“Off The Grid” Project

By Vanessa Bussberg and Devon Benjamin

Average and Total Monthly Energy

• In one month on average 1,234 kWh are used.

• The total energy for that month was 1,200 kWh.

Major Contributors and Hogs

• The major contributors are the refrigerator, washer/dryer, computer, oven, television, microwave, lights, heater, fan, toaster.

• The major energy hogs are the refrigerator, washer/dryer, computer, television, and heater.

Reduction of Energy

• Some ways that you could conserve energy are to unplug plugs when not in use, turn off lights when you leave the room, and cut down the usage of each item per day.

Effects on Energy from People

• Yes the number of people in your household make a difference on the amount of energy used because each person uses each item more everyday.

• Yes you should consider energy per person because some people use more energy than others.

Energy Generation

• In the U.S:

• In Massachusetts the main sources are fossil fuels and coal.

Benefits/Problems of Coal and Fossil Fuels

• Benefits: Inexpensive, Good availability, widely used and

distributed around the world. • Problems: Not renewable, pollution,

global warming.

Considering Alternatives

• We should consider alternative energy sources because we need to take into consideration the effects of these sources on the environment.

Other Sources of Energy

• Other options of producing energy are solar energy and wind energy.

• For solar energy the sun reflects off of the solar panels, and generates energy.

• For wind energy the wind triggers the wind turbines, which generates energy.

Various Projects

• On a large-scale project solar energy would be the best source because the sun is more abundant than wind.

• On neighborhood and household projects the solar generator would also work more affectively.

Amount of Power Generated

• Per year solar panels are capable of generating 300 kWh.

• Wind turbines can generate up to 5500 kWh per year.

How is Energy Stored

• In solar panels energy that is not being used is stored within a storage unit inside the solar panel.

• Wind turbines do not store energy.

Our Home

• Our home is very energy efficient. • Our home is actually made out of an

old windmill from Holland. The windmill will allow wind energy to become a usable energy source for our home.

• Our windmill is covered in solar panels which makes sola energy useful as a source.