Energy Efficiency in Homes: An Introduction and Study Proposal

It is no secret that homes across the country are wasting large amounts of energy. In the winter, heat slips out of poorly sealed windows, under cracks in the door, and through un-insulated attics. In the summertime, the sun beams into the house, causing air conditioning to be turned up. Hall lights and televisions are left on for hours, and these inefficiencies begin to add up.

The proposed study is a “a potential case study that would enable policy makers, energy providers, and advocates in Chapel Hill and Carrboro measure the impact of energy efficiency.”

Topic: Impact of energy efficiency

Site: 4 neighborhoods in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, North Carolina

Method: Survey and follow-up interviews – gauge residents’ attitudes toward energy use as well as their knowledge of energy efficient improvements and available assistance programs

Analysis: Survey responses would be tabulated and analyzed with statistical software

Expectations:

1. Renters would be less concerned about rising energy costs and less likely to have taken any measures to reduce these costs than homeowners.
2. Some positive correlation between an occupant’s low income and efforts to reduce heating bills, as those with less money would be more concerned with keeping their costs as low as possible.
3. Expect slightly more people who heat their homes with oil or natural gas to pursue improved energy efficiency.
4. The percentage of people who took measures to improve the energy efficiency of their homes would be significantly less than those who claim that their energy costs create a financial hardship.

http://gradschool.unc.edu/funding/gradschool/weiss/energyefficiency.pdf

PREPARED BY MEMBERS OF THE
2005-2006 WEISS URBAN LIVABILITY FELLOWSHIP AT UNC-CHAPEL HILL http://www.unc.edu/depts/grad/Weiss/weiss.html

LEIRAN BITON, RAPHAEL GINSBERG, BRANNON INGRAM, HEATHER JANKOWSKI, ABBY PARCELL, AND BRIAN TURNER

This research proposal, “Improving Wind Turbine Efficiency Through Whales-inspired Blade Design”, was done by a student at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California. The proposed research in this proposal is an investigation of improvement to traditional horizontal-axis wind turbines by simulating the bumps on humpback whales’ fins into blades of the turbine. The idea is that this will create blades that are more aerodynamic through creating turbulence in the airflow behind the grooves. The focus of the project is designing, creating a prototype and then testing a horizontal-axis wind turbine with these blades inspired by the whales. In addition this research could show the differences between this new prototype and a traditional horizontal-axis wind turbine in the turbulent flow field as well as in the energy efficiency. The hopeful outcome is that the new prototype incorporating whale-inspired blades will prove to be more energy efficient. According to Alex Krause, the author along with faculty advisers, this new prototype is a good solution to the increasing need for alternative and sustainable sources of energy. Currently converting wind energy into electricity is not as efficient as it could be and still needs some engineering design innovation.

The research topic of this proposal is the investigation of the turbulent flow field and aerodynamics of current wind turbines as well as of these new blades in order to improve efficiency of wind turbine energy conversion. Part of this research project would, as stated above, be designing a prototype and then testing it as well as refining the prototype for application in wind turbines. The research question of this proposal is; would whale-inspired blades versus the traditional blades used in horizontal-axis wind turbines be more efficient at energy conversion?

The type of data needed for this research is observational data, observing prototypes and what works and what doesn’t. The data gathering method consists of basic trial and error. The author plans to model the prototype out of wood to start and use models from simulating software in order to see how the new blade will work.

This research is very relevant because it is a student working with faculty as well as a graduate student and proposing his research he will do in the near future. This research is also significant because it’s not only looking into alternative sources of energy which are needed more and more each day, but also because the research is figuring out how to make this alternative energy source even more efficient and even more useful.

Krause, Alex. “Improving Wind Turbine Efficiency Through Whales-inspired Blade Design”. Harvey Mudd College. N.p., 2 March. 2009. Web. 3 April. 2014 <https://www.hmc.edu/biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2013/12/krauserobinsonproposal-0.pdf>

Who researched:
Diana Reiss and Lori Marino
When researched:
Received for review on October 3, 2000
Accepted February 20, 2001
Published online before print on May 1, 2001
Where researched:
New York Aquarium in Brooklyn, New York
Research methods:
Two subjects were used: a 13-year-old captive-born male bottlenose dolphin and a 17-year-old captive-born male bottlenose dolphin
During an experiment the dolphin being tested was videotaped 30 minutes prior to feeding (served as a control session) and 30 minutes after feeding (for a total of 63 tapings). During feeding, the dolphin being tested was marked, sham-marked or not marked at all. If marked, the researcher used a temporary nontoxic black ink marker to create a circle, triangle or X-shaped mark. The dolphin being tested was then either exposed to a mirror, a covered mirror (reflective side was turned away from the pool) or no mirror.
Four observers (two experienced dolphin researchers and two highly trained assistants) reviewed the videotapes and marked the duration, location and time of occurrence of specific behaviors. Behaviors caught on the videotape (after feeding) were put into four different categories: self-directed, non-directed, ambiguous or social.
–self-directed–behaviors in which the animal positioned himself at the reflective surface and oriented himself so that the marked area was visible to the animal in the mirror.
–exploratory–self-directed behaviors that included repetitious head circling, close viewing of the eye, and close viewing of the genital region directed at the reflective surface.
–social behaviors–behaviors typically observed when these dolphins confront a familiar or unfamiliar dolphin (jaw-clapping, charging, or affiliative responses).
33 sessions were conducted for the 13-year-old dolphin:
8 pre-feeding control sessions, 8 post-feeding control sessions, 1 post-feeding control session with an additional mirror present, 3 early sham-mark sessions, 6 mark sessions, 4 mark session with an additional mirror, and 3 late sham-mark sessions.
40 sessions were conducted for the 17-year-old dolphin:
20 non-marked pre-feeding control sessions, 11 post-feeding marked sessions with the mirror present, 5 marked conditions with a covered mirror or no mirror, and 4 unmarked conditions with the mirror.
Not all of these sessions were reviewed/used.
What they learned:
Both dolphins provided definitive evidence that they used the mirror to investigate parts of their bodies that were marked. Therefore, this is the first study to show evidence of a non-primate species being capable of mirror self-recognition. This study has provided several possible insights into the bottlenose dolphin: an evolutionary convergence with great apes and humans, an ability to use a mirror to mediate or guide their behavior, and that this species is capable of abstract levels of self-awareness.

Lack of Sleep Kills Brain Cells, New Study Shows.  By Melanie Haiken. http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2014/03/20/lack-of-sleep-kills-brain-cells-new-study-suggests/

“Researchers from the center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania found that prolonging wakefulness damages a particular type of brain cell called locus ceruleus (LC) neurons.” The LC neurons maintain alertness, and keeping us awake.  Studies prove that this brain-damage is irreversible, and the brain cells can not be recovered.  Mice were sleep deprived for several days, and experienced “25% loss of LCs in a particular section of the brain stem.”

The articles research topic is health and how important sleep is to the brain.  The research question is asking: What health effects does sleep deprivation have on the brain?  The type of data needed for this study can be found on public or private records.  The data retrieval method will be medical observations, and scanning the brain.

To analyze how the brain is affected the scientists need data on the brain before and after the sleep deprivation tests.  The scientists will need a controlled group that maintains a normal sleep schedule and a group that becomes sleep deprived; this allows the scientists to compare the difference between normal sleep and lack of sleep.   Then the data is analyzed by running a correlation test between brain damage results and sleep deprivation.  I believe this research is conducted thoroughly and produces extraordinary results.  I think everyone should take note of the importance of sleep, and should maintain healthy sleep schedules.

In 2009, it was estimated that 13 million tourists took trips to observe whales, dolphins, and porpoises (cetaceans) in their natural habitats.  The whale watching industry is worth around $400 million and creates over 5,500 jobs. Whale watching is currently the greatest economic activity reliant upon cetaceans. Some of the fastest growing whale-watch industries are in developing countries such as China, Cambodia, Laos, Nicaragua and Panama. It has been argued that whale watching can provide benefits in conservation ethics and educational benefits as well. It is believed that the whale watching industry is positive for education there is also the issue of habituation and increase stress to the cetaceans in question.

This article is a review article from the Journal of Marine Biology. The topic of the articles is International Whale Watching. The questions from the article

Lu, J., Sookoor, T., Srinivasan, V., Gao, G., Holben, B., Stankovic, J., … & Whitehouse, K. (2010, November). The smart thermostat: using occupancy sensors to save energy in homes. In Proceedings of the 8th ACM Conference on Embedded Networked Sensor Systems (pp. 211-224). ACM.

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Published in 1989 in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the article “Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being” evaluated the measures of well-being. Upon the understanding of well-being and happiness, Carol D. Ryff asked the question: what constitutes positive psychological functioning?

The data needed to answer this question are reports of behavior. In order for this study to be workable, aspects of well-being were operationalized. The study consisted of a survey of 321 men and women who rated themselves on self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life, and personal growth. These same people then rated themselves on prior assessment indexes: affect balance, life satisfaction, self-esteem, morale, locus of control, and depression. Using correlation, the result of the study explains that relations with others, autonomy, purpose in life, and personal growth are not statistically correlated to the prior assessment indexes. Ryff concluded that the theoretical key aspects of psychological functioning holds little substance empirically.

For my evaluation of this study, I found it to be very straight forward and that made the claims much easier to understand and evaluate. My criticism of this research on whether or not I found the findings to be respectable was based mostly on construct validity, or how well Ryff operationalized the variables. If this study did not operationalized its variables well, it would fall apart because the claims would not be valid. I found the operationalization of happiness, and the other variables, to be pretty good. Thus, I respect this study and its findings; I think it was well done.

A fair amount of literature exists in support of environmental education. The typical types of articles I have found have generally focused on the fact that people, youth especially, have a lot to gain from environmental education. Many studies aim to answer the question “What should we be teaching people in order for them to see the importance of being environmentally responsible?” or “What is the most effective way to convey this information? Outdoors? With books? With charts?” Perhaps one of the most overlooked parts of education is not what we teach and should teach students, but rather how we should empower them to act and put their education to practical use.

The article “Factors in Helping Educate About Energy Conservation” centers around this issue. Their specific research question is “What are the attitudes and motivations that students have toward energy use and conservation?” The study collected results at three different times: 1995, 2002 and 2003. Researchers wanted to analyze motivation and attitudes toward energy conservation between the three data collection times and determine any broad changes between the three. Participants took surveys which were analyzed by researches using the Likert Scale (meaning the scale ranged from ‘strongly agree’ to ‘strongly disagree’), or participated in simple short-answer interviews which asked the same questions. Factor analysis and behavior analysis were then used to quantify the results.

Some of the main takeaways were the popular attitudes that: nature is important, yet we still need to uphold a functioning society and that many people feel a lack of empowerment to create solutions.

Unfortunately, the surveys and interviews concluded that having a positive environmental attitude does not always translate into action, in all three study years. The general consensus was that people often can only be environmentally conscious to a degree before having to disconnect themselves from modern society. This leaves us with a new question: how do we train our next and current generations of scientists to feel empowered enough to create new solutions for our energy crisis.

Christle, Christine A., Kristine Jolivette, and C. Michael Nelson. “School Characteristics Related to High School Dropout Rates.”Remedial and Special Education. no. 6 (2007). http://0-web.b.ebscohost.com.books.redlands.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=6ad6ba67-c3a0-49b5-8e3f-e9452ada29a7@sessionmgr114&vid=1&hid=127 (accessed March 30, 2014).

Dropping out of high school can have negative effects on the individual and his or her community, but high school dropout rates have remained fairly consistent over the last 30 years. The research topic of this article is high school dropout rate. The question this research paper is trying to answer is, “Are there school characteristics that effect the high school dropout rate at that particular school?”

The authors use high school dropout rates, 12 different school characteristics, and climate characteristics. Data for this project was collected at the school-level, using high schools in Kentucky that had grades 9-12, a total of 196 schools. Quantitative data was obtained from the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE) and Kentucky Center for School Safety’s (KCSS) annual reports. The qualitative data was gathered using questionnaires that were given to selected schools. These questionnaires contained survey questions with choices to circle and questions with room provided for short answers. Staff and administrators were surveyed, and researchers also performed observations to obtain the climate characteristics of each school.

The analysis was done in three stages. During the first stage, the authors looked at the dropout rate and 12 school variables chosen to assess the school. These school variables were used in a correlation analysis. Stage two used the dropout rate to choose the 20 schools reporting the lowest dropout rates and the 20 schools reporting the highest dropout rates. A multivariate analysis of variance was used to determine if there are any significant differences in the 12 school variables between the two groups of schools. An ANOVA test was also performed on each dependent variable. For the third stage, four schools from each of the twenty schools (four from the schools with the lowest dropout rates and four from the schools with the highest dropout rates) were chosen. From these schools, the researchers collected qualitative data using the surveys and observations and qualitative data was examined to develop an understanding of what was happening at a micro level.

This research described its limitations, discussed its findings, and suggested the implications of this research on real-world practice. I was interested that they used dropout rates as they were reported rather than using CPI, which has been very popular in the other literature I reviewed. Some scholars claim the dropout rates are not as reliable without calculating CPI, but the researchers were thoughtful about this project, so I trust their choice. This research was different from other research I have looked at concerning graduation or dropout rates because it looked at the effects of school characteristics. I appreciated finding this new point of view.

In a study conducted by Daniel Twedt, Paul Hamel and Mark Woodrey, they compared two different survey methods for determining species richness as well as relative abundance of grassland bird populations.  Their study area included 23 different sites, 9 coastal pine savannas and 14 recently reforested areas.  The study is titled Winter Bird Population Studies and Project Prairie Birds for Surveying Grassland Birds.  The study compared two survey methods, the first called Winter Bird Population Studies, is a method which has been used for decades, which simply involves a single observer to methodically move through a search area and identify and count all birds detected.  The second method titled Project Prairie Birds involves three researchers, the observer and the two “flushers”, it was designed to better determine the population and abundance of secretive species.  The study found that the Winter Bird Population Study method tended to overestimate the species richness.  While the Project Prairie Bird tended to overestimate avian abundance.  They also concluded that both of these methods are ineffective and suggests that the use of distance-based survey methods would provide the most complete results.