Green Tricity White Paper Project

2015

Executive SummaryWith prices increasing and resources reducing, universally developing an eco-friendly worldview is vital for us to maintain a clean and efficient environment. Our five member team as researched into various ways that the University of Floridas green initiative is currently utilized and better ways that is can be advanced for the future. More specifically, our team has uncovered methods and devices for restricting energy usage.

We will describe devices, such as energy regulators in hardwiring. Studies involved behind conserving energy usage present data supporting that installing energy efficient technology greatly reduce costs to consumers.

By presenting this information, we hope to share with classmates and the public of the methods that we may each make a personal step into being environmentally friendly. By utilizing and adapting USFs current green initiative to our own lives, we may help maintain our environment.

What Are The Issues: IntroductionAt the University of South, the holistic green initiative is composed of multiple regulations, service efforts, and educational functions made to equip the student body and related staff with the knowledge and resources to better care for our environment. The approaches we will be focusing on for this White Paper include, having energy efficient lights which automatically shut off while, unused electronics to be automatically turned on idle, and using Safe -Strip Powerstrips for computers and its accessories

One of the many environmentally friendly installations to the campus has been automatically idling lights and electronic devices. When electrical devices are constantly in use, even when not being used, energy is wasted, costs continue to grow exponentially, and pose exhaustion to our natural resources. This angle of University of South Floridas green initiative will be our concentration, throughout this white paper project.

Here is a line graph showing the amount of savings a school in Ireland could save over five years (just about 60%) due to Project Green Classroom by installing LED lights in classrooms. It has been said that this upgrade will make the school greener, and should save 1,000s in electricity and maintenance costs. Whats great about Project Green Classrooms installation process is that it is quick, taking approximately two days outside of school hours, and there is a free no obligation survey and proposal.

Energy Efficient TechnologiesOur approach is to help our campus become green friendly by installing energy efficient lighting and highlighting where our campus is using cost effective lighting. For instance, Sophia was able to discover Renee Louxs work, Easy Green Living. By having energy efficient lightbulbs that turn off automatically, not only would the school be saving energy, but also money. Standard incandescent lightbulbs cost almost twice as more, and also waste about 90% of the energy of which they draw in creating heat instead of light. Another idea we as a group had was using Smart Strips to idle electronics such as computers, scanners, and printers. A Smart Strip can tell when you turn off your computer and will automatically shut off the peripherals that are also plugged into it.Smart Strips are not just good for computers and its peripherals, it can also work for televisions and entertainment equipment. Not to mention, Ike found information from a research study performed on a single floor of a fourteen story building in San Francisco. The information was gathered over a year- long period focusing on the energy savings from installing new devices to better gauge and automatically manage energy usage for lighting systems on the floor. Ballasts for lights, which effectively reduced energy usage by about 20% than the prior setup and photocell technology in combination with the rotary controls reduced energy usage by approximately 43-61% per day. Overall, the research showed an approximately a 50% energy saving for the floor. As for me, my research was Inventors David G. Luchaco and James M. Yorgey that have created a lighting control system with priority override. This invention is to overcome the noted disadvantages of the conventional energy saving lighting control systems. According to one aspect of the invention, a logic and control unit is adapted to automatically switch from the normal operating mode to the off-normal mode in response to movement of the movable member. In addition, Thais research included,"Lighting Controls". In this article it states that there are several ways that we can save energy in lighting. For example we could have the campus start using "Occupany Sensor Controls". Occupancy sensors detect indoor activity within a certain area. They provide convenience by turning lights on automatically when someone enters a room, and save energy by turning lights off soon after the last occupant has left the room. Furthermore, Michaels research was about Brighthouse networks, which offers an application which works in conjunction with their company enabling the user to control lighting, temperature, as well as other household appliances. This would be a great addition to the USFSP library/computer lab, which is full of computers, printers, and scanners, as well as the University Student Center (USC)

Real World Applications Electric transportation can help consumers save money on fuel and maintenance costs, and reduce their environmental influence. As a domestic source of energy, electric transportation can supply toward our nation's energy independence. On March 28th, 2012, our own campus decided to do the unthinkable and become eco-friendly. Electric charging stations were installed at the University of South Florida - St. Petersburg campus. Across from the Albert Witted Airport, on the eastern side of the campus, in Parking Lot 2 you will find these electric charging station which are free of cost to the public. One of the students decided to test it out back when it first opened up, David Hakki an information technology major with a Chevrolet Volt said, Ive always had a passion for new technology, I see it as an investment in the future.To the left is a graph with results of how much money one would save if they drove about 15.5 miles to USFSP 3 days a week (a total of 31 mile round trip). Data enter assume charging stations on campus are still free, and use 240 volt chargers, for approximately 6 hours for each three days on campus. The results show the annual amount of vehicle energy cost one would be paying with the option of four different cars; that is is you are looking into buying an electric car. The amount of gas in Florida is located at the bottom to show how much you would be saving by using electric car s and electric charging stations.The Regional Vic Chancellor for Administrative Financial Services said, We are very pleased to add another sustainable energy opportunity for our students, faculty and staff. USFSP is dedicated to minimizing our physical imprint on the planet while fostering stewardship of the environment.Sources:

Free electric charging stations installed on campus http://gis.its.ucdavis.edu/evexplorer/This week we decided to figure just how much money one would be saving by turning off the lights. Many people do not believe that a single bulb can cost much and they are not wrong, it does not really cost that much. "A single 100-watt bub left on continuously will run you 12$ a month." Consider a normal household. There is more than twenty bulbs and with 12$ a month per bulb this could stack up into astronomical figures when it comes time for the electric bill to come by. According to the chart on ti website: http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/ lighting.html. A single incandescent bulb that has run over 25,000 hours will cost you about 317 dollars. Multiply that by 20 and you can see how leaving the lights on will really put a whole in your bank account. Multiply that by a thousand to account for the thousands of light bulbs used at the USF campus and you now see a good reason why having lights that turn off automatically is not only good for the environment but also good for the budget.To help prepare our University of South Florida campus to maintain green friendly, there is an alternative of featuring geothermal heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. You will be surprised to learn that this is one of the most promising solutions to high energy costs. Geothermal heat pumps provide clean, quiet heating and cooling while making it cost effective. Also, cutting the utility bill up by 70%. How it works is, it has the water go through the pipes underground, where it is naturally heated and cooled by the earth and it transfers that heat from below to above using fluid circulated through long loops of pipes. It takes only one kilowatt-hour of electricity for a geothermal heat pump to produce nearly 12,000 Btu of cooling or heating. (To produce the same number of Btus, a standard heat pump on a 95-degree day consumes 2.2 kilowatt-hours.) Geothermal systems are twice as efficient as the top-rated air conditioners and almost 50 percent more efficient than the best gas furnaces, all year round.Going green is not an easy task; taking a large amount of energy converting from older energy-centered Methods to something more environmentally friendly. Below are some of the many benefits when/if USFSP will begin to see more and more of when converting to " going green". It's obvious the countless methods to become environmentally friendly will bring forth savings; saving energy being number one on the list. Producing energy is expensive, and it creates pollution. So saving energy is smart for people and the planet. Who doesn't move saving money? Switching to more efficient light bulbs, making sure TVs and computers are switched off when not in use, and installing water-efficient fixtures in our homes can also help families save money. Inviting the "green" into our life and campus will strengthen not only us, but the planet as-well. Going green means using less fossil fuel, creating less waste, and consuming fewer toxic substances. By using energy more efficiently we can also reduce mining, deforestation, and pollution. These things are harmful to our planet, and unhealthy for us.The Science Behind the WordSummary of data produced from a research study performed on a single floor of a fourteen story building in San Francisco. The information was gathered over a year-long period focusing on the energy savings from installing new devices to better gauge and automatically manage energy usage for lighting systems on the floor. Data was gathered before and after the installations. The device installations included: new, more efficient ballasts to consolidate and regulate energy usage for fluorescent lights and automatic rotary controls paired with photocell technology, which also turned lighting units dimmer or inactive when left unused. The ballasts effectively reduced energy usage by about 20% than the prior setup. The photocell technology in combination with the rotary controls reduced energy usage by approximately 43-61% per day. Overall, based on the authors findings, the energy usage for the floor was determined to be more efficient by a factor of two than the prior setup, giving rise to the motion that more facilities should follow suit with upgrading to energy efficient technologies.

To help prepare our University of South Florida campus to maintain green friendly, there is an alternative of featuring geothermal heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. You will be surprised to learn that this is one of the most promising solutions to high energy costs. Geothermal heat pumps provide clean, quiet heating and cooling while making it cost effective. The indoor heat pump uses basic refrigeration cycle such as, evaporation, compression, expansion, and condensation. Which then captures and disperses the heat from and to the ground to warm then school in the winter and cool it in the summer. Unlike ordinary heating and cooling systems, geothermal systems do not burn fossil fuel to generate heat; they simply transfer heat to and from the earth. How it works is, it has the water go through the pipes underground, where it is naturally heated and cooled by the earth and it transfers that heat from below to above using fluid circulated through long loops of pipes. It takes only one kilowatt-hour of electricity for a geothermal heat pump to produce nearly 12,000 Btu of cooling or heating. (To produce the same number of Btus, a standard heat pump on a 95-degree day consumes 2.2 kilowatt-hours.) Geothermal systems are twice as efficient as the top-rated air conditioners and almost 50 percent more efficient than the best gas furnaces, all year round. Reduces greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of planting 750 trees or taking two cars off the road. Also, cutting the utility bill up by 70%. Geothermal systems are so energy preserving that the payback period is exceptionally brief. It was calculated that it only takes about seven to eight years to recoup costs, and it all really comes down to local utility rates, drilling costs, the model you choose, how well your house is insulated and what incentives your state provide. The cost for this system is 15,000-20,000 which includes the ground loops heat pump, and controls. Geothermal systems require little maintenance. When installed properly, which is vey crucial, the buried loop can last for generations. The units fan, compressor, and pump are housed indoors, protected from the harsh weather conditions, so they tend to last for many years, often decades. Usually, periodic checks and filter changes and annual coil cleaning are the only required maintenance. Geothermal heating is such a good investment because the plastic loops should last 50 years or more, the outcome for homeowners, and for the environment, can last for generations.ConclusionSo in conclusion we have stated the issues that this campus is currently is faced with and presented a logical solution to said problem; lights at USF St. Pete uses an abundant amount of energy and by installing lights that turn off automatically we will not only save money but cut energy use by in half. This solution makes the most sense because it is not likely that we replace every socket at the campus to turn off automatically so it will instead only be applied to lights since it is the most used electronic at any campus around the world. In the end, it does not matter how many hours of extensive research is conducted and how well put together a report is nothing is going to change unless we take a first step. This report is not intended to introduce a groundbreaking tactic to make the entire world save energy and go green. This report is intended to convince us to take the first step into becoming a better college, not only will we save money but we will be using less energy and make our campus nice and healthy. By installing lights that turn off automatically we can cut the campus energy in more than a half and save hundreds and hundreds of dollars. This initiative will convince other colleges around the state to do the same and this will convince other colleges around the world to do the same and eventually every household will see the benefit of using these lights all because of this first step. Like a light bulb that was insignificant the USF St. Pete campus will light hundred of other bulbs around the world and truly make a difference. One might ask, 'why must we go green?' Or 'how does one go green?' There are countless reasons driving the global epidemic of going green; reasons said to be as '...complex as the environmental problems the world population faces.' says Sally Painter. This process of becoming better integrated in renewable, Eco-friendly, and sustainable practices can/will shower its participants with many different forms of savings. Not only will the ones taking place in this type of change reek the benefits, but it is much more than that. By doing so, our future generations will be in a world already focusing on handling this problem and further proceed with becoming a Greener and healthier Planet. It is up to us to set the pattern of greener habits whatever that may be. Without the proper 'stepping stones' dealing with this massive crisis, we are leaving our future generation with a greater problem without proper action currently taking place.Glossary of TermsBTUs: British Thermal Units

K-watt: kilowatts

LED: Light Emitting Diodes

USC: University Student Center

USFSP: University of South Florida St. Petersburg

Works CitedClassroom Energy Efficiency. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2015, from https://www.energia.ie/ Business/Energy-Efficiency/Classroom-Energy-Efficiency"Climate Change This Week: Warming Accelerating, US Utilities Going Green, and More" Huffington Post. Mary Ellen Hartly. . Wed March 23, 2015. Wed March 23, 2015. Internet. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-ellen-harte/climate-change-this- week_b_6927028.html

Free Electric Charging Stations Installed On Campus. (2012, March 28). Retrieved March 19, 2015, from http://www.usfsp.edu/blog/2012/03/28/free-electric-charging-stations- installed-on-campus/"Lighting Controls." Energy.gov. U.S. Department of Energy, 29 July 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.

Luchaco, David, and James Yorgey. "Lighting Control System with Priority Override." (1994). Print.

Loux, Renee. Easy Green Living. Rodale, 2008. Print

Rubinstein, Francis, Michael Siminovich, and Rudolph Verderber. "Fifty Percent Energy Savings with Automatic Light Controls." IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications. 4th ed. Vol. 29. 1993. 768-773. Print.

"Saving Electricity." Saving Energy on Lighting. Michael Bluejay, Inc., July 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.

"Smart Streetlights do a lot more than just save electricity" Lloyd Alter. Mother Nature Network. Wed. March 04, 2015. Wed March 23, 2015. Internet. http://www.mnn.com/ green-tech/ research-innovations/stories/smart-streetlights-do-a- lot- more-than-just-save- electricityAnnotated BibliographyClassroom Energy Efficiency. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2015, from https://www.energia.ie/ Business/Energy-Efficiency/Classroom-Energy-EfficiencyThis source was used in order to see how much money and energy a school might save when switching to LED lights. The example they used on the website was all the way across the globe in at a school in Ireland. By changing normal lights to LED lights, the school would endure up to 60% of energy savings and about 1,000 over the years."Climate Change This Week: Warming Accelerating, US Utilities Going Green, and More" Huffington Post. Mary Ellen Hartly. . Wed March 23, 2015. Wed March 23, 2015. Internet. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-ellen-harte/climate-change-this- week_b_6927028.html

What would make you want to make a change In the energy footprint of USF other than evidence of the world climate heating up rapidly. The US has found that recent trends in the global climate implement our need to "go green" and act with power/energy saving alternatives.

Free Electric Charging Stations Installed On Campus. (2012, March 28). Retrieved March 19, 2015, from http://www.usfsp.edu/blog/2012/03/28/free-electric-charging-stations- installed-on-campus/This source, although very popular, since it deals with our home school (USFSP) is a great reference for costing. This article explains USFSP taking the Green Initiative by installing free electric charging stations throughout the parking lot for energy efficient vehicles. The source states during the first year, the University is keeping an eye on the financial side of these charging stations to see how well they are doing, and how much money and energy they are saving.

"Lighting Controls." Energy.gov. U.S. Department of Energy, 29 July 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.

Luchaco, David, and James Yorgey. "Lighting Control System with Priority

Override." (1994). Print.

This article explains all the different kinds of ways that lights can be turned off automatically. I used this article to back up the fact that this technology does indeed exist and that we can indeed use these lights to save energy.

Loux, Renee. Easy Green Living. Rodale, 2008. Print

This book is a great source. I found the entire book on GoogleBooks, it is easy to read and full of tips to help one live green. The tips are for the home but are completely relatable for schools and other large corporations. The tips are very helpful, for a project like the White Paper due to the Going Green theme we must uphold throughout the project. I was able to find great tips and great explanations for different lights, powerstrips, and automatic items to help idle objects.

Rubinstein, Francis, Michael Siminovich, and Rudolph Verderber. "Fifty Percent Energy Savings with Automatic Light Controls." IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications. 4th ed. Vol. 29. 1993. 768-773. Print.

"Saving Electricity." Saving Energy on Lighting. Michael Bluejay, Inc., July 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.

This source was used to show how much energy lights use up in a normal household.

"Smart Streetlights do a lot more than just save electricity" Lloyd Alter. Mother Nature Network. Wed. March 04, 2015. Wed March 23, 2015. Internet. http://www.mnn.com/ green-tech/ research-innovations/stories/smart-streetlights-do-a- lot- more-than-just-save- electricityA town in North Carolina is becoming a more energy efferentwith the help of Smart street lights and more. This local company is offering service options which could potentially lower the energy requirements of the average family; those being remote lighting and Air conditioning and easy-to-access water/air/gas/electricity usage statistics for local residential access. This offers ideas in which the USF campus could implicate to "go green", and move to a more energy efficient campus.

Save Our School: Going Green

Professional Writing -- ENC 3250

Isaac Cody

Sophia Constantini

Aliyah Cunningham

Michael Moore

Thai Ngo

Table of Contents

Executive Summary..................................................................3

The Issues: Introduction............................................................3

Energy Efficient Technologies..................................................4

Real World Applications.......................................................6

The Science Behind the Word....10

Conclusion..............................................................................12

Glossary of Terms...................................................................15

Work Cited..............................................................................16

Annotated Bibliography..........................................................18