Posted: July 6th, 2016

Which source would be the best for your community?

If so, how do you feel this has impacted the environment over time? How much of an impact have these sources of energy had on local air and water quality? Considering the current source(s) of power available, determine how much energy your house uses each month. You can find this information on your monthly energy bill. Calculate your annual usage for a year. Using this value, estimate the energy consumption for your community. The US Census Bureau is one resource you can use to estimate the number of households in your community.

You can use the following formulae for this calculation:

(monthly energy usage) × (12 months per year) = (household energy usage per year); (yearly energy estimate for your house) × (estimated number of houses in your community) = (estimated yearly energy use for your community)

The following is an example of the above calculation:

52.8 kilowatt hours (kwh) per month × 12 months = 633.6 kwh; 633.6 kwh × 200 houses in your community = 126,720 kwh

Recommend a realistic, renewable resource to power your community, using your calculated power needs. Consider the following sources: hydropower, solar power, wind turbines, and geothermal energy. Which source would be the best for your community? Justify your choice based on the kind of resources that are available, how much power these alternative sources can produce, and your estimated energy demands for the community. Having recommended an alternative power source, conclude by addressing the following: How realistic is this alternative power source for your community? How will people in your community respond to energy conversion? Will they support it or be against it? Give reasons. How expensive would it be to convert to the alternative power source you recommended? How would this new source impact the environment? What organisms would benefit most from this conversion? Support your statements with appropriate examples and approximately 4–6 credible resources.