The students work in teams to analyze CO2 emissions in several climate zones using a method developed in class. The method begins by determining the extent of the climate zones and the zip codes located in each zone. Energy use and CO2 emissions for a typical home in each zone are determined and maps are generated with this information. The next exercise compares this information with potential CO2 reducing strategies.
1. Climate Zones and Zip Codes
1.1. The students define the boundaries of the climate zones and determine the zip codes in each climate zone. For this project California Climate zones were used, so the limits and the zip codes inside the zone were previously defined.
1.2. Determine which zip codes are in the climate zone under study.
1.3. Gather census data from website
http://www.census.gov./geo/www/gazetteer/places2k.html
1.4. Use the following information from the census files. This is organized in a spreadsheet in the following columns:
•City name [A]
•Zip code [B]
•Population [C]
•Households [D]
•Land area (square miles) [E]
•Land area (square meters) [F]
2. Determine Residential Energy use and CO2 emissions per Zip Code
Determine energy and CO2 emissions for a reference house in each zip code in the climate zone.
Then multiply CO2 and energy per dwelling by the number of units in each zip code. Several energy modeling programs can be used to determine energy and emissions. Home Energy Saver has been used in this exercise and the calculation is done in the following form (numbers correspond with numbers in figures):
2.1. Go to Home Energy Saver Site:
http://hes.lbl.gov
2.2. Enter zip code
2.3. Set cooling to “central air”
•Save answer
•Calculate
2.4. Select link “more details...”
Columns
•Energy use/money per year [G]
•Price per KwHr [H]
2.5. The estimated CO2 emissions for the house are indicated in the website.
3. Determine CO2 emissions in the zip code.
Select the CO2 per household obtained in 2.5 for each zip code and multiply by the number of households per zip code.
•CO2 (kg) per household annually [I]
•CO2 (kg) per household annually [J]
•CO2 (kg) per zip code annually [K]
G x C = H
•CO2 (kg) / m2 annually [L]
H/D
•Lbs/ft2 of CO2 annually [M]
(H x 2.2)/(D x 10.7636)
•Lbs of CO2 per person [N]
(H x 2.2)/B
4. Generate Maps with this Information.
Emphasis is on creating maps that help to understand the relationships between emissions and population density and emissions with surface areas. GIS would help create these maps (Figs 4,5,6) but they can also be drawn by hand (as these have been).
Residential CO2 in kg/m2 per year
Residential CO2 in kg/person per year
Population per square kilometer
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