ISAT 311 Exam 2 Reading Quizzes
Switching to the other reading, "China and India: Two Emerging Giants," by Henry Kelly, China and India are two of the most populous countries of the world; each is home to nearly a fifth of the world's population. However, they have experienced different patterns of economic development. As illustrations of this point, the author mentions all of the following:
-Chinese buildings use less energy than buildings in the more developed world, but they are still less energy efficient. -India is still relying heavily on biomass as a source of energy consumption for cooking, especially in rural areas here households consume twice the level of energy consumption due to the very inefficient use of wood for cooking. -China consumers four times more modern energy in buildings than India does.
According to Figure 2, about how much income per adult leads to about 60% of households owning refrigerators? (Mexico, year 2000 data)
10,000 pesos
SEER values for central AC units on the market range from a minimum ________ to a maximum of _________ .
13-14 to 21-25
What is the primary difference between an EER ratio and a SEER ratio?
The EER is used for room ACs, and the SEER is used for central air conditioning systems
The authors use the term "pro poor." What do they mean by that term?
The degree to which growth improves the economic condition of those previously living in poverty
(Note that the OECD is the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, an organization of 37 countries that, generally speaking, are the wealthier or more economically developed countries of the world, including United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, etc.) In the opening paragraph of the article, "How Will Energy Demand Develop in the Developing World?" the authors state that the increase in energy consumption in OECD countries will grow by ______% by 2035, whereas the increase in energy consumption in non-OECD countries will grow by ______% over that same time period.
14%; 84%
Vermiculite/perlite R-value/in
2.1-2.4
China's building sector has grown at an astounding pace during the past two decades and it now accounts for about _______ of the national primary energy consumption.
20%
Cellulose R-value/in
3.2-3.6
As emerging economies located in hot climates become wealthier, the demand for air conditioning is expected to grow rapidly. The global stock of air conditioners in buildings is projected to grow from 1.6 billion today to ________ by 2050.
5.6 billion
Polyisocyanurate board R-value/in
5.6-7.6
Tubular fluorescent efficacy rating
60-105 Im/W
LED efficacy rating
60-188 Im/W
According to figure 41, which of the following appears to have the steepest projected growth from 2015 to 2050?
India AC
According to Table 4, comparing the developing world to the developed world, the developing world has a much higher percentage of energy use in the _______ sector.
Industrial
The author discuses government programs that reward energy efficiency, including informational programs such as ENERGY STAR, which provides buyers with information on energy savings with more energy-efficient appliances or building materials. Which of the following best describes how the ENERGY STAR program works?
It is a voluntary self-certification program administered by the U.S. government
In the buildings sector, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification encourages businesses to construct energy-efficient buildings. Which of the following best describes how the LEED program works?
LEED works without any government involvement, and merely provides information to help building owners have access to better information.
Much smaller and tend to be more efficient since
ductless, mini split heat pump
According to the chapter "A Comprehensive Energy Policy: The Big Picture" by Peter Schwarz, A holistic policy recognizes ___________.
interrelationships
The author argues that much of the practical actions required to deliver a successful change in energy usage patterns in Germany fall on:
local municipalities
Essentially two furnaces packaged into a single unit
whole-building heat pump
Space heating is defined by the IEA simply as the different means of heating spaces, which is accomplished by using a variety of fuels and heating systems. The IEA separates heating systems into two broad categories: central heating and area-dedicated or room heating. According to the author, the most common forms of central heating include all of the following:
-District heating -Heat pumps -Hot air furnace systems (forced through walls or the floor via ducts and registers -radiation systems (hot water or steam)
According to the DOE Energy Savers program, the primary components of air conditioning systems include all of the following:
-Filters—used to remove dirt, dust, and other particles from the air, which affects refrigeration cycle efficiency. -Evaporators—coils that remove heat and humidity from the air using a refrigerant. The evaporation of the liquid refrigerant "pulls" heat contained in the inside air, resulting in a reduction in room/building air temperature. -Condensers—coils where the previously vaporized refrigerant condenses, releasing heat to the outside air. -Compressors—pumps used to move the refrigerant from the evaporator, located inside, to the condenser, located outside. -Blowers—fans that circulate air over the evaporator to move the chilled air into the space to be cooled. -Thermostats—inside controllers used to regulate cooling inside the building. -Fans—used to dissipate the heat away from the condenser.
More than one in five people worldwide - approximately 1.5 billion people - live without electricity in their homes. Understanding where these people are, and the process by which they gain access to modern energy, is crucial to understanding the growth in energy consumption in the developing world. Table 2 documents the ten countries where the largest numbers of people live without electricity. Rank these countries in order from the country with the highest number of people without electricity.
-Highest: 404.5 million = India -94.9 million = Bangladesh -81.1 million = Indonesia -80.6 million = Nigeria -70.4 million = Pakistan -68.7 million = Ethiopia -57.0 million = D.R. Congo -42.8 million = Myanmar -36.8 million = Tanzania
In the section on the transportation sector, the author uses all of the following as examples of incentives to reduce automotive emissions:
-Highways can provide a lane for carpoolers. -The government CAFÉ standard is a long-standing regulatory program that has required the average car in a manufacturer's fleet to achieve an increasingly stringent number of miles per gallon. -California requires that carmakers produce a percentage of vehicles that qualify as zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs). -The U.S. government subsidized gas-electric hybrids, most notably the Toyota Prius.
Insulation is another key aid in improving a building's thermal performance and reducing building energy intensity. According to the Thermal Insulation Association of Canada, by definition, insulation performs all of the following thermal functions in residential and commercial applications:
-Reduces emissions of atmospheric pollutants by reducing fuel needs. -Facilitates temperature control of system processes. -Conserves energy by reducing heat loss and gain (transmission). -Reduces the prevalence of cold surfaces, thus preventing unwanted condensation. -Controls surface temperatures for physical protection and comfort. -Increases the operating efficiency of heating, cooling, ventilation, plumbing, steam, process, and power systems. -Reduces or prevents exposure to fire or corrosive atmospheres.
The research project 'Energiesuffizienz' (energy sufficiency) was undertaken from 2013 to 2016 and was tasked with identifying the driving factors and dynamics for the expansion of energy-related 'needs' and how they could be addressed, with a view to achieving real quantitative reductions in the size and use of devices, the substitution of technical equipment in households, and the adjustment or reassessment of technical services delivered by appliances to utilities and desired by users. The results of the study indicated a strategy that seemed to work well in Germany focused on which three things (things in the "project design guide")? Select the three items from the list below.
-Reduction (e.g. display and adjustability of cooling temperature, instead of an abstract scale in refrigerators and freezers) -Adjustment of appliances (e.g. equipment should be designed such that functions and features only consume energy, when they are in use) -Substitution (supporting the change in practices and routines towards energy and resource conservation through innovative design of the appliances, e.g. washing with low temperatures, measured laundry dosing)
According to the US DOE, some of the most important maintenance tasks on air conditioning units are:
-Replace and/or clean filters—Filters are used to keep dirt and dust out of AC system components, however, they need to be changed or cleaned routinely because clogged filters will obstruct airflow. -Maintain clean evaporator and condenser coils—Even with filters, evaporator coils will collect dust and dirt over time. These reduce airflow and insulate the coils, which reduce cooling efficiency. Likewise, condenser coils, located outside, will tend to collect dirt, dust, and yard debris, all of which also affect efficiency. -Keep condensate drains clear—Clogged drains can lead to increased humidity, which is also an important factor in cooling. -Repair damages coil fins—Aluminum fins located on the coils are used to more readily exchange heat between the air and the AC unit. These are easily bent and damaged, which reduces airflow to the coils. It is important to repair any coils that become damaged.
The overall efficiency of centralized heating systems is typically evaluated by using four criteria, which include all of the following:
-Steady-state efficiency—also known as the combustion efficiency, or how much heat gets transferred from the heat exchanger to the heat transfer fluids, accounting for fuel burning losses and chimney losses. -Fuel burning efficiency—also known as the flame efficiency, or how much of a fuel's chemical energy is converted to heat at the flame. -Annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE)—how much fuel is actually utilizable and flows into the heating system ducts or pipes, accounting for fuel burning losses, chimney losses, stop/start cycling losses, and heat loss through the heating system cabinet. -Seasonal efficiency—the delivered heating efficiency, accounting for distribution losses from the walls of ducts and pipes.
In the section on residential and commercial energy audits, the author says that the professional residential/commercial energy auditor or auditor team will work with the building owner to accumulate necessary baseline information, including all of the following:
-a site visit to do additional inventorying of lighting and appliance systems, including lamps currently installed in fixtures, as well the makes, models, and ages of all major appliances -interview the building owner to better understand occupant behavior, including the use of supplemental space heating -perform specific building performance testing, including the use of "blower doors," thermal imagers, and combustion testing to determine how "leaky" a building, if there are any notable "thermal breaks" in the structure, and if the heating systems are operating optimally -generate an audit report with recommended retrofit measures, including labor and material costs -inventory of heating, cooling, and water heating equipment, and their energy usage in the form of bills over a year or 2-year time frame
According to the reading, in China, electricity use is expected to rise because of all of the following factors:
-an increasing commercial sector -a greater demand for cooling, supported by rising incomes -growing appliance ownership
The author states that certain 'basics' or cultural norms around consumption would appear to be less palatable for discussion or negotiation and have not been targeted specifically in SECIs related to energy initiatives. The author's examples of these "less palatable" topics include all of the following:
-meat consumption -car ownership -holiday travel
The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers reports that since 1990, the energy consumption of an average refrigerator has fallen by more than 50%, and by 25% in just the last 10 years. Especially in the US market, these energy savings have greatly impacted residential electricity consumption, with refrigerators now only representing 7% of household electricity usage. The primary factors that have increased refrigerator energy efficiency include all of the following:
-more effective temperature controls -better insulation and weather stripping -better heat dissipation coils -higher efficiency compressors and motors
Early work such as Farrell (1954) assumed a(n) ______ relationship between income and share of households with an asset.
S-shaped
In response to these expected trends, the Chinese government has implemented a number of policy initiatives to try to increase building efficiency. The list of things the author suggests are "future opportunities for energy savings in Chinese buildings" includes all of the following:
-use of renewable technologies in buildings -lightweight and more durable construction materials -adoption of highly efficient and environmentally friendly appliances and equipment (especially cooling) -improved construction methods -passive and integrated building design to reduce heating and cooling needs
Area-dedicated heating systems generate heat by transforming either the chemical energy in fuel or electricity into thermal energy (via standalone combustion or wire resistance heaters) and transferring that energy directly into a room or small floor space within the building. According to the IEA, the most common room heating systems include all of the following:
-wood and/or wood pellet stoves -electrical resistance space heaters -propane or natural gas stoves -coal/charcoal stoves -kerosene heaters
Where is this zero energy building project? Office Building
Sandvika, Norway
Expanded polystyrene R-value/in
3.6-4.4
As a result, improving energy efficiency of ACs will be crucial. According to a study cited by the authors, switching to more energy-efficient air conditioners could save between ________ gigawatts of peak load in 2030.
340-790
Compact fluorescent (CFL) efficacy rating
35-80 Im/W
Recently, Germany has made significant progress on the penetration of renewables, particularly in the electricity sector, with renewables accounting for ___ of net public power supply in 2017.
38%
Conventional Incandescent efficacy rating
4-18 Im/W
This increase in building is particularly attributable to residential space in Chinese cities (more than 350 million new residents). Over the next three decades, Chinese building floor space is expected to continue to increase. The total amount of urban residential floor space could increase to about _____ billion square meters in 2050.
46
Extruded polystyrene R-value/in
5.0
Another living pattern that is different in Germany than some EU neighbors is that it has a predominantly clustered pattern of settlement, with ___ of the 82.9million population living in either an urban or predominantly urban location. Consequently, apartments serve the majority of German households.
77%
Turning to India, the author focuses in particular on which one driver that will likely cause an increase in energy consumption as a growing middle class emerges with aspirations of a better quality of life?
Air conditioners
Where is this zero energy building project? Public Library
Berkeley, California, USA
Where is this zero energy building project? 27 single-family houses
Brabant, The Netherlands
The author states that, "national household energy campaigns have primarily focused on, and prioritised technical solutions." However, in table 3.1 which problem framing had the highest number of national initiatives?
Changes in individuals' behaviour
Table 1 compares refrigerator acquisitions in Brazil, Mexico, China (separately listing urban and rural), India, Indonesia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Among those in the middle quartiles (not extremely poor nor extremely wealthy), annual acquisition rates of refrigerators are highest in:
China (urban)
Who too this approach for incentive-based and command-and-control? The coal company has the property right, homeowners can pay the coal company to reduce emissions, buy bottled water, or move away.
Coase
The author draws a comparison between the U.S. and China in residential end-use consumption. China spends a higher percentage of its residential energy on what?
Cooking
According to Figure 8.6, which country used the most energy (measured in intensity per floor area) on space heating in 2014?
Czech Republic
Houses that have both a negative annual primary energy requirement and a negative annual final energy requirement
Efficienhauz Plus (Germany)
Moving on to the second article, "The Impact of German Energy Policy on Household Energy Use," by Grealis, Musch, and Rau, the authors say that Germany has committed to a number of targets in order to achieve a successful __________ (energy turn), the transition to a sustainable energy system.
Energiewende
According to Figure 8.1, the largest end use for energy in the US residential sector is:
Space Heating
Industry has reduced its energy use, including reducing energy intensity since 1980 as firms adjusted to high energy prices. Businesses have also expressed the desire to use sustainable practices, which would also reduce energy use. The author says that the motive for sustainable practices is less clear. Why does the author think is probably an important motivation?
Firms may be able to attract more customers by advertising their sustainable practices.
According to Figure 8.5, the most energy-intense kind of buildings in the US commercial and residential sectors are involved in:
Food service
Where is this zero energy building project? A building receives as much financial credit for exported energy as it is charged on the utility bills
Hong Kong, China
Buildings that have very high energy performance. The low amount of energy that these buildings require comes mostly from renewable sources.
Nearly zero energy building (European Commission)
A building receives as much financial credit for exported energy as it is charged on the utility bills
Net zero cost (US)
A building that is low-energy and offsets any energy that is generated from greenhouse gas-emitting fuels with renewable energy generation, such as hydro, solar, and wind.
Net zero energy building (New Zealand)
Who too this approach for incentive-based and command-and-control? Place a tax on a coal company that pollutes nearby water
Pigou
A building whose overall energy balance is positive
Positive energy building (France)
Electric utilities have programs that reward customers for using energy more efficiently, such as offering LED lights at a below-market price or demand reduction (DR) programs that pay customers to use less energy during peak hours. But, the author is skeptical of whether electric utilities have the proper incentives to do such programs well, suggesting instead that they should be done by:
Producers of appliances and builders of homes
When it comes to electric generation, twenty-nine U.S. states and the District of Columbia have chosen an RPS as a regulatory approach. RPS means:
Renewable Portfolio Standard
A building that produces enough renewable energy to compensate for the building's greenhouse gas emissions over its life span
Zero emissions building (Norway)
The most common type of heat pump system
air-source heat pump
According to the EIA's 2015 RECS, the major energy consuming appliances used in US homes include all of the following:
clothes washers and dryers, refrigerators (including freezers), and dishwashers
The Energy Information Administration's forecasts projects that by 2035, the developing world demand for electricity will almost double developed world demand. To understand this, the authors suggest a "crude forecasting exercise." In 2008, the developed world consumed 202 million BTU per person. If every person in the developing world increased energy use to the 2008 level of the developed world, developing world energy use would:
quadruple
The analysis of household appliances focuses on _______ (as well as cars), because they are one of the first assets that a typical low-income household acquires.
refrigerators
Households account for approximately a quarter of total energy demand in Germany, ranking third behind the industrial (47%) and services sectors (26%) in 2017. One factor that makes energy consumption higher in Germany than in some European countries is that it has a relatively high rate of ________ (third highest proportion in the EU).
single-person households