Energy consumption (in watts) and average monthly cost (in $) of appliances in a typical TH:

(continued from table #1)

Explanation of data:

The data we have collected thus far is organized by the location of each appliance in a typical TH. We have four different locations (kitchen, living room/dining room, bedrooms, bathroom), each with a separate list of appliances normally found in those rooms. For each appliance, we have recorded the cost (in $/month) of powering the appliance, as well as the energy consumption (in watts) that it uses. We have also calculated (using Microsoft Excel) the cost of powering each appliance over the course of a semester, which just involves multiplying the monthly cost by 4 (months in a semester). Additional calculations during data analysis will allow us to make more accurate estimates of the average energy use and energy cost in one TH, taking in to account about how long each appliance is plugged in and used each month.

Picture of data-gathering setup: 

How did we take the data:

We began our data collection by making a list (organized by room) of every personal appliance we have in our houses and have used throughout the year. After making this list, we gathered our data one room at a time, plugging each appliance in to the Watts Up? Pro to measure the cost per month as well as the watts of each appliance while in use. For appliances that tend to remain plugged in while not in use (such as lamps and the microwave), we took two sets of measurements: one set while the appliance was plugged in but not on, and another set while the appliance was plugged in and on/in use. We gathered all of the data together, with one person managing the Watts Up? Pro while the other recorded the data as it was measured.

Technology used to gather data:

The technology we used to gather our data included the Watts Up? Pro, a laptop computer, all of the appliances being measured, and a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

Conditions under which data was taken:

The conditions under which our data was taken are described above in the explanation of how we gathered our data.

Units:

The units of our data include dollars per month for the cost, and watts for the energy consumption.