The Energy Coalition

T.E.C Water Conservation Plan

What Is The Energy Coalition?

The Energy Coalition is a nonprofit that empowers communities to leap into the future of clean energy. Working with public agencies, businesses, educators, and more they are working on building the foundation for a new energy economy”

Water & Energy Conservation

1: Predictions

A project I had to do during my time at the Energy Coalition internship was to make an audit for water.

Over 14 days I monitored how much water I used and this graph represents my estimated water use per activity (Gallons).

I thought about reasonable gallons per use for each different activity.

2. Total Use

After collecting data for 14 days I constructed a graph that represented my total use of use of water per week

Looking back I realized how much water I use in only a week on things that may seem like small amounts of water.

Taking away from this audit data collection I will change my habit of washing dishes and washing my face by only washing my face twice a day and turning off water when washing my face.


Why I focused on water

Water is necessary for drinking, cooking, sanitation, agriculture, and industry. It is also necessary for living. It helps the world economy, industrial operations, and the production of food. Water also sustains biodiversity, regulates climate, and supports aquatic ecosystems—all of which help to preserve ecological balance. It is also essential for international cultural practices and leisure activities. Water has an important role in daily living and long-term environmental health, and its supply for future generations depends on effective management.

Water Main lines in San Diego

Water Main Lines

This map represents the water mains in San Diego County, depending on where you reside can impact your right to clean water, and working water. Looking at the map we can see that central places including places a bit up north have good and high water mains

Factors that are negivtively impacted due to a city hvaing poor water mains include:

  1. Public Health: Increases the risk of waterborne diseases due to contaminated water and frequent service interruptions.
  2. Safety: Hampers firefighting efforts and can cause flooding, leading to hazardous conditions.
  3. Economic Impact: Results in costly repairs, property damage, business disruptions, and higher insurance claims.
  4. Quality of Life: Causes inconvenience, reduces property values, and wastes water, contributing to environmental issues.

Inadequate water mains negatively affect health, safety, economic stability, and quality of life. I think there should be easier ways to get water down south near the border and east towards Borrego Springs.


San Diego County Schools

San Diego County Schools

This map represents the schools in San Diego County, it is spread out all over the county and is relative for the areas, though most schools are placed in neighborhoods & lower elevations

The majority of schools are also placed where most of the main water lines are, but due to the cutoff of water mains from National City down south to Imperial Beach and the cutoff from La Mesa to El Cajon, the main factors listed above may affect these students from getting access to clean water. This is bad because it exposes students to significant public health risks by increasing the likelihood of waterborne diseases, as schools may not be able to maintain proper hygiene and sanitation.

Additionally, educational disruptions can occur if schools are forced to close or limit operations due to water shortages, impeding students' learning and development. Safety concerns also arise, particularly in emergencies like fires, where the lack of water can prevent adequate firefighting efforts, endangering students and staff.

Moreover, the economic burden on schools and families will increase as resources are diverted to address water issues, potentially affecting educational quality and leading to higher expenses for families. Lastly, emergency measures to supply water can have a negative environmental impact, increasing waste and straining local ecosystems.

5 ways to conserve Energy & Wter

The world is constantly finding ways to save resources such as Energy & Water; below are 5 ways you can save water and energy at with little to no effort.

1. Changing Lightbulbs

The most simple way a person can save energy is by replacing old lightbulbs with new ones.

Energy Star LED lightbulbs save around 90% more energy than traditional lightbulbs, they last up to 15 times as long and even reduce the amount of heat emitted.

2. Install a Programmable or Smart Thermostat

Just like changing a lightbulb, you can upgrade to a better alternative to your modern thermostat.

Smart thermostats can program precise control of heating and cooling systems based on a schedule and preferences that the user sets.

Once you upgrade to a smart thermostat you can save money. About 10-15% on heating and cooling costs



3. Use Smart Power Strips

 Switching to smart power strips can prevent "Phantom loss" In other words they can prevent appliances from consuming electricity when turned off.

 This can reduce standby power consumption by up to 10%, which can reduce electricity costs. In turn, helping the world save power.

 Are Smart Power Strips Worth It?  | Constellations Energy Blog

4. Purchase Energy-Efficient Appliances

Energy-efficient appliances consume less water and electricity over time, they save money on utility costs over the long run, even though the initial investment may be more. The ENERGY STAR label should be looked for when buying new appliances. Depending on the appliance, energy-efficient appliances can lower energy use by 10–50%.

5. Washing Clothes In Cold Water

A large amount of the energy used to wash clothes comes from heating the water. The myth that clothes must be washed in hot water to be cleaned is a myth.

Clothes can be successfully cleaned without the use of hot water by using cold water detergents and doing laundry in cold water. Heating water for laundry can require up to 90% of the energy used for every load, but switching to cold water can save energy and lower power bills.

5 Ways To Save Water

1. Changing Your Diet

One way to reduce the amount of water you consume is to change the way you eat. It sounds silly but it is an easy way to contribute to saving water worldwide.

In the image provided, we see how the plate on the left includes steak, pasta, and asparagus, and takes 813 gallons to make. The plate on the right has chicken, brussels sprouts with bacon bits, and an apple, and only takes 163 gallons to make.

Some people may ask, why is there such a big difference in gallons between the plates? This is because the steak comes from a cow, and cows drink a lot of water.

According to the meals provided in the photo, you can save 650 gallons by changing your food choices.

 

The plates also include pasta which takes water to grow the grains, then it takes water to cook the pasta once made.

2. Cut Indoor Water Use

There are some easy ways you can do to lower the usage of water and the overall cost of your water bill

Don't let your faucet needlessly drain. When you let your faucet run when you are brushing your teeth, shaving, or even washing the dishes. You are letting clean water go to waste!

By investing in a dishwasher you use less water than hand washing, especially with water- and energy-efficient models. Hand washing can use 20 gallons, while energy-efficient models use as little as 4 gallons. (Remember to run your dishwasher only when it's full)

Putting a brick or a large stone in your toilet tank you displace the water, in turn using less gallons when flushing!

3. Use Less Water Outdoors

There are a multitude of ways you can use less water outdoors. One easy way is to change the type of plants you use.

Investing in drought-tolerant plants native to your specific region. Not only do these save water but also provide plants and habitat for native animals

Another good way you can save on using less water outdoors is by setting up a rain barrel right under a gutter outside of your house.

On average this catches 4 gallons of water which can be used to water plants via a watering can.

 



4. Save Energy, Save Water 

The US consumes most electricity from hydroelectric and thermoelectric power companies, which have significant water footprints.

On average, 39 gallons of water are used daily. Reducing water usage reduces energy consumption, lowering the water footprint.

 Even saving gas can help reduce water use. Water is crucial as it takes 3/4 of a gallon of water to extract, refine, and transport gas used for driving one mile, which is the average US daily driving speed.

5. Change Buying Habits

Purchases, use, and consumption influence water footprints. To reduce water usage, evaluate needs, choose sustainable options, repurpose items, recycle materials, and invest in water-efficient technologies.

These practices conserve water and promote a sustainable lifestyle for you, it also paves the way to show the next generation how to save water by something as simple as changing buying habits.


Powerville USD Data Analysis

Another Mini Project I did during my time at TEC was analyzing Powerville USD data and creating graphs, Below I have made some graphs that represent data given to me.

1. Electricity Bill Amount

This graph represents the electricity bill amount per month, the colors represent each month.

there is an initial rise but then in April, it has a drop by a bit. After April it starts to rise again, then after July, the bill drops again.

In this graph some months have the same bill amount, this is possibly due to the different seasons needing potential factors like the use of appliances.

2. Total Energy Cost

This graph represents the total energy cost per month. Just like the other graph, the colors represent each month.

This graph is almost like the prevoius one, it shares an initial rise but then in April, it has a drop by a bit. After April it starts to rise again, then after July, the bill drops again.

This is possibly due to the different seasons needing potential factors like the use of appliances.

3. Electricity Consumed

This graph represents Electricity Consumed in kWh between months for a whole year.

Odly enough all of the graphs have a simular trend where it spiked up and down in the same months.

Qualities of the graph: None of the months exceed 10,000 kWh and only a few use 7,500 or more.

4. Days Of The Month Billed

This graph is unlike the other graphs because it is much more straightforward. This graph represents how many days of the month were billed.

The only month that does not touch 30 is Febuary but this is because there are not 30 days in Febuary.

There is not a single month where one day was not added to the bill.


Reflection

During my month stay at The Energy Coalition I gained many connections during our field trip we had to the SDGE office, which was also my internship highlight. I think the main thing for me was that we learned how to use ArcGIS which is always a good skill to have. This internship also influenced my personal life, I realized how much water I used and how much water I could save. My eyes have been opened in a couple of different ways when it comes to the topic of energy and water because of TEC

Special thanks to Siria Salas, Izzi Volonte and TEC.

ArcGIS Map 1

techlogix@ccim.com_CCIM

ArcGIS Map 2

Wing Cheung

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