Energy Sustainability in a Village - Term Paper Example

ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY IN A VILLAGE (Full s) The ability of a household to reduce carbon emission influences the overall national projections for environmental conservation milestones. At a historic period faced with serious climate change impacts threatening productivity and life, human communities cannot afford uncontrolled carbon emission. Control of carbon emission at the household level and community level implies that the national and international projections can be achieved to reduce emission to save the planet from negative impacts. In view of the measures likely to be considered in a rural setting, the following discussion proposes a model highlighting typical village energy usage and isolates the areas where practical implementation can be effected. The description of the locality introduces the discussion, to illustrate the suitability of conservation models for remote locations. The structure of the proposed plan is described, with a close reflection of the village needs for energy consumption and production capacity. The discussion then highlights three main areas of consideration for the implementation of the model and enumerates them in detail for the remaining portion of the discussion. The household’s domestic and farm processes interaction with energy consumption alongside energy production activities assists in development of the household efficiency concept. Transport energy needs of the households alongside other conservation potential also form part of the model towards the end of the discourse. Energy Sustainability in a Village Description of the Locality Rocketheim in Essex is one of the villages proposed for the energy conservation model described below and the name village is applied throughout the text to refer to it. As a part of the extensive London Borough of Havering, its proximity to the capital makes the energy conservation concept more meaningful as the country embarks on a comprehensive campaign on the same. Its location near C12 road enables connectivity to major roads to urban centers, which facilitates several activities for the residents. Main form of transport into the urban centers is mainly through road, despite the fact that railways pass by, with the nearest station situated about 120 kilometers away. A twenty to thirty minutes’ drive is enough to the nearest shopping centers, namely Ramford and Hornchurch, where farmers and residents drive to make shopping for food, implements, and other supplies. Connectivity to various infrastructural facilities including power is efficient and the village enjoys one of the best services among the London Boroughs. The geography of the area in the hilly and open farmland sections of Essex makes the village among the agricultural zones of the area (Menydd Llansdwrn Action Group 2012). Constant supply water through a stream that runs south of the village ensures that agricultural activities continue unhampered and irrigation is possible. The consideration of the village in conservation terms entails several areas of energy and environment as detailed in the model and details given below. Population estimation of the entire village stands at about 1500 people with about 350 households and energy consumption patterns continue to increase as agricultural activities intensify against rising population. Proposed Conservation Plan The energy conservation plan for the village includes three main areas of consideration and other auxiliary environmental conservation concepts as detailed below. Components of the model proposal touch on housing attributes, farm activities, transport, and other considerations. Power sources for the area as connected to the national grid comprise of electricity, natural gas for cooking and heating, oil for machines and motor vehicles and wood for cooking and heating. Total emission for the village (assuming one-person households) with a monthly household estimation for consumption at; electricity consumption of 800kWh, 4 cubic feet of natural gas, 30 gallons of oil and 300kgs of wood, giving an estimated emission of 17,000 lbs. of CO2 Equivalent annually per household of one person. For a household of about five people (1500 population divided by 350 households to give approximately 4.2 persons per household) should increase the emission figures upwards of 17,000 lbs. of CO2 per year, to estimations of about 80,000 lbs. of CO2 per year. Within the considerations of conservation practices, emissions will be brought down by 8,000 lbs. per household per year (EPA, 2012). Household Energy Conservation Proposal will be made to the authorities, to influence the household structural and functional efficiency in installations and activities. As a general consideration of the amount of emissions at the household level, housing attributes contribute to a significant portion of the village’s overall performance in conservation. Location features for the village imply that the temperate climate exposes the villages to temperature extremes that require enhancement for comfortable living inside the houses. Among the most definitive considerations, in this regard include the housing structural attributes that influence the amount of emission and energy utilization under the weather factors for a typical temperate climate (Longden 2009, p202). For an ordinary house in terms of energy consumption in these factors, various needs such as heating during winters and cooling during summers imply that the conservation concept must incorporate such attributes. In terms of the effective proposal for conservation and emission reduction, heating and cooling functionalities for the village will be considered through installation of insulation in all houses in the village. Special installations in the housing industry facilitate roof, wall, and floor designs that reduce energy usage in a significant way. This effectively reduces the need to use heaters, fans, and air conditioning in a big way. Overall contribution of the village to reduction of emission arising from energy utilization would make a significant difference (Longden 2009, p203). Other household activities such as cooking in the village use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and electric cookers powered by energy supplied through ordinary power lines (EPA, 2012). To ensure that the carbon emission from power consumption falls below the recommended limits, cooking through LPG will be managed using proposals to reduce unnecessary cooking and food heating. Minimizing food heating needs will also be encouraged in the village by campaigning for hot storage dishes and liquid storage flasks. Alternatively, the use of more environmentally friendly power sources for such activities will also be introduced. As an illustration, proposals will be made to ensure that the authorities provide incentives to household’s purchase of solar powered systems for cooking. Promoting efficient procedures in the kitchen will also be included in the campaigns for a sustainable conservation culture in the village. As an illustration, villagers will be advised on how to reduce energy consumption for instance opening refrigerators, cooking pots and ovens during use. The other techniques of energy saving include the following; allowing thawing of frozen foods to reduce the energy needed to commence cooking, allowing hot food to cool before placing in the refrigerator and using matching sizes of pots and stovetops (Sarah 2012). Additionally, covering water when boiling, using microwaves or toasters in place of more energy consuming stoves; optimization of heated cookers to finish cooking more than one dish as well as optimizing energy transfer on appliances by keeping them clean at all times. Alternatively, the use of pressure cookers that utilize energy more efficiently should be recommended to the villagers in the bid Other environmentally friendly energy sources to be considered include wind energy turbines for supply to the entire village. Luckily, the UK is endowed with highly exploitable wind energy generation potential better than the rest of European countries (Friends of the Earth 2012, p4). It therefore implies that the green energy generation through wind will supplement the other sources of energy, with solar energy generation likely to experience challenges during winter. The usage of lighting energy in the residential houses will have to be remodeled to fit in the energy saving needs of the village. One of the most important attributes of the lighting system efficiency is how much energy the bulbs and other light gadgets provide to the houses. Energy saver bulbs and electronic gadgets provide alternative conservation approaches in terms of consumption attributes. As an illustration, the proposal will ensure that all households are supplied with the appropriate bulb types, such as those consuming from as low as 5 Watts. Other energy saving gadgets includes security lights that have high efficiency and light quality to facilitate brighter outcomes using low energy. Strategic positioning of the light gadgets also facilitates the maximization of light delivery at low energy consumption, also enhanced by use of light reflectors to amplify light generation (Friends of the Earth 2012, p5). Using minimum number of lighting gadgets to reduce the consumption burden will also be encouraged by the model, since many people use light on irrelevant positions. Timing of lighting should coincide with the need and daylight sensors may be necessary for reduction of wastage. Other family unit needs of energy use including water boilers heating needs will need to be reduced accordingly through insulation. Water pumping needs will also be regulated through use of gravity aided water flow for an efficient supply across the village. Strategic positioning of water storage units on the high ground areas with a distribution system flowing down hill will ensure efficient use of energy for the farm. Connecting the domestic water supply with that of the farm as discussed below. Farm Activities Energy Conservation The proposal for farm activities energy conservation include to reduce fuel usage for farm machinery and equipment, use wind turbines to generate energy for pumping water to the farms, and the adoption of organic farming. Due to the size of the village, the amount of energy consumed is relatively high. Most of the farming activities contribute considerably to the amount of CO2 emissions produced. The village depends on farming activities to generate their income. The number of farming machinery and equipment is high. The machinery and equipment used include trucks, tractors, combined harvesters, and water pumps. The mentioned items use fossil fuel energies such as diesel and petrol. The proposal is aimed at adopting strategies that will reduce carbon emissions. The strategies to be adopted are cost-effective, as it will be indicated. Most of the strategies require changing the way in which farm processes are executed, thus, no cost will be incurred in the process. Electricity generated from wind is the best-developed of the most recent renewable energy technologies. Wind power depends on relatively simple mechanical procedures. Once developed, the running costs of the wind turbines are very low. The fuel is inexhaustible and free and waste products are absent. This indicates it can compete with energy cost based on the traditional fossil fuels. The United Kingdom has the greatest potential for power generated from wind (Friends of the Earth 2012, p4). For the village, a typical wind farm (approximately 20 turbines) extends over 1-2 square kilometers area. A small fraction of the land (close to 2 percent) is the only one occupied by the wind turbines and access tracks. The other portions of the land can continue to be utilized for grazing and agriculture (Friends of the Earth 2012, p9). Since water for farming was pumped using diesel-powered water pumps, it will be efficient and economical to use wind turbines to pump water to the farms. A proper and efficient supply system has to be installed which in the end will lower the cost of farming. The cost of installing such a system is low. Tanks will be located at strategic places (on top of the hill) to store water pumped from the rivers using the wind turbines. Pipes from the tanks will supply water to the farms and the adjacent households. The location of tanks is an advantage since the water will be distributed using the force of gravity; no energy will be needed to distribute water. Tractors and other farm equipment consume a lot of fuel. In the absence of careful planning, one can end up moving tractors and other farm equipment inefficiently, increasing the levels of fuel consumption. It is important that the sheds in the village to be located in the middle to reduce travelling. Other than strategically locating the sheds, the number of items to be moved should correspond to the capacity of the farm equipment. For instance, the farmers can ensure that the tractor moves full load all the time. This will minimize the fuel consumption and consequently, reduce CO2 emissions (Peter Schreurs & Sons 2009). Other practices that can be adopted include to regularly scheduling tune-ups. Tune-ups have been shown to save up to 10 percent on fuel consumption. The tires should also be properly inflated. It is imperative to avoid lengthy idling. Idling consumes 15 to 20 percent of the fuel utilized. In other words, when the farm equipment such as trucks and tractors are not in use, the engine should be switched off to reduce CO2 emissions. Another important practice is to run the equipment in the appropriate gear for the load. Replace or clean air filters, and use proper equipment ballast to keep the wheels from slipping and utilizing more fuel (Sandler 2010, p107-108). In other words, regular maintenance of the farm equipment and machinery will ensure that the emissions are minimized and the machines will run smoothly. Organic farming systems have shown to improve energy efficiency. The main factors for minimized fossil energy expenditure include the replacement of fossil-based commercial nitrogen utilized in traditional farming systems with livestock and/or legume manure, and the reduced utilization of fossil energy-based herbicides and insecticides in the organic farming systems in comparison with the traditional farming systems. Another important factor that has been shown to increase energy efficiency in farming includes using cover crops such as legumes to increase organic matter and nitrogen. Legumes as cover crops have been shown to help in the conservation of water resources in the drought and growing seasons (Pimentel 2006, p32). Organic farming is a crucial element in the reduction of CO2 emissions and increasing energy efficiencies. Most of the farms in the village make use of one or several lighting systems in their agricultural businesses. It is estimated that lighting accounts for close to 4 percent of the energy bills. Adopting a few energy savings tips can assist in the reduction of lighting energy consumption by 50 percent. One of the most important rule is the switch off policy which requires the users to switch off lights once they are done with them unless it is necessary; for instance, in cases of security lights or animals that require constant lighting. Daylight sensors can be utilized to regulate artificial lighting when there is enough natural daylight. Most of the growers and farmers in this village work outside the whole year. Thus, daylight sensors will be crucial for these individuals (Carbon Trust 2012, p15). Maintenance of lighting is important and one should ensure that windows, light fittings, and skylights are clean and the old ones are replaced. A basic lighting maintenance programmer can minimize costs by close to 15 percent. Installation of low-energy lighting is also important in reducing CO2 emissions. Unlike conventional tungsten bulbs, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) use 20 – 25 percent less energy and last eight times longer. One can also use LEDs which consumer 80 percent less energy and offer approximately 50,000 hours of use. All flickering, dim, blackened, or failed fluorescent tubes should be replaced with multi-phosphor or tri-phosphor coated ones (Carbon Trust 2012, p15). Transport Energy Conservation In the transport sector, the manner in which the car is driven and maintained plays an important factor in less energy consumption. In other words, the driving and maintenance of the car plays a role in fuel consumption and emission of CO2. There are tips that people in the village can adopt to save fuel consumed by vehicles on a daily basis. The tips are applicable for both private and public means of transport. When the vehicle is motionless for more than a minute, it is crucial to turn off the engine. The gear should be changed between 2000 and 2500rpm to increase efficiency and reduce engine friction. The individual should anticipate as far ahead as possible to prevent needless braking and acceleration. When one is driving downhill or slowing down, remain in gear and take the foot off the accelerator. In the modern vehicles, this minimizes fuel flow to the engine (Energy Saving Trust 2012, p1). Most of the people in the village have personal vehicles and there are alternatives to using these vehicles. Car sharing whether informal arrangements or formal car sharing schemes can cut commuter costs by more than a half. A cycling route is absent in the village and the creation of it can minimize the use of vehicles. It is estimated that 75% of the individuals in the United Kingdom live close to a cycle route. Most of the areas in the village can be accessed easily using bicycles. The use of bicycles instead of vehicles to travel small distances can evade the emission of CO2 and thus, make the place environmentally sustainable. Cycling does not require the use of fossil fuels (Energy Saving Trust 2012, p1). Another alternative is using public transport. A well-organized public transport system such as the use of buses can help in reducing the number of vehicles on the road and consequently reduce CO2 emissions. Mileage can be reduced by adopting practices such as online shopping. Most businesses use online shopping to target car users. Teaching the people of the village can reduce CO2 emissions by a greater margin. Instead of going to shop for items using their cars, they can do it online because there are specialty companies that provide delivery services generally in energy efficient vehicles. For local shopping, there is no need to use cars unless it is necessary since most of the shops in the village are located within a walking distance. It is imperative that the individuals in the village create a shopping schedule in which one can do big weekly shops or including shopping trips along other journeys (Energy Saving Trust 2012, p1). For school going individuals, walking, cycling, and lift sharing is viable option rather than using vehicles, which emit CO2. Since the village is not quite big, pupils and students can walk comfortably to the school. Again, most of the schools are located near most homesteads. Safe cycling routes can be designed to enable the pupils and students to cycle safely to school. Since this will be a new thing in most schools in the village, it will be important that the school provide safe cycling lessons. Businesses (local shops) in the village can also offer discount schemes for helmets and bikes so that they become easily accessible for most people in the village. Apart from those two options, lift sharing can also increase energy efficiency (Energy Saving Trust 2012, p1). This is mostly applicable for individuals who would prefer to take their children personally to the school, particularly for the children in the lower primary school. These options will reduce the number of trips made by the school on a daily basis. Other Environmental Conservation Proposals The proposed model also makes cognizance of the fact that the global technological advancements, particularly in Europe provide unlimited opportunities for clean energy production and emission reduction. As mentioned above, the probability of using solar energy in the farm and domestic use for a family in the village may be hampered by the climatic conditions that include extreme cold temperatures. Reliance on the solar energy system during summers may however reduce a significant amount of emission from conventional energy production. The possibility of making installations that correspond with greener energy generation trends the world over will also include consideration of a nuclear plant in the village. However, the feasibility of making such an installation would be affected by the cost analysis, which is likely to exceed the benefit concept. With integration of government policies in such sensitive projects in terms of energy production potential, a larger geographical coverage would prove to be conceivable as opposed to the village sustainability policies (Friends of the Earth 2012, p4). Additionally, issues of environmental hazards and related impact must also formulate the overall consideration and decision-making process involving all stakeholders. The most beneficial considerations of such a project will require aspects of being propelled or hampered by impact assessment of such a program. Sensitivity of such a project, however, carbon emission efficient and safe it is, will require multisectoral approach in determination of economic and environmental benefits. The use of geothermal source of energy may not directly be possible at the village due to the natural determinants of such a project. Location of hot springs and underground steam suitable for such energy generation may far away from the village cannot support such a project due to heavy costs. Other important behavioral and lifestyle change in the village need to complement the energy saving culture in the household levels will also include waste management. Waste management components of the residential areas will also facilitate usage of energy more efficiently and reduce carbon emission. Recycling for instance makes it easy to manage carbon matter that would otherwise contribute to emission if otherwise decomposed (Menydd Llansdwrn Action Group, 2012). References Banister, D. (2007) Reducing energy use in UK transport, Working paper N˚ 1028, Oxford: Oxford University Centre for the Environment. Carbon Trust. (2012) Agriculture and horticulture, London, UK: Carbon Trust. Energy Saving Trust. (2012) Driving [online], Energy Saving Trust. Available from: [Accessed 6 September 2012]. Energy Saving Trust. (2012) Walking, cycling, and public transport [online], Energy Saving Trust. Available from: [Accessed 6 September 2012]. EPA (2012) Household carbon footprint calculator, [Online] Available from [Accessed 6 September 2012]. Friends of the Earth. (2012) Wind power: Your questions answered, London, UK: Friends of the Earth. Longden, J., Pitt, M., Riley, M., & Tucker, M., (2009) “Towards Sustainable Construction: Promotion and Best Practices,” Construction Innovation, vol. 9, no. 2, pp.201-224. Menydd Llansdwrn Action Group, (2012) Help protect our Welsh mountain landscapes, [Online] Available from [Accessed 6 September 2012]. Peter Schreurs & Sons. (2012) Energy conservation [online], Peter Schreurs & Sons Vegetable Farm. Available from: [Accessed 6 September 2012]. Pimentel, D. (2006) Impacts of organic farming on the efficiency of energy use in agriculture. An Organic Center State of Science Review, pp1-39. Sandler, H. A. (2010) On-farm energy conservation. Craneberry Station Best Management Practices Guide – 2010 Revision, pp107-109. Sarah, L. (2012) How to reduce energy use while cooking, [Online] Available from [Accessed 6 September 2012]. Read More