Project A
Information-Graphic Poster
GRDS 503 // VISUAL COMMUNICATION HISTORY, RESEARCH & DISCOURSE // BY: BRITTANY LINARES
Table of Contents Part 1 - Initial Ideations
3-4
Part 2 - Initial Research
5
Geothermal Energy
6
Process
7
Visual Research
8-12
Sketches
13-16
Digital Concepts
17-19
Research Contact
20
Final Concept
21
Final Survey Results
22-25
Final Photography
26-27
Initial Bibliography
28
Annotated Bibliography
29
Part 1
Research, Reading, Thoughts, & Initial Ideation
READING
BetEnvia, M. (2013). Translating Community Access to Energy into Empowering Policies and Programs; a Study on Environmental Justice, Renewable Energy, and Government Aid (Master’s Thesis).
REFLECTION
In reading, “Translating Community Access to Energy into Empowering Policies Program; a Study on Environmental Justice, Renewable Energy, and Government Aid,” it was hard to ignore the fact that the United States relies on fossil fuels for most of its energy needs. This consumption is based upon the monetary income/gain showing that they care so little about the environment or in investing government time into the use, research and discovery of renewable energy. The facts about Fuel Poverty were very shocking in the sense that they impact health, especially for the elderly, young children, and the disabled, the most. This in turn forces households to choose between food and energy (ex: heat) because they can not afford the rising cost of the fossil fuels. Such individuals usually live in dire situations that, shockingly, the U.S. does nothing to avail or help them to regain their stability. But rather, they increase the degradation of the overall situation. Most poverty-stricken homes or low–income societies are made up of minority groups. The fact that they use these communities to place landfills, chemical factories, and truck depots made me see the U.S. in a new light. It therefore made me see how the U.S. caters more to the middle to higher-class demographic. They take such actions because these communities are typically overlooked, pollution levels are higher at the facilities, and the people have no say because they have no political power to effect change. The U.S. also gains a lot of money from citizens through income taxes at $1,164 billion annually. I now see that the highest two incomes come from corporate income taxes and social security. This paper enlightened me to the fact that money is invested in Corporate Power, over environmental
responsibility, due to this being a highly capitalist society; where the pursuit of business and technology is foremost. Prior to obtaining this information, I was unaware that civil liberty, which is one of our basic freedoms, is overlooked when corporate and spending / investment decisions are made. This will, in the end, destroy our economy and leave nothing to harness. I had studied about the unemployment factors, and the people it affects, previously, when I researched obesity and low-income ethnic or minority groups. There I learned that not only are the more ethnic/minority/unskilled groups looked down upon in the job setting, but being of low-income also means individuals eat fattier/cheaper foods. Most times this is a result of having to use food stamps or their communities’ lack the proper facilities to get fresh fruits, vegetables, etc. The result of eating such food is usually obesity; such a condition, especially among the elderly, young children, or disabled persons, can cause an individual to be unhealthy and prone to more diseases. In turn companies will not hire these low-income and/ or minority groups because they are too much of a financial liability for the companies health insurance policies. Upon reading and taking in the above information I found it very interesting about how the U.S uses low-income communities to place their facilities that would make higher-society look dirty. I also find the overall environmental issues relating the living situations of the communities something I would like to research more so as to see what sources they could use and what could be done to prevent such impoverished situations from beginning or getting worse due to government neglect. It was interesting also to see the term fuel poverty being used because previously I would have just saw this as general poverty but the two are different.
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Part 1
Initial Ideations & Topic Considerations
INITIAL TOPICS IDEATIONS
1. What factors could be used to reduce the worsening of fuel poverty (that aren’t already in place)? 2. Why does the US government disregard fuel poverty as a real issue? 3. The government places factories, plants, etc. in low-income communities, which in turn worsens the condition of this space. Why does the government feel this is a good idea?
RESEARCH
At this point in research, each topic was fully researched and infographics were studied to see if any topic could be either narrowed down or used in an effective final infographic. The research conducted at this point studied the United States, Britain, and China as separate entities to provide the information for an ideal comparison of data. This comparison was further explored and refined in Part 2 of Project A.
4. Why does the US want to cater mostly to a higher-class society when the issue of fuel poverty in lower income communities is spreading, therefore causing the middle-class to fall farther into low-income spaces due to increasing fossil fuels, etc.? 5. Are the factories, plants, and truck depots helpful at all to these communities, minus the fact that they cause pollution? Why couldn’t they offer jobs for these communities to help build their standing/overall income? 6. Being that our civil liberties are at risk via the budge of the US, what liberties are taken away and what decisions are being made in order for this to take place? 7. At the current rate of the degradation and pollution, how long would it take for such low-income living situations to eventually spread to the higher-income classes and in turn cause a catastrophic change? 8. What makes the US turn away from using reusable energy alongside gaining the fossil fuels? What actions could be taken to help merge the US towards a more sustainable environment to prevent large scale environmental damage? 9. Why are countries overseas more efficient in using renewable energy? What makes them see it differently than the US? And, what are they doing to address it?
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Part 2
Initial Research & Information
INITIAL TOPIC PROPOSAL
• Why are foreign countries, such as the United Kingdom & China, more efficient in the use of renewable energy vs fossil fuels than the United States? What aspects of their income are focused on these two aspects?
PRELIMINARY RESEARCH
• While reading the thesis Translating Community Access to Energy into Empowering Policies and Programs I discovered a relationship between fuel poverty in regards to energy consumption throughout the world, as well as what countries rely on as their main power source. I noted the concern of environmental loss and became more curious about the relationship of the different countries and how they use their resources. Upon further reading I discovered that China was the country which used the most renewable energy and was able to harness its power alongside their fossil fuels. This is one way to help conserve their country and save their people from more pollutants. I became more curious about the relationships between these companies, what they have access to that others may not, and more. Through this thought process and researching percentages of power usage, I realized that I would like to compare and contrast this aspect as well as how they use the power, what is used most to generate it, what is the rate of pollution, and what amount of their income is being spent on these developments.
INITIAL PROJECT PROPOSAL
• I want to compare the usage of the different energy forms, renewable and fossil fuels, in each country via percentages. This will be carried out first by understanding the different percentage usage via oil, biomass, coal, hydro-power, natural gas, nuclear, solar, and wind. With these results I would like to then compare
the pollution rates of each energy source. The final aspect will be a possible comparison of machines, factories, etc. that use these energies and how much they expand. The study of the countries incomes/expenditures is also as possibility to see where they are focusing the issuance of most of the money earned annually. To my understanding, these values are very important to understand aspects of different energies sources, their impact on our environment, and how income affects the advancement or lack in the use of energy. This would be a way to help people realize how the government runs our country and where their money is going. • For the design aspect, I would like to portray this information via an infographic because I feel the association of color, images, and fact will make it more pleasing overall to the viewer and help better capture their attention.
IN-PROGRESS SITE REFERENCES
• Wind Power in the United States (Wikipedia) • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_Power_in_the_US • Window on State Government • www.window.state.tx.us/specialrpt/energy/renewable/ biomass.php • The USGS Water Science School • ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/ • Solar Power in the US (Wikipedia) • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_in_the_United_States
RESEARCH
At this level of research, I discovered that references 3 countries and all their renewable resources was too vast. I narrowed down to geothermal energy in the U.S. due to it being the least focused on in class discussion and because I knew so little about it an saw it as a learning experience.
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Geothermal Energy Fuel Poverty - Design Proposal & Research Presentation
FINAL TOPIC PROPOSAL
RESOURCES AVAILABLE
PROJECT PROPOSAL
EDITORIAL INFOGRAPHIC
• How to help low-income individuals, families, and communities in the U.S. gain installation of the more energy efficient and cost effective Geothermal heating & cooling system in their homes? What are its benefits to their survival and self sufficiency?
• To design an editorial infographic to engage the viewer, help the viewer clearly understand the message, and through the use of graphs, images, and color variations, help the viewer navigate from the problem to the solution. The goal also to communicate the message in a way that the viewer can quickly understand the overall concept of the geothermal heating and cooling units, the financial costs, how to make it more affordable, and much more.
TARGET AUDIENCE
• U.S. citizens of all incomes, but primarily those in the low-income, fuel-poverty status, looking for ways to protect themselves and/ or families in changing weather conditions. It will in turn save them money to put towards other essentials survival needs such as food, repairs, medicine, etc. The visual/editorial combination will be ideal for even those that may be slightly uneducated. These individuals being targeted are all those with homes and of legal working age. • In order to reach these audiences, such an infographic would be posted in communities with higher levels of poverty, areas with different types of power plant facilities (aka more polluted areas where low-income communities are highly saturated), and locations would also include all urban and rural areas alike.
• I have the resources to print this poster in a 30” x 40” format and mount it in a public setting to interpret how it would be seen by individuals. Also, I am going to use the Internet to conduct a survey in order to gain insight on how the audience.
• An editorial infographic is what I intend to portray as a way to educate the viewer on geothermal energy and show them how they can get such a unit installed in their home. An editorial infographic is a narrative approach that is meant to appeal to the masses and position an idea that provides large levels of information to support the initial idea or topic. The ideal execution of an editorial infographic will educate the audience on the topic by giving multiple levels of supporting content which is used to enrich the audience’s lives and inform them of a possible solution or in this case, a renewable energy source that they may not have known existed. • This form of editorial journalism helps communicate a message at a much faster pace than most content heavy materials. It is compiled with information and date that tells a story through the use of reliable resources and uses a limited number of credible resources in order to relay data that is up-to-date and closely related in information and quantitative data. • This infographic will portray the geothermal energy with quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data promotes the use of graphics that consist of high levels of visualization, meaningful information, and contain some text. Then there is qualitative data that relies heavily on consumer opinion, and informational text.
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Process OVERVIEW
• After long hours of researching, I discovered that my original concept was far too broad for an editorial infographic. After searching for new methods of helping low-income communities convert to a renewable energy source from the current fossil fuels, I discovered an alternative source of heating and cooling. This alternative to fossil fuels is geothermal heat pumps which are the most energy efficient heating and cooling units that can be used in the home because they use the constant yearly temperature of the earth to heat and cool the home, and also create hot water. This saves 30% of the annual income per household. A poster is an ideal way to present the large amounts of information in a visual appealing format that is set to feel and read like a magazine.
LEARNING ABOUT GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
• Geothermal energy is simply thermal energy that the earth generates and stores year round. The geothermal heat pumps are used for heating and cooling homes as well as providing hot water for a home. It takes advantage of the earth’s surface temperature in order to provide the heat too and from the home. The units are all indoor or underground therefore having no risk to outside weather or vandalism. Also, such units come with many different forms of underground pipe installation based on the amount of land you own or the lack there of. Geothermal units have little restrictions for installation and can be installed almost everywhere.
VALUES & GOALS
• I want to inform all levels of society about the geothermal units because if everyone decided to convert, one the prices would reduce, and two the overall U.S. spending budget would reduce and more income would be generated after initial installation costs. I want to introduce the different financing/payment methods that
make installation possible. Even though the units are not easily accessible at this time to all low-income homes, I feel that with the experimental installation phase, the stimulus money may be extended to install units in more than just the initial 15 homes. This infographic will portray a possible means of purchase for lowincome and how the government could save money by helping these individuals and doing away with current fossil fuel powered units. I also want to push the concept of tax rebates which is another concept that should peak a lot of interest.
INDUSTRY/COMPETITION
• Fossil fuels are so readily used in today’s society but they are not the most cost effective means of energy consumption in the long run due to constant maintenance costs, electricity, and many other energy consuming sources. Fossil fuels are the greatest competition to the transition to geothermal energy because they have a cheaper start up cost and many individuals may not see the “long term” maintenance and replacement fee’s they will face. Not only this but often times once conventional units break, families are left without heating or cooling. Conventional air units are also outside and therefore susceptible to weather which can damage your unit. The geothermal unit requires less maintenance, indoors, and quiet.
PROJECT GOALS
• Overall goal of this infographic is to relay information that will educate individuals about geothermal heat pumps. With the given information the overarching goal is to make individuals, such as low-income become more self-sufficient and in turn be in less of a fuel poverty status. I also want individuals to understand geothermal energy and the many different ways in which it can be affordable through financing or government assistance.
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Visual Research
Home Solar - Image Source: https://www.engineeringforchange. org/news/2013/01/07/e4c_visualized_how_solar_will_fix_our_ broken_electricity_grid.html
These infographics were the first aspects of my visual references based on the overall layout. I like the combination of images, graphs, and data that makes each piece effective. The use of colors is also done tastefully to carry your eye through the piece and indicate the points related to the main issues/ topic. I therefore am using these styles for visual aesthetic influence. Fuel Poverty in the UK - Image Source: http://attwooddigital.com/digital-marketing-services/infographic-marketing/ Global Data Survey - Image Source: http://infographicb2b.com/2013/06/16/global-data-center-survey-infographic/ Power of Facebook - Image Source: http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/infographic-the-power-of-facebook-advertising/ Sweat - Image Source: http://www.findingdrishti.com/2012/08/sweat-the-big-picture-infographic/
8
Visual Research
These are scans from my book Infographics: The Power of Visual Storytelling. I am using these as visual resources for the possible styles of graphs that will be included in my infographic.
9
Visual Research
Image Source: http://www.saskpower.com/our-power-future/ generation-options-being-considered/geothermal-as-a-generationoption/attachment/geothermal-infographic/
Image Source: http://1bog.org/blog/ infographic-home-improvements-thatpay-you-back/
These infographics are in were studied due to their relationship with either geothermal energy or other such renewable energy source. I wanted to see how they were structured in order to structure my own infographic. This helped to understand how the information should flow on an infographic.
Energy Water - Image Source: http://lightwavesolar.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/ infographic-on-the-energy-water-collision-how-hot-dry-summers-impact-waterand-power-generation/ Where to get a Green Job - Image Source: http://1bog.org/blog/infographicwhere-to-get-a-green-job/
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Visual Research
Image Source: http://freebiespress.com/vectors/infographics-vector/
These are infographic graph samples that helped inspire my decisions in how I decided to create my graphics. It also gave me a general direction to what type of graphics are used effectively in infographics to communicate data.
Image Source: http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-103376411/stockvector-premium-infographics-master-collection-graphs-histogramsarrows-chart-d-globe-icons-and-a.html
Image Source: http://www.creditreport.org/11-awesome-credit-infographics-you-canuse-as-learning-tools/
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Visual Research
Image Source: http://portfolios.scad.edu/gallery/Transactions-Human-Sex-Trafficking/11683245
Image Source: http://www.thedesignsurgery.co.uk/#Infographics
These are Editorial Infographics which helped inspire me how to create an infographic with an equal amount of newspaper/magazine text layout alongside the use of informational/date based graphs, charts, and much more. These range from simplistic to more complex layout formats. The
Image Source: http://portfolios.scad.edu/gallery/So-Youre-A-Graphic-Designer-Looking-ForWork/6565941
Image Source: http://www.kwd.co.uk/showcase/ publications/crimestoppers-newsletter.html
shown formats are magazine based but still show an overall feel for newspaper style printed material. In the bottom examples, even though there is a lot of information and the pages are text heavy, they are balanced with color usage, hierarchy, and layout.
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Sketches
These are my original 5 sketches which I created based on my topic regarding U.S. vs China in consumption. This topic was too broad so I narrowed it back down to the U.S. only, but were still possible layout arrangements I could use for the final.
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Sketches This is a new, modified sketch with a layout possibility for the editorial based infographic. The other drawings around the infographic are explorations of different graphs or arrangements to incorporate into the final infographic.
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Sketches This was my initial sketch with sections marked off. I wanted to start with the title then separate it with sections of informational text, graphs, charts, and much more.
15
Sketches This was my second and more in-depth sketch where I rearranged layout to make it more simplistic. I added a blueprint off the house to show how the geothermal system works so that I could cut down on the amount of words included in this infographic. I also rearranged the overall grid system and added more decorative elements in order to draw the eye around the piece.
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Digital Concepts This was my first digital concept where I was working with blocks in order to arrange the space evenly. I was more focused on the skeleton of the piece rather than incorporating the actual images. This was due to the fact that I needed to understand how it would possibly look and how the space would be arranged in order to piece it together and keep the viewer interested.
Geothermal Energy (header goes here) Geothermal Energy - definition of the renewable enery. Pie chart showing the percentages of energy used in the U.S. via Coal, Renewable, Gas, etc.
Information about the different types of geothermal units and how they work
Funding availability will be listed and explained here.
Here I will list the types of homes that can have geothermal units installed. I will then show a comparison of the energy used in each with fossil fuels vs what they will save with geothermal overtime. Also will show how they can be accessessed.
Information about repair costs via traditional units vs geothermal in comparison to warranties. % comparison of the pollution from Geothermal, Coal, Oil, etc. The percentages will be shown in the clouds to show how Geothermal helps the environment. Reduction of plant pollution also = cleaner air and healthier individuals in low income communities.
summarization of how overall it will help lower-income communities overall
17
Digital Concepts The Geothermal infographic (pictured right) was my first draft based on the skeleton that I had created previously. This concept involved the inclusion of more information, images, and color. I was focusing on arrangement and color coordination more than reducing th amount of information at this point. My goal here was to get all the information into the piece then the next step would involve reduction and summarization. The graphic (pictured below) was a comparison of installation costs to annual operating costs of different forms of energy used to heat and cool homes. It is meant to show the drastic differences between the two costs as a way to make people understand the money saved from geothermal units in the long run. However, this graph needs revision and tends to have an unclear reading.
Geothermal united states heating & cooling systems
CURRENT HOUSEHOLD ENERGY USE
4 | 80
4 | 80 3 | 60 2 | 40 1 | 20
6%
18%
34%
41%
0 |0 Electric Baseboard
TYPES OF GHP SYSTEMS
OPERATING COSTS - COMPARED TO GAS FURNACE
OPERATING COSTS - COMPARED TO GAS FURNACE
Geothermal heat pumps harness earths constxant ground temperature, from either soil or water, to both heat and cool your home. GHP systems deliver more energy per unit consumed than other conventional systems.
Air Conditioning
INSTALLATION COST
INSTALLATION COST
HOW IT WORKS
Water Heating
Appliances, Electronics, & Lighting
Gas Furnace
Propane Furnace
Oil Furance
Heat Pump
Reverse Geothermal Hydronic Floor Cycle Chiller Heat Pump
$ (OPERATING COSTS) $ (THOUSANDS)
Space Heating
Annual Costs
HORIZONTAL
VERTICAL
IMAGE HERE
IMAGE HERE
POND/LAKE OPEN LOOP IMAGE HERE
IMAGE HERE
Most cost-effective residential installation. This requires 4 foot deep trenches, with the installation of 2 pipes laid side be side in an almost slinky like arrangement. Possible in areas where there is alot of land proided to lay pipes.
Often used in commercial buildings and schools where land prohibits the installation of horizontal pipes. For this system, holes are drilled 20 feet apart and 100-400 feet deep. Horizontal pipes connect these veritical pipes to the GHP unit.
If an adequate water supply is available, like a nearby pond, this would be the lowest cost option. Pipes are ran from the building into the nearby water source and coiled into circles at least 8 feet deep in order to prevent freezing.
This system uses a surface water or well as a way to exchange heat fluid that will cirulate directly in the GHP pump. This is an option where there is a large amount of clean water supply available with enough land.
3 | 60 Facts about ease of install. Add percentage of each housing type underneath. Single-Family Homes, Mobile Homes, Apartments
2 | 40
Radient Panels
HYBRID IMAGE HERE This unit is best used where there is less need to heat the home and more need for overall cooling, like southern U.S. states. Incorporates a “standing water well.” Water is drawn from the bottom of this well in order to cool and circulates in a cycle.
HOUSES AVAILABLE FOR INSTALLATION
APPLY FOR CREDIT
The government offers tax credits, rebates, and savings via yearly income taxes for those who have the geothermal units installed in their homes. There are also green enery loans that can be taken out, based on customer credit, in order to purchase GHP units. However, only 30% of overall renewable source government spending has been pushed toward geothermal energy. Therefore, this helps those in poverty with good credit and ability to finance the product, however if more people would install these devices, prices would drop drastically and they would be able to be placed in low-income homes in extreme poverty situations.
1 | 20 0 |0 Electric Baseboard
Radient Panels
Gas Furnace
Propane Furnace
Oil Furance
Heat Pump
Reverse Geothermal Hydronic Cycle Chiller Heat Pump Floor
$ (OPERATING COSTS) $ (THOUSANDS)
Annual Costs
$1,617 saved annually in energy & $1,000 in overall maintenance and hot water usage, the payback would be just shy of 3 years. After 20 years the GHP system would save $69,000.
CO2 Emissions 60 lbs
Geothermal
2,191 lbs
Coal
1,540 lbs
Oil
1,212 lbs
Natural Gas
Overall, the longterm investment is more beneficial overall than the short term costs. Even though is is a larger upfront investment, the 25-50 year warranties make maintenance next to nothing, in turn saving money and income taxes funds. Also less pollution means less health problems in areas where plants are especially. The plants can be the first thing to be replaced which will reduce pollution and then we can convert homes through govenment funding with more readliy available GHP units.
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Digital Concepts GEOTHERMAL Earth’s natural heating & cooling energy system that pays you back! PROBLEM: To help low-income individuals gain both installation and knowledge of a more energy efficient heating and cooling system.
WHAT IS GEOTHERMAL ENERGY: Geothermal heat pumps harness earths constant ground temperature, from soil or water. GHP systems deliver more energy per unit than conventional systems.
HOW IT WORKS
HOUSEHOLD ENERGY USE Annual usage averages
Sends cold air out of the house, travels through the groud, then returns heat for warm air. Also can be used to cool and heat the water in the home.
34%
6%
Air Conditioning
Appliances, Electronics, & Lighting
41% Space Heating
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JOHN DOE 10/16
0000 0000 0000 0000
CREDIT
Lorem ipsum lorem ipsum Lorem ipsum lorem ipsum Lorem ipsum lorem
APPLY FOR CREDIT
Water Heating
18%
This is the second computer generated infographic. At this point it is a bit bare in some areas and the graph is far too small and needs to work in arrangement and format with the rest of th piece. This graph is an experimentation using different styles to see what will fit into the piece best. The general information about Geothermal units and energy, hot it compares to other forms of electricity and renewable energy sources, ways to get it financed, and much more is included with this more pictorial infographic.
TYPES OF GEOTHERMAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE HOME HORIZONTAL � VERTICAL � POND/LAKE � OPEN LOOP � HYBRID
HOME INSTALLATION Housing units suitable for residential GHP Installations
COST COMPARISON
Installation Cost vs Annaul Operating Costs 80 60
Geothermal Heat Pump ($75,000) Electric Baseboard ($60,000)
Oil Furnace ($60,000) Reverse Cycle Chilller ($55,000)
Single Family Homes
Propane Furnace ($40,000)
40
Mobile Homes
Hydronic Floor ($30,000) Gas Furnace ($20,000) Radient Panels ($13,000) Gas Furnace ($15,000)
20 Electric Baseboard ($5,000)
Oil Furnace ($15,000) Heat Pump ($20,000)
Propane Furnace ($16,000)
Hydronic Floor ($20,000)
Geothermal Heat Pump ($10,000)
Radient Panels ($10,000)
0
Annual Cost Averages (Thousands)
Apartment Homes
Reverse Cycle Chilller ($20,000)
Heat Pump ($20,000)
CO2 Pollution: measured in pounds
INSTALLATION COST OPERATING COSTS
60
2,191
1,540
1,212
Geothermal
Coal
Natural Gas
Oil
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Research Contact This is my initial contact with Megan BetEnvia in which she was very helpful and provided many very informative websites to use as reference for information in regards to financing geothermal energy, how it works, and much more. When email her I had stated the information that I was able to find and the information that I was unable to find or having next to no luck. She stated that this was research she had conducted in finding her solution of further researching solar energy.
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Final Concept GEOTHERMAL
TYPES OF GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS HORIZONTAL LOOP
POND/LAKE LOOP
OPEN LOOP
VERTICAL LOOP
Most cost-effective residential installation. This requires four feet deep trenches with the installiaiton of two pipes laid side-by-side in an almost slinky-like arrangement. Possible in areas where there is alot of land provided to lay pipes.
If an adequate water supply is available, like a nearby pond, this would be the lowest cost option. Pipes are run from the building into the nearby water source and coiled into circles at least eight feet below the water’s surface to prevent freezing within the pipes.
This system uses surface water or a well as a way to exchange heat fluid that will circulate directly in the GHP pump. This is an option where there is a large amount of clean water supply and enough land for the pipe installation.
Often used in commercial buildings and schools where land prohibits the installation of horizontal pipes. For this system, holes are drilled 20 feet apart and laid 100-400 feet deep. Horizontal pipes connect these vertical pipes to the GHP unit installed within the building.
IS A HIGHLY ENERGY EFFICIENT METHOD OF USING THE EARTH AS A DEVICE FOR HEATING & COOLING
FUNDING OPTIONS FOR GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
$
70%
of the energy in the nation is consumed by residential and commercial buildings. If this were reduced, the nation would have a chance to save high levels of energy. Geothermal units are a first step toward such savings.
U.S. ENERGY CONSUMPTION , 2012 Total = 9 quadrillion Btu
Total = 95 quadrillion Btu
LOANS
STIMULUS MONEY Stimulus money is currently being used in an experiment where geothermal units are being installed in low-income homes that have achieved ideal weatherization standards. This experiment is meant to show the government that GHP units not only save money for the people, aside form intial costs, but also save money for the government in the long run. The stimulus package grants $3,000 to weatherize homes, for ideal performance and savings, as well as $18,000 to install the GHP units in various family homes. It is an attempt to also make low-income people live a more efficient sustainable lifestyle.
Receiving a loan can give homeowners the ability to install a geothermal system in their home. Loans are typically given to middle and upper class individuals, or those individuals who have ideal credit scores. Mortgages can also be taken out in order to have collateral on your installation for those who may not have ideal credit scores. Low interest rate loans are offered for the geothermal heat pump systems that help lower overall annual costs. Loans are only available for individuals with good or ideal credit scores.
+ REBATES
TAX CREDITS
The energy efficiency standards must first be met before any type of rebates can be received for geothermal systems. Such rebates help lower your taxes, overall costs, and much more. Rebates help by reducing the capital cost during the first year of installation of the system. This includes the purchase of the geothermal heat pump in relationship to alternative choices.
Home owners will be able to receive a tax credit if they install a geothermal unit before December 2016. These credits reduce the total bill that a taxpayer must pay. For example, if a unit costs $10,000, a 30% tax credit will reduce the overall income tax value by $3,000. Tax credits are available for anyone who has a geothermal system installed.
BENEFITS Immediate tax credit at installation • 25% - 70% heating and cooling cost reduction • Reduce overall cost to $1 a day Electricity is only used to operate the pump; reduces electric bill to almost nothing $25 increase on your home’s overall value for every dollar saved in utility costs Summer hot water usage is free • Winter hot water usage cost is cut in half • Low maintenance costs - Guaranteed 20+ years
CAPITAL & ANNUAL OPERATING COSTS Geothermal Heat Pump
Solar 2% Geothermal 3%
36%
Oil-Fired Furnace & Electric Air Conditioning $2,142 $1,947
Wind 15% Biomass Waste 5%
9%
27%
Domestic Energy
$207 $243
Water Heating
$236 $189
Cooling
Biofuels 22%
8% 18%
Wood 22%
$1,162 $978
Petroleum Natural Gas Coal Nuclear Electric Power Renewable Energy
Hydropower 30%
The above graph represents the consumption of energy through industrial, residential, and commercial usage. Petroleum, gas, coal, and renewable energy are primarily used by industrial buildings. The primary usage in residential and commercial entities are natural gas, petroleum, and renewable energy. Electricty is mostly powered through the use of coal.
Net Cost
60-97% .. Propane or Natural Gas 60-70% .................. Fireplace Insert 45% ............................... Wood Stove
31%
YEARS OF HOME CONSTRUCTION
28%
23%
1990 - 2009 1970 - 1989 1950 - 1969 Before 1950
18%
7%
68%
U.S. Population living in Mobile Homes
U.S. Population living in
Single Family Homes
$2,971
25% U.S. Population living in
$0
Utility Rebate
$16,200 $19,283
GHPC
$15,000
HEATING EFFICIENCY
Heating
$16,200 $16,312
(Btu= British Thermal Unit)
350% ..... Geothermal Heat Pump 200% ......... Air Source Heat Pump 100% ..... Electric Resistance Heat
Total Operating
$572 $537
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Annual Costs
temperature regulated. The most common form of heat pumps used in domestic situations are known as conventional heat pumps. These pumps can supply a home with hot water at very reduced costs with a desuperheater, which takes the excess heat and pushes it towards the hot water tank. These are the various ways that the geothermal pump is a beneficial energy source.
$10,000
15
10
Capital Investment
Geothermal energy consists of the use of earth’s year round underground temperture, 45 degrees in the north and 70 degrees in the south, to heat and cool homes. This is done through the use of heat pumps that force heat from the ground and into buildings for heat, then reversing this process removes heat for cooling. The pipes, which are placed underground, contain a mixture of water and antifreeze, which helps keep the overall
U.S. HOUSING
This is the final draft of the geothermal editorial infographic. Based on feedback and further exploration, I decided to take the color choices from the first draft and combine some aesthetics from the second to create this format. Since this is an editorial infographic, I went with a more magazine/newspaper style layout and kept a lot more information since editorial infographics are usually more content heavy with a balance of images to offset the text.
EIA 5
0
Units measured in thousands
The real net value of a geothermal heat pump system, before the rebate is innitiated, is $28,440. The net value of an oil-fired furnace/electric air conditioning unit is around $26,700 before rebate. Without the utility rebates, which save consumers around 20%, the purchase of a geothermal heat pump would not be possible in our nation’s economic state without loans, donations, or federal funding.
SOLUTION In order for low-income & fuel poverty stricken individuals to install a geothermal unit, they must either have enough credit to acquire a loan or apply for federal government aid. Such aid comes in the form of the stimulus package, and various grants that can be applied to fully fund the installation and equipment fees. The rebates more than pay for the system and the overall benefits of installation lead to larger savings.
Aparments
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Final Survey Results GEOTHERMAL SURVEY THROUGH POLLDADDY.COM
• I conducted a survey for my final editorial infographic to see how the audience was perceiving the overall message. It was a way to gain feedback to see if my design was communicating its topic and solution effectively based on the information provided from my research. My overall goal was to create this editorial infographic to educate people of all classes about geothermal heat pumps. Alongside this information I included statistics in regards to pricing and usage of geothermal energy in comparison to other fossil fuel energy sources that are currently being used. My solution states that the overall message is meant to relay to all levels in society but it is not an ideal solution for those with poor credit because they would only have the ability to receive help through the stimulus money, which means applying through the federal government. However, if middle and upper class individuals would install these units. I wanted to show that if people started installing these units it would make the initial costs reduce over time and save the government money from overspending on oil, etc. All individuals remain anonymous. Everyone that took the survey was from the United States except for one participant who is from Australia. This to me adds some diversity to the batch when you have someone living here from overseas that can provide a different outlook.
SURVEY LINK
• http://brilin88.polldaddy.com/s/geothermal-editorial-infographicposter-comprehension
SURVEY RESULTS
1. What message do you feel is being portrayed about the overall use of geothermal energy? • The overall consensus for question 1 was that the geothermal energy, even though it is quite a large investment, is more energy
efficient and will save money in the long run in comparison to current fossil fuels. • Question 1 - Sample Answers • “It is a highly energy efficient method of using the natural resources as a device for heating and cooling. You will reduce overall energy cost to just $1 a day which results in significant annual savings. • “That it can be a clean, cost effective and efficient way to power your home or business. • “After reading the infographic, I feel that geothermal energy, after some investment, will save you more money in the long run. My reasoning comes from the benefits compared to th cost of the infographic. Free summer cooling and reduced cost in the winter is certainly something that every home owner wants to hear. 2. Do you feel that this could benefit you or society in general? • The majority said that this would either benefit them or society. These individuals believe that it would lower the overall cost if more people participated in the installing of geothermal units. They also stated how it would be highly cost effective. • Question 2 - Sample Answers • “Perhaps. Hvac accounts for a large portion of a homes energy usage. If a substantial portion of the population were to switch to geothermal systems, then what would the effect be on energy rates be? Would the rates increase as a result of the drop in demand? (most likely). would they increase to the point of adding more expense to the residents bottom line? (that’s the million dollar question). after all, a large portion of the energy usage in an hvac system comes from the pump. A pump would
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Final Survey Results still be needed in a geothermal system. Energy efficiency is a very large selling point to a lot of buyers nowadays. This is because when potential customers hear “energy efficiency”, they immediately jump to “cheaper”. so, it’s in the builders best interest to build energy efficient homes. The question i have is why they aren’t jumping to geothermal hvac systems if they are affordable and energy efficient?” • “Yes because I am poor and our home is heated by space heaters. That runs my light bill to no less than $290 a month.” • “Yes, it reduces people’s cost and uses the earth instead of electricity.” 3. What is your estimated annual household income? • This is based on an income level estimated scale and based on the income levels of the survey takers only. • More than $100,000 (8%) • $75,000 - $100,000 (17%) • $51,000 - $75,000 (29%) • $26,000 - $50,000 (21%) • $10,000 - $25,000 (13%) • Less than $10,000 (13%) 4. Do you understand the available funding? Which method of funding would benefit you if you decided to install the geothermal unit? • Most individuals said that they understood the methods of funding listed in the infographic and stated how it would benefit them overall. The tax credit and loan options seemed to be the most prevalent choice. However, there were still those more interested in using government aid, such as the stimulus
money. • Question 4 - Sample Answers • “Yes, either case or a very low interest loan.” • “Yes, rebates, stimulus money, or tax credits. I would not use loans to install.” • “Yes, I would benefit from loans, rebates, and tax credits.” 5. Who do you feel that this poster is targeting most? • The majority felt that this poster was targeting middle and upper class but understood that correlation I was making in that such benefits would befall low-income through the use of stimulus money or if middle and upper class installed the units the overall price would reduce and be more affordable for the low-income individuals. However, the majority still believe that this was targeting low-income and middle-class. • Question 5 - Sample Answers • “This poster appears to be targeting both the lower class (so they may jump on board with the cause and help it build strength) as well as legislative bodies who would be passing these types of laws.” • “Middle class, both urban and rural. It’s smart, but the colors can catch everyone’s attention. I might look at the tag-line under geothermal to grab the low-income people’s attention. • “Low income, middle class in both rural and urban areas. Businesses that could benefit, apartment complexes and general households.” 6. Would you be willing to share or promote this concept? If YES, then how would you go about this? • 79.17 % of those taking this survey said that they were willing
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Final Survey Results to share or promote the concept of geothermal energy. 20.83% were not interested in promoting this concept. • Question 6 - Sample Answers • “Yes, I would tell other low income families that it is possible to stay warm, and not have to spend your kids Christmas money paying the light bill!” • “Yes, Facebook. Probably not very effective but it puts the information out there.” • “No, just generally not important enough to my daily life to promote it.” 7. Based on the information within this infographic, do you feel that people would convert from their current usage of fossil fuels? • Most stated that they would convert to the use of geothermal energy if the overall installation costs were not so high. They enjoyed the fact that there are very drastic savings involved via usage and taxes but that changing would just take too much money initially. • Question 7 - Sample Answers • “Yes, but for some, it is if they see immediate benefits and money savings.” • “Yes, they would certainly consider the benefits and cost effectiveness.” • “Yes, but too expensive to switch.” 8. What are your thoughts on the initial costs vs the long term costs, in comparison to alternative energy sources? • The majority say that since we have to use energy anyway, using a cleaner energy that can save more money is worth the initial start up cost. People realize the large amount of savings
and state they could spend money elsewhere. This extra money could then go to food and medical bills if needed. • Question 8 - Sample Answers • “While the initial outlay is expensive the approx. $200 per year saving is beneficial per customer, so perhaps the system is more worthwhile in apartment complexes where there are multiple residents that could share the cost initially while individually reaping in the savings.” • “We have to pay for energy no matter what. If there is a way to get cleaner more efficient energy, than great.” • “Long term benefits a plus.” 9. Do you feel that the infographic portrays a clear editorial message? Is it portrayed well visually? If not then what could be changed to create a heightened visual experience? • The majority stated that it was a well organized infographic with eye catching color usage. It was stated also how much it helped them to understand the overall concept of geothermal energy. • Question 9 - Sample Answers • “Yes, i think the colors are catchy and its easy to read.” • “Yes it was very clear and helped me to understand what this is about. Very great detailed and great work.” • “The graphs are great to use. Truly makes it eye catching and easy to see the results. You may want to utilize that or some kind of simple graphic to show how people can obtain geothermal energy instead of the write up but visually speaking, the format is great. i can easily see how i can get a geothermal unit and if i want to know more, i read about it. i see how much i can save by the graphics so in all, it is a good visual piece.
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Final Survey Results 10. Does the solution make sense? Do you feel this could solve the problem of fuel poverty or at least benefit the overspending in our capitalist society via fossil fuels? • Even though afford-ability was again mentioned, people believed that this would defiantly an ideal choice other than fossil fuels. They stated that in ideal geographic locations geothermal energy would be possible to install as well. Overall stating that the pros of the energy outweigh the cons. • Question 10 - Sample Answers • “Yes, i think so. i think having more than one renewable resource of energy (solar, geothermal, wind, etc..) will help society in all. We just need to make it where people “gotta have it” and to have it in use. if we could build buildings with this already in place, that would be a start.”
TALKING SURVEY RESULTS
Overall, the survey results were as I presumed. The given audience, chose at random, was from various income levels and had various outlooks on the overall use of geothermal energy. The surveyor’s were able to gain a lot of information from the poster and came to the same conclusion that geothermal units are more affordable for middle and upper-class at this moment but with governmental assistance and more installations, they too believe prices will drop and many more individuals can save money in the long run with on of these energy efficient systems.
• “Yes, i think that the solution makes sense in appropriate geographical locations. it is certainly a viable option to fossil fuels and even other alternative energy sources with initially high environmental footprints.” • “Safe, renewable energy is always a good thing. The solution makes sense. While in the long-run it will solve fuel poverty, implementation might need governmental assistance in order to happen for those people who are in fuel-poverty.”
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Final Photography This is a photograph of the 30� x 40� poster printed. This is to represent the poster to scale and show how it looks when printed.
26
Final Photography
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Initial Bibliography This was the first bibliography I created based on research. (NOT THE FINAL REFERENCES). •
“Energy.gov.” Energy.gov. U.S. Department of Energy, 24 June 2012. Web. 06 Oct. 2013. <http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/choosing-and-installinggeothermal-heat-pumps>. Energy.gov provides all the information about Geothermal Heat Pumps, how they are used, what types are available, the percentage of energy used vs energy saved and much more. Its a good site to understand all the basics of the GHP units as well as how they function, how they are installed, and the various ways they work. This is a website ran by the U.S. government.
•
First Financial Corporation. “Keystone HELP | Keystone HELP | Special Financing for Energy Home Improvements.” Keystone HELP | Keystone HELP | Special Financing for Energy Home Improvements. PA Treasury Department, PA DEP, PHFA, 2013. Web. 06 Oct. 2013. <http://www.keystonehelp.com/>. I wanted to find more like this for the entire U.S. but this is just for Pennsylvania. It is a detailed summary of the types of loans and financing that individuals can receive in order to get the geothermal units. The only issue here is this is based on approved credit which low-income individuals may not have due to unemployment or bad credit in general due to poverty. Such is just an example to lead me to find more on financing.
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“Geothermal Installation Sized to Your Mobile Home.” Geothermal Solutions. WaterFurnace & Geothermal Solutions, 2011 Oct. 17. Web. 06 Oct. 2013. <http:// www.geothermalsolutions-al.com/Geothermal-Mobile/news/geothermal-installation-sized-to-your-mobile-home-2>. Being curious as to whether they installed these units in mobile homes or not, this page is a simple explanation of how they go about doing this. Its a smaller unit than a larger home but just as effect and possible.
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Lankow, Jason, Josh Ritchie, and Ross Crooks. Infographics: The Power of Visual Storytelling. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. Print. This book is being used as a reference to my infographic. I have thus far used it for inspiration on layout styles, methods, concepts, and much more. It holds details from infographic history up to each style of graph, image, symbol, etc. A very helpful source for this project.
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Renewable Energy World.com. “US Government Expected To Increase Geothermal Funding by 25%.” Renewable Energy World. N.p., 3 Feb. 2010. Web. 06 Oct. 2013. <http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/02/us-government-to-increase-geothermal-funding-by-25>. This page is a summarization of the the government, in 2010, allocated 25% more spending toward the use of geothermal energy. Its states the departments responsible for this decision as well as the amount of money spent. This shows the government’s involvement in the use of geothermal energy as a renewable energy.
•
WaterFurnace International, Inc. “Geothermal Heating and Cooling.” WaterFurnace: How a WaterFurnace Geothermal System Works for Heating and Air Conditioning Residential and Commercial Buildings. N.p., 2013. Web. 06 Oct. 2013. <http://www.waterfurnace.com/how-it-works.aspx>. This site not only has great information about what the geothermal system is and how it works but it also has a great informational video on its many uses and all of its benefits. It relates and shows details of conventional units and how they release and take in heat in regards to geothermal units and even in regards to the GHP’s benefit toward lessing pollution and the production of more power plants.
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Yoder Drilling & Geothermal, Inc. “Savings Calculator.” Savings Calculator. Yoder Geothermal, 2013. Web. 06 Oct. 2013. <http://www.yodergeothermal.com/ savings-calculator>. Yoder Geothermal not only has information in regards to different ways to finance the GHP units but it also has a calculator and chart where you can see the comparison of annual costs in regards to geothermal, air source heat pumps, natural gas, propane, and heating oil.
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Annotated Bibliography •
“Geothermal Heat Pump Rebates.” Empowering Connecticut to Make Smart Energy Choices. CT Dept. of Energy & Environmental Protection, CT Energy Efficiency Fun, Clean Energy Finance & Investment Authority, EE Board, and Partner Utilities, 2013. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. <http://energizect.com/residents/ programs/geothermal-heat-pump-rebates>. This site helped me to understand who was eligible for the geothermal system installation based on their credit, home structure, and much more.
•
Holihan, Peter. “Renewable Energy 1998: Issues and Trends (Google EBook).” Google Books. N.p., 1998. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. <http://books.google.com/ books?id=0ehAb5ul0CkC>. This is not the original link for the pdf but it is the full pdf. For some reason the original link is down. This shows the geothermal economics, cost comparisons, and much more.
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Iowa Geothermal Association. “Earth Loop.” Iowa Geothermal Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2013. <http://www.iowageothermal.org/html/earthloop.html>. Used the images here to represent the systems in my infographic.
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Lankow, Jason, Josh Ritchie, and Ross Crooks. “Ch. 4/Editorial Infographics.” Infographics: The Power of Visual Storytelling. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. 113-45. Print. Used this book to gain information about infographics in general and specifically editorial infographics because that was the main focus of my design.
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Norfleet, Don. “Stimulus Money to Provide Geothermal Heat Systems to Low Income.” Editorial. Fulton Sun [Missouri] 8 Sept. 2010: n. pag. Fulton Sun. 8 Sept. 2010. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. <http://www.waptac.org/data/files/Website_docs/Recovery_Act/Success_Stories/mo/MO_Success_Story_090810.pdf>. This article talks about how the stimulus money seeks to provide experimental installations with give allowances to weatherize and install geothermal units in a set number of homes to see how beneficial this would bee to the U.S. The stimulus money can be used upon request.
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The Pennsylvania State University. “US Energy Facts.” EM SC 302: ESP Orientation to Energy and Sustainability Policy. PennState, 2012. Web. 2 Nov. 2013. <https://www.e-education.psu.edu/emsc302/node/176>. This information is used for the U.S. Energy Consumption by Energy Source pie chart which is included in my infographic. This site credits U.S. EIA DOE GOV: www.eia.doe.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=us_energy_home; www.eia.doe.gov/ energyexplained/index.cfm?page=us_energy_home#tab2; www.eia.doe.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=us_energy_home#tab3
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Plaehn, Tim, and Demand Media. “Home Guides.” SFGate. Heart Communications Inc. - Heart Newspapers - Demand Media, 2013. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. <http:// homeguides.sfgate.com/30-percent-tax-credit-homeowners-install-geothermal-heat-pump-systems-6642.html>. This site was used to gain information about tax credits, installations, benefits, and potentials of the geothermal heat pumps over other heating and cooling alternatives.
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Prairie Energy Cooperative. Geothermal Heat Pump Loan Program. Clarion: Prairie Energy Cooperative, IA. Prairie Energy Cooperative. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. <http://www.prairieenergy.coop/userdocs/pages/49_PECO.pdf>. This online brochure provided information about heat pumps and how loans can help customers install and gain benefits from the geothermal systems.
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