North South University

Department of Environment Science and Management

LAB REPORT 02: Electricity Consumption & Ecological Footprint

COURSE: ENV107L
SECTION: 02
SEMESTER: FALL 2021

SUBMITTED TO:
INSTRUCTOR: Prof.Hassan Mahmud (HMD)

SUBMITTED BY:
NAME ID
Sumaya Ahmed 1813033030
Md Amir Khan 1812378030

Date of submission: 24TH October 2021

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 PART (A)
Electricity Consumption:

Question 1: How much did you pay for electricity for that month (Include both including
and excluding vat)? (This may be listed as "Total bill." Total Dues (Rounded)" is the
amount without VAT. Check to see if your bill includes other utilities, such as gas, or if
your bill covers more than 1 month.)

Answer:
Month March, 2021 August, 2021
Electricity bill excluding VAT 1614.41 2722.35
VAT 78.16 129.64
Electricity bill including VAT 1720.00 2852.00

Question 2: How many kilowatt hours of electricity did your household use in that month?
(This may be listed as "meter usage," "recorded demand," "kWh consumed," or
"electricity usage.”)

Answer:

Month Kilowatt Hours of Electricity Used

March, 2021 249 KWH or Units

August, 2021 409 KWH or Units

Question 3: What is the cost you pay per kilowatt hour? (You have to divide the "Total
Energy Charge" by "KWH Consumed". "Demand Charge" is the charge that is a set fee
paid monthly or seasonally – most customers pay for the energy they use)

Answer:

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In March, the payment for kilowatt hours of electricity = Total Energy Charge / Kilowatt
Consumed

= 1720/249

= BDT 6.90 / KWH

In August, the payment for kilowatt hours of electricity = Total Energy Charge / Kilowatt
Consumed

= 2852/409

= BDT 6.97 / KWH

Question 4: Can you tell from the bill if any or all of your electricity comes from renewable
energy sources? (You may pay extra to ensure a portion of your electricity come from
renewable resources.)

Answer: In most cases, information on the source of power energy is not included in the bill.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, generates 3.3 percent of its energy from renewable sources. Off-
grid installations, biogas and biomass, and small-scale hydropower are all examples of renewable
energy sources.

Question 5: Energy efficiency refers to completing a task using less energy input than
usual. For example, an LED light bulb produces the same amount of light as other bulbs,
but with less energy. Where do you see opportunities to become more energy efficient at
your home (mention any two techniques)?

Answer: In the strategies listed below, I see an opportunity to become more energy efficient:

Refrigerator with inverter compressor: An inverter compressor refrigerator has various

advantages over a traditional compressor refrigerator. It adjusts to the temperature in the fridge,
running at full speed when it needs to cool down and shutting off altogether when the
temperature drops below a certain level. It saves energy because it works at a constant speed and
keeps food in better condition.

Solar Kettle: The Solar Kettle is a more energy-efficient way to heat water because it uses just
the sun's power to heat and even boil water. It's an excellent device for conserving energy in the

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home since we can heat the water during the day and then close it up to keep the heat in. It can
also be used for trekking, camping, sports games, and picnics.

Question 6: Energy conservation refers to behaviors and actions that people can do to save
or use less energy. For example, turning off the lights when you leave a room is an action
you can take that reduces the amount of electricity you use. Write down any two actions
you can take to reduce the amount of energy you use?

Answer: The following are some actions that can help reduce energy consumption:

Unplug any electronics that aren't in use: We usually forget to unplug or turn off electrical
devices after they have been used. For example, after we finish charging our phone or laptop, we
forget to unplug the charger and turn off the kitchen exhaust fan. If we turn off or unplug items
as soon as we finish using them, we may save the most money on utilities and lower our
household's annual electricity usage.

Old Light Bulbs Should Be Replaced: Traditional incandescent light bulbs use a lot of energy
and need to be replaced more frequently than their energy-efficient LED counterparts. LED
bulbs are a more energy-efficient lighting choice than incandescent lights, using 25% to 75% less
electricity. They're also mercury-free and last up to 25 times longer than standard incandescent
bulbs. Although these lights are costly, they are cost advantageous in the long run.

Question 7: Mark is in the market for a new Refrigerator. One refrigerator he likes is
energy efficient, but a bit more expensive and another one is cheap but consumes more
energy. According to you which one he should buy and why?
Answer: Mark should purchase an expensive refrigerator. As opposed to the cheap one, which
consumes more energy, the expensive one is more energy efficient. Although an energy-efficient
refrigerator is more expensive off the shelf and requires a one-time payment, he is willing to
make the investment. However, because it is energy-efficient, it will cost less in the long term,
and he will benefit from lower electricity costs.

Question 8: The sample bill in slide 7 is for the month of February and the sample bill in
slide 8 is for the month of September for the same household. According to you what can

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be the possible reasons for such a difference in the bills for these two months? Briefly
discuss any two/three reasons.

Answer: The first bill was for the month of March, which was BDT 1720, and the second bill
was for the month of August, which was BDT 2852. There is a significant difference in these
two bills, the bill of August was more than 40% higher than the month of March.

Possible reasons for such a difference in the bills of these two months:

 The change of season could be one of the factors causing this disparity. Our country's
temperature is higher in the summer than in the winter, thus the weather is hot and
muggy. As a result, people use fans and air conditioners a lot more. The weather is
comparatively cold near the end of Winter, in March. People rarely use air cooling
devices such as fans and air conditioners.

Part (B)
Ecological Footprint:

Question 9: Take screen shot of the results (of all the members) and make two or more
suitable charts to compare the ecological footprints (in one chart compare number of
earths, and in another chart compare ecological footprint in global hectares, carbon
footprints (carbon emission in tons), and carbon footprints (in % of your carbon
footprints). Feel free to choose separate graphs to compare the mentioned topics.

Answer: Screenshots of the results of the quiz have been attached below of both members:

Member -1: Amir

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Member -2: Sumaya

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 No. of Earths

5.8

5.4
AMI R SU MAYA

Figure 1: Number of Earths

As we can see in the graph above, Amir has got more no. of earth times than Sumaya. It means if
everybody lives like Amir, then the world's population would need 5.8 times of earth, whereas if
everybody lives like Sumaya, the world's population would need 5.4 times of the earth.

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 Ecological & Carbon Footprint
AMIR SUMAYA

15.4

12.4
9.4

8.8

Ec o l o gi c al F o o t p r i n t C ar b o n Fo ot p r i n t

Figure 2: Ecological & Carbon Footprint

Ecological footprint is a method of gauging humans' dependence on natural resources by

calculating how much of the environment is needed to sustain a particular lifestyle. In other
words, it measures the demand vs. the supply of nature.

The ecological footprint is one way of measuring sustainability, which refers to the ability of a
population to support itself in the present without compromising that ability for the future.

In the graph shown above, we can see the two individuals' ecological and biological footprints.
From the graph, it is quite evident that Sumaya has more impact than Amir in both ecological
and carbon footprints meaning Sumaya needs more resources than Amir to fulfill in terms of the
area of biologically productive land and water required to produce the goods consumed and to
assimilate the wastes generated.

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Question 10: Briefly discuss your lifestyle (any one of the members of the group) and write
down any three suggestions to reduce your ecological footprints without compromising
your lifestyle (for that particular member of your group).

Answer: As an individual(Amir khan), I am more of a vegetarian. I travel a lot, but I use mostly
public transportation. Since I have a fascination for gadgets, I love to purchase gadgets more
often and use new devices.
Suggestions to reduce my ecological footprints without compromising my lifestyle:
 Driving less and traveling sustainably
 Eating less meat and more plant-based foods (As I am a vegetarian.)
 Repairing instead of replacing completely

Question 11: Why do you think the ecological footprint for the people in Bangladesh is so
small? Why is it so large for people living in the United States?

Answer: The size of the Ecological Footprint can be explained in various ways, but it remains, at
large, a function of utility and consumption. Bangladesh has a high population density but has a
significantly low per capita income and a disparate income level between the poor and the rich.
This signifies that due to small purchasing power, Bangladeshis can spend, ergo consume, less.
Smaller consumption leads to a dichotomous effect:
1. On the producers'/manufacturers' level, less production means that less ecological
damage takes place.
2. On the consumers' level, less consumption leads to less pollution or harm to nature
takes place.
The ecological footprint is primarily about carbon footprint, and the US carbon footprint is
enormous relative to most of the rest of the world's countries. Yes, China is bigger, but after a
century or more, China had virtually no heavy industry due to colonialism and then lack of
capital for industrial development.
Due to the US being an oil-producing nation in the past, the US has powerful oligarchs from the
fossil fuel industry who have significant influence over US politics. In addition to lobbying the
government, the fossil fuel industry funds a mass misinformation campaign to ensure that the
public continues not to give a shit.

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Appendiex

10 | P a g e
11 | P a g e