Powering the Planet: Energy & Water Usage

Energy & water are valuable resources that should be preserved. Take the first steps in conserving them in hopes of a greener future.

Why Is It Important?

Energy & water are the most valuable resources on our planet. By reducing energy use in your home, you can contribute to the slowing of climate change & pay less for utility bills.

Conserving water is also an important factor in the health of our environment. By managing the water usage in your home, you can prevent droughts, reduce water infrastructure costs, & decrease your personal water bill.


Effects of Energy & Water Use


Wildfire In San Diego

Harris Fire of 2007 Firestorm in San Diego County: By Randall Fowler-Copy

This fire in the city of San Diego is one example of the many natural disasters that are intensified by climate change as a result of the burning of fuels. The rise in temperatures causes drier conditions & droughts that leave vegetation more susceptible to fires. The map above demonstrates a correlation between the fires in San Diego & the amount of vegetation in each area.

By conserving energy & water, the rising of global temperatures can be limited, ultimately reducing habitat destruction & the intensity of natural disasters. We must find ways to conserve energy & water & use these resources efficiently to protect our environment to strive for a greener future for our planet.


Powerville School District

The Powerville School District can be used as an example of how we can cut down on energy use. Through a report done on the School District & all of its school sites, we can see where energy use needs to be cut down to reduce costs.

Cost of Energy Use

The graph depicted to the right shows the total cost of energy every month of the year for all district buildings. The graph also divides the total into the gas cost & electricity costs.

It is clear that electricity costs much more than gas, or is used much more often than gas is. There are many factors that come into play that influence this pattern, such as student presence, seasonal climates, & more.

Consumption of Electricity

The graph to the left narrows down the exact amount of energy used every month throughout the year in the unit of kilowatt-hours (kWh).

This allows us to see the full use of energy & how that correlates to the different times of the year. From this, we can come up with solutions on how to reduce energy use to prevent climate change & reduce electricity costs.

Consumption of Gas

The graph to the right gives a visual on the usage of gas throughout all the months of the year in the unit of therms for all district buildings in the Powerville School District.

With this visual & that of the electricity consumption, we can compare the two forms of energy to determine which is used the most & which costs the highest, while also learning about how to reduce this gas usage.

What Can We See?

From these graphs, it is evident that the use of electricity is much higher than the use of gas in district building in the Powerville School District. From this, we can come up with solutions on how to reduce electricity use, such as using energy-efficient appliances, turning off unused devices, & adjusting the thermostat to use the least amount of energy as possible.


Personal Home Audit

To advance my understanding of energy & water use, I conducted an energy & water audit of my own home. With this audit, I was able to learn what activities & devices use the most energy & water to then come up with solutions to effectively reduce waste.

Energy Audit

In the graph to the right are a few of the activities that use a significant amount of energy in my household.

It is clear that the constant use of the refrigerator uses a major amount of energy. The drying machine also uses much energy. One solution is to let clothes air dry & to wash clothes in cold water.

In the graph to the left, you can see my personal household's monthly energy use compared to the average monthly energy use per month in the state of California.

The energy usage in my own home appears to be lower than the average usage across the state of California. I believe that this is largely due to the fact that we rarely use the heater or air conditioning in my home.

Water Audit

The graph to the right depicts the activities that use the most water in my household. Among these activities are showering, brushing teeth, cooking meals, washing dishes, & doing laundry.

With this information, I have realized the importance of limiting water waste by turning off faucets & using water only when necessary to prevent waste.

Similar to the energy graph, the graph to the left demonstrates the average water use in gallons for each person in my house compared to the average per person in the state of California.

The image shows that the water use per person in my household is slightly higher than the average per person in California. To solve this, it is important to use water wisely & support water conservation.


Conservation Action Plan

In order to reduce energy & water use, it is important to come up with steps to accomplish this goal. Below are several options that should be considered in order to conserve energy & water.

Water Conservation Steps

Energy Conservation Steps


Energy & Water Conservation: San Diego, CA

The city of San Diego in the state of California is just next to the western coast line. To the south of San Diego is the Mexican-American border. For this reason, Mexicans make up 31.6% of the population in San Diego. It is one of the most diverse & multicultural cities in the country.

31.6% are from Mexican origin

The city's location & perfect climate comes with a heavy price. San Diego was ranked as one of the most expensive cities to live in across the United States. The average monthly rent of an apartment in San Diego is $2,350, which is 65% higher than the nationwide average. The high cost of living may limit accessibility to sources of renewable energy & costs to improve energy & water efficiency.

The city's high price does not necessarily mean that it has perfect health conditions. The link below takes you to a map of California that depicts the environmental conditions of each region.

By narrowing this map down to San Diego, it is clear that there are environmental issues in the city despite its high cost.

Due to the increase in urbanization, San Diego has faced the issue of light pollution. The map above depicts the light pollution in different areas around San Diego. This pollution can have many impacts on wildlife, especially birds, who rely on the sky to navigate.

Light Pollution in San Diego by sdmmpadmin

It is clear that Downtown San Diego has the highest levels of light pollution, as it is a highly urban area. Moving away from the city area, the levels of light pollution gradually decrease.

Data from the University of San Diego

The graph above from the University of San Diego shows the percentage renewable energy from major energy providers in San Diego. Although the amount of renewable energy has increased over the years, there is still room for growth when it comes to providing clean energy to San Diego residents & businesses.

Being a large city, San Diego consumes enormous amounts of water & energy. It is important to cut down on this consumption in order to protect the wildlife, oceans, & forests in the city of San Diego.


Careers in Energy or Water Sectors

One career that I am personally interested in pursuing is becoming a renewable energy engineer. A renewable energy engineer specializes in designing, developing, & implementing renewable energy sources. These energy sources consist of solar, wind, geothermal heat, biomass, hydropower, & more.

Their responsibilities consist of project management, cost analysis, maintenance, research & more. This career typically requires a bachelors degree in renewable energy engineering, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, or some other related field.


Internship Reflection

This internship was an amazing learning experience that gave me a glimpse into the field of energy. I learned many skills such as data analyzation, researching, graphing, designing, & more.

I chose this internship as it would allow me to further my knowledge on environmental issues & figure out what I can do to help. Through my experiences, I learned about how I can accomplish this through my daily actions that consume energy.

The virtual & self-paced format of the internship was a big help as it allowed me to have a flexible schedule during the summer while still being able to learn & succeed.

This internship has inspired me to seek a career in the environmental science field & learn more about factors that influence environmental health. Energy & water waste is typically not a common topic when addressing the state of our planet. As a result of this internship, I was exposed to this area & am now interested in pursuing it on the next level.

Thank you to everyone who has helped me during this time, especially Izzi Volonte, Siria Salas, & everyone else who made this possible.

31.6% are from Mexican origin

Data from the University of San Diego