitalize on this

opportunity. This is because unfortunately the environmental factors are not enough to make

people change their ways, however if they start seeing money in these investments they will

change their way.

18
 V. Recommendations

Another recommendation is a policy changes. We would like to see people who oblige

by these recommendations awarded larger tax credits from their federal, state, and local

governments, along with larger energy production benefits from their current energy provider.

19
 Appendix

Bibliography

Introduction

Environmental Protection Agency. "Household Emissions Calculator Assumptions and

References." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 9 Aug. 2016. Web. 25 Nov. 2016

MacMillan, Amanda. "Global Warming 101." NRDC. National Resources Defense Council, 11
Mar. 2016. Web. 25 Nov. 2016.

Wikimedia Foundation. "Greenhouse Effect." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Sept. 2016.

Web. 25 Nov. 2016.
Analysis of Proposed Alternatives
"About Green Homes | U.S. Green Building Council." U.S. Green Building Council. N.p., 01
July 2016. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

Drew Desilver. (2015). As Americans homes get bigger, energy efficiency gains are wiped out.
Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-
tank/2015/11/09/as-american-homes-get-bigger-energy-efficiency-gains-are-wiped-out/

IGS Energy. (2015). Household energy consumption. IGS Energy. Retrieved from
http://www.igsenergy.com/blog/household-energy-consumption/

Optimize Building Space and Material Use." Optimize Building Space and Material Use |
WBDG Whole Building Design Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2015). Drivers of U.S. household energy

consumption, 1980-2009. U.S. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved from
https://www.eia.gov/analysis/studies/buildings/households/

U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2013). Heating and cooling no longer majority of U.S.
home energy use. U.S. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved from
http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=10271&src=%E2%80%B9%20Consum
ption%20%20%20%20%20%20Residential%20Energy%20Consumption%20Survey%20
(RECS)-b1

U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2015). What is U.S. electricity generation by energy?
source. U.S. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved from
https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=427&t=3

World Population Balance. (2015). Population and energy consumption. World Population
Balance. Retrieved from http://www.worldpopulationbalance.org/population_energy

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 Appendix

Analysis of Proposed Alternatives

Energy Star. "Clothes Dryers." Clothes Dryers | ENERGY STAR. Energy Star, n.d. Web. 01
Dec. 2016.

Energy Star. "Clothes Dryers." Clothes Dryers | ENERGY STAR. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016
.
SolarCity. "Uncover the Benefits of Solar Energy." Solar Solar Energy Efficiency. SolarCity
Inc., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

SEIA. "What Rebates and Incentives Are Available for Solar Energy?" SEIA. SEIA, n.d. Web.
01 Dec. 2016.

Home Guides. "The Best Orientation When Building a Home." Home Guides | SF Gate. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

Family Handy Man. "The Pros and Cons of Tankless Water Heaters." The Family Handyman.
N.p., 29 May 2013. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

Geothermal Genius. "6 Benefits of a Geothermal Heat Pump Comfort System." Benefits of
Geothermal: Cost, Energy Efficiency, Net Present Value. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

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