What's your Energy I.Q.? Published Sept. 29, 2010 By Caroline Ward 27th Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- In this modern world, we depend on fossil fuels. Billions of dollars and valuable natural resources are wasted each year by simply not thinking or not knowing how much energy we use in our everyday activities. October is Energy Awareness Month, and during the next four weeks issues associated with energy conservation will be addressed and suggestions will be offered so every person can contribute to the conservation effort. Man first started harvesting natural energy sources through burning wood and inventing devices to tap the power of wind and water. The Industrialization Age of the 19th century began to shift the use of natural energy to the newly discovered resources of fossil fuels and the 20th century created technologies to harness these new fuel sources at an unprecedented speed. The world now moves on coal, natural gas, petroleum, hydroelectric and nuclear power without a thought about where the energy comes from. Test your energy awareness knowledge by answering the following true or false questions. Compare your answers with the ones at the bottom, and then, think about making some of these conservation ideas a part of your daily routine. Next week's article will provide an Energy Audit Self-Checklist you can use to determine your personal energy usage. ENERGY QUIZ: 1. Houses warm up faster by setting the thermostat higher than the desired temperature. 2. Freezers are more efficient when filled to capacity. 3. Fluorescent and incandescent bulbs of the same wattage produce the same amount of light. 4. Always use cold water when running a garbage disposal. 5. Driving faster uses less fuel since the car is running for a shorter period of time. 6. Always preheat the oven for broiling or roasting. 7. Never turn on the oven and open the door for a quick warm-up of a cold kitchen. 8. Leave computers and monitors on continually since it takes more energy to power up than to leave on. 9. The federal government is the largest consumer of energy in the world. 10. Opening the refrigerator door costs money and energy. Answers: 1. False. Setting the thermostat higher than the desired temperature does not warm the house up quicker. The inside temperature will warm up just as quickly with the desired thermostat setting. 2. True. Freezers operate better when filled. 3. False. Fluorescent lights produce 3.5 times more light than incandescent bulbs of the same wattage. 4. True. Garbage disposals are designed to operate with cold water. Letting the water run until it gets hot just wastes water and the energy it takes to heat the water. 5. False. The higher the speed, the more fuel burned, regardless of how long the trip takes. 6. False. Broiling and roasting do not require preheating. 7. True. Using the oven is a costly way to heat the kitchen. 8. False. When on, computers and monitors use energy constantly. Turning off and powering down is much more energy efficient. 9. True. The United States uses more energy than any other nation in the world--about 35% of the world's total energy consumption and the federal government is far and away the largest consumer of American energy. 10. True. Every time the refrigerator door is opened, cold air escapes and the compressor has to work to keep the temperature constant. (Caroline Ward is the 27 SOCES Resource Energy Manager)