Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mr. March.

I'm here today to teach you all about sustainable use of energy.

So grab everything that you need for today's lesson and let's get going.

So by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to explain how energy efficiency and energy conservation can reduce the demand for energy and use the example to discuss a local renewable energy scheme in Togo, an LIC.

There are three key terms for today's lesson.

Those are carbon footprint, efficiency and finally, conservation.

Carbon footprint refers to the total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by an individual, product, process, country, et cetera.

Efficiency, while this refers to energy efficiency, meaning using technology that needs less energy to perform the same task.

And finally, conservation, energy conservation involves changing people's behaviour in ways that mean they use less energy.

There are four learning cycles for today's lesson.

I'm gonna start with learning cycle one, which is all about calculating carbon footprints.

A carbon footprint is a way of measuring the total amount of greenhouse gases that something adds to the atmosphere.

Carbon footprints are also comparable.

We can compare products for example, and see which has the lower carbon footprint.

Jacob asked the question, "Why would you want to compare the carbon footprint of different products?" Lucas says, "So you can buy the one that makes the least contribution to global warming." Now a carbon footprint is measured in carbon dioxide equivalent or CO2e, and this can include other greenhouse gases too.

Let's take the example of a T-shirt manufactured in Asia and then shipped to Europe for retail.

So first of all, there's the growing of the cotton.

This includes fertilisers, irrigation, and machinery.

And that can come out with a CO2e of 0.

3 kilogrammes.

Then there's the actual processing and manufacturing of the T-shirt.

Again, the spinning, the dying, the sewing.

This can account for 1.

5 kilogramme CO2e.

Then there's the transport to retail.

Now this can account for 0.

5 kilogrammes of CO2e.

Again, if this was transported by sea.

If it's done via air freight, this could go up to 2.

5 kilogrammes of CO2e.

So clearly shipping over the sea is much more carbon friendly.

Then there's the washing and wearing, again looking at perhaps washing and wearing and drying this then 50 times can account for two to three kilogrammes of CO2e.

And then finally the disposal by landfill.

As it decomposes, it releases methane and this can account for 0.

5 CO2e.

So we can see how at every different stage of perhaps manufacture, wearing, but also the sort of maintenance of the T-shirt, there is certainly a CO2 or greenhouse gas cost associated with it.

So time now for a learning check and it says which the following would be likely to lower the carbon footprint of a cotton T-shirt bought in the UK.

So you can see you've got four different options on the screen.

What you need to do is read through those options and select all the answers that you think are correct.

And the two correct answers we were looking for were B recycling rather than disposal in landfill and C, transportation by ship rather than by air.

Really, really well done if you're able to select B and C as the correct answers.

Now individual carbon footprints are calculated by estimating total greenhouse gas emissions produced by a person's daily activities over a period usually a year.

So a carbon footprint, these calculators can be used to work out this estimate.

These typically ask you a series of questions about your lifestyle as you can see on the right-hand side.

Questions such as how often do you eat beef? How many times do you fly per year? How warm do you keep your home in winter? How much do you spend on clothes and footwear per month? Emission factors are then used to actually calculate your estimate.

Now every activity has an emission factor, the amount of CO2e it emits.

For example the CO2eE released per mile of driving.

This then is multiplied by the activity levels, for example, how many miles are driven per year to calculate the total greenhouse gas emissions from that activity by that one individual in that year.

Now you can see I just read through four different questions there, which are typically asked to calculate your carbon footprint.

Now you may like to pause the video here whilst you consider your own answers to those questions or better still have a discussion with someone near you.

Time once again for a learning session and it says true or false? Knowing that carbon footprint of a product or activity helps an individual make choices for a more sustainable use of energy.

So what you need to do right now then is pause the video here whilst you consider and then select your answer.

And the correct answer was true.

Now, once again, I'd like you to pause the video here whilst you consider as to why or how that statement is true.

And the reason it's true is that seeing what activities are increasing your own carbon footprint makes it possible then to actually make changes that reduce carbon emissions.

Choosing products with smaller carbon footprints over those with larger footprints does the same.

High carbon emissions are unsustainable because they're produced by non-renewable energy sources and contribute to climate change.

So really, really well done if you're able to get those two answers correct.

We're on now to our one and early practise task for our first learning cycle and it says to study the graph in front of you and then explain two reasons why carbon footprint per person varies between these countries.

So please then pause the video here whilst you attempt this practise task.

Best of luck.

So time now for some feedback.

Now your answers may have included the following.

One reason could be that people buy clothes that have been imported from other countries instead of made in their own country.

Transportation adds a lot to a product's carbon footprint.

A second reason could be that people in wealthier countries buy a lot more stuff than people in LICs such as Malawi.

So not only do they buy imported clothes for example, they also buy a lot more clothing and other products that all add to their individual carbon footprint.

So really, really well done if we're able to get anything like that in your own answer.

We're on now to our second learning cycle, which is all about energy efficiency and conservation in transport.

Now, energy efficiency and energy conservation both work to reduce energy demand to more sustainable levels.

But how do they do that? While energy efficiency uses technology to reduce the amount of energy needed to do something, for example, LED light bulbs use much less energy to provide light than traditional incandescent bulbs.

Furthermore, energy conservation encourages people to behave in a way that uses less energy.

For example, encouraging people to walk more or cycle more reduces energy used for transportation perhaps in cars or buses.

So let's start by looking at energy efficiency with a bit more detail because the aim of energy efficiency in transportation is to reduce fuel use without reducing travel.

For example, fuel efficient vehicles, these go further on less fuel due to improved engines or perhaps better aerodynamics, as you can see in the illustration on the right-hand side, as well as less weight.

All this reduces the amount of fuel needed to move that lorry or that car.

But then also hybrid and electric vehicles or Evs.

Electric vehicles are much more efficient converting energy from their batteries into motion than petrol or diesel engines.

So it's not necessarily about reducing the number of journeys, but about reducing the amount of energy needed for that same journey.

Time once again for a learning check and it says true or false? Electric vehicles or EVs are not an example of energy efficiency because they do not use fossil fuels.

So please then pause the video here whilst you read back through that statement and then select your answer.

And the correct answer is false.

Now once again, I'd like you to pause the video here whilst you consider as to why that statement is false.

And the reason it's false is that energy efficiency in transportation means using less energy to complete the same task or drive the same distance in this example.

EVs are much more efficient at converting energy into motion than petrol or diesel engines which lose as much as 80% of energy as heat.

So really, really well done if you're able to get those two answers correct.

So let's now have a look at energy conservation because the aim of energy conservation in transportation is to switch people to lower energy transportation or just reduce how much or how often people travel.

For example, we can try to encourage people to drive less.

So for example, we can try to encourage people to use more bicycles or perhaps walk more instead of driving.

Perhaps we can try to encourage people to work from home more if it's possible instead of commuting into work.

We can encourage the use of car sharing schemes perhaps, or instead of having three people in separate cars make that journey to work each and every day, perhaps those three people can share one car to make just one journey into work.

And then finally, encouraging the use of public transport as well.

This is a great idea, trying to get people to use more buses, more trains to try and limit the use of their personal vehicle time.

Now for a learning check, and it says which of the following is not a benefit to encouraging people to cycle to school or work instead of driving.

So please, then you've got four different options on the screen.

What you need to do is pause the video here, read through those four options and select what you think is the correct answer.

And the correct answer was B increases air pollution.

Really, really well done if you're able to select B as the correct answer.

We're on now to our two practise tasks for our second learning cycle.

And the first one says to describe two examples of energy efficiency in transport.

The second one says to explain using an example how energy conservation and transport can reduce energy demand to more sustainable levels.

So please then pause the video here whilst you attempt these two practise tasks.

Best of luck.

In terms of feedback then, for the first question, your answer could have included the following; so electric vehicles or EVs are an example of energy efficiency and transport.

EV technology is very efficient at converting energy from the batteries into movement.

Aerodynamic vehicles reduce air resistance for vehicles like cars and lorries.

Lower air resistance means less energy is needed to move that vehicle forward.

So time there for the second question, and once again, your answer may have included the following.

So when people drive to work, then they're using fossil fuels even in EVs, unless the car has been charged using 100% renewable energy.

Fossil fuels are non-renewable and have high carbon emissions, which means their use is unsustainable.

Persuading people to walk or cycle to work instead of driving is an example of energy conservation as these forms of transport do not require fossil fuels which are conserved for other uses.

So really, really well done if you're able to include anything like that in your own answer.

We're on now to our third learning cycle, which is all about energy efficiency and conservation in buildings.

So energy efficiency in home and workplace is about using technology and design to use less energy to complete the same tasks.

So loft and wall installation are both examples of energy efficiency in buildings.

I wonder, can you explain why? You may like to pause the video at this point, why you really consider your answer to that question or better still, have a discussion with someone near you.

Well, as Izzy says, "The insulation stops heat escaping through the roof and walls.

And Sam says, "And that means less energy is needed to heat the building." Yes, it's about trying to use that energy that we're using to either or heat our homes in the most efficient way possible.

So loft and wall insulation is a perfect example of that.

It keeps our home nice and warm by trapping that heat inside our house and thereby reducing the amount of energy that we need to continue heating our home.

Really well done if we're able to see anything like that too.

LED light bulbs also use about 80% less electricity than traditional incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light.

So they're really energy efficient.

Furthermore, condenser boilers use less gas than old boilers to heat water and radiators and they lose less heat energy as well.

So both of these are fantastic examples of how we can bring energy efficiency into our own homes.

Time now for a learning check and it says to match these examples of home technology with the reasons that they are energy efficient.

So on the left hand side you can see that you've got things such as double glazing, low flow shower head, A-rated fridge, and finally smart thermostat.

And then you've got the reasons on the right-hand side.

What you need to do then is read through all those different reasons and match them as best you can.

So please then pause the video here whilst you attempt this learning check.

And now for some feedback.

So double glazing matches with reduces heat loss through windows, so less energy is needed to heat the home.

Low flow shower head reduces water flow while still providing a good shower experience, reducing the amount of hot water needed.

A-rated fridge matches with uses advanced motor and insulation to consume less power, often 50% less.

And finally, smart thermostat matches with senses when rooms are unoccupied and reduces heating in them.

Really, really well done if you're able to match those four as well.

So energy conservation in the home is about trying to use less energy by changing habits or reducing unnecessary energy use.

Laura says that, "My dad turns the thermostat down to 19 degrees Celsius and if I say I'm cold he tells me to put on a jumper.

Is that energy conservation?" Well, it's time for a small learning check in a way because I'd like you to consider whether that is, yes, it is energy conservation because it's changing habits or no, it's about technology.

So please then pause the video here whilst to consider your own answer to that question A or B.

And the correct answer was A.

Yes, it is about changing habits, not about technology.

Her dad has told her to put on a jumper rather than mess with a thermostat.

So it's about trying to change Laura's behaviour in a way that reduces the amount of heating needed to heat their house.

Really well done if you're able to select A as the correct answer.

So here are some more examples then of energy conservation that we can do in the home.

For example, we can try to take shorter showers, we can wait to wash our clothes until we have a full washing machine load rather than a half load.

Don't leave the fridge door open, of course, just fill the kettle with the amount of water you need rather than filling a whole kettle full of water just for one of tea.

We can try to close the curtains to actually keep the heat in.

Unplug devices rather than leaving them on standby.

And finally turn off the light.

when you leave a room.

Time once again for a learning check, it says to suggest two ways in which energy conservation could reduce heat loss from this home in front of you.

So you can see you've got four different options on the screen in front of you.

What you need to do is pause video here whilst you consider and then select your two answers.

And the two correct answers are A, start closing curtains and C, stop leaving windows open.

Remember we were looking for energy conservation, so changes in behaviour.

B and D are much more to do with technology and energy efficiency.

So really, really well done if you're able to get A and C as the correct answers.

Timeline for our two practise tasks for our third learning cycle.

And the first one says to add annotations to outline at least four ways in which the energy efficiency of this building could be improved.

And the second question says to imagine you are looking for ways to reduce energy bills in your home.

Suggests three changes that would encourage energy conservation.

So please then pause the video here whilst you attempt these two practise tasks.

Best of luck.

In terms of feedback then for the first question, your annotations could have included the following; so loft and wall insulation reduces heat loss, so less energy would be needed to heat the house.

A smart thermostat senses when rooms are unoccupied and reduces heating in them.

LED lights instead of traditional light bulbs would use 80% less energy to provide the same amount of light.

And finally, a condenser boiler uses less energy to provide the same amount of heat as an older boiler, which again would lead to less heat waste.

For the second question, and your three ways could have included the following; so when the weather is suitable, hangout washing to dry outside on the clothes line rather than always using the tumble dryer.

We could also put an old egg timer from the kitchen in the shower so we can all keep our showers under 10 minutes.

And then finally, if someone feels cold in the house when they're just wearing a t-shirt or a vest then, instead of turning up the thermometer, they should try putting on some warmer clothes first.

So really well done if you're able to include anything like that in your own answer.

We're on that to our fourth and final learning cycle and this one's all about sustainable supplies of energy in Togo.

So energy efficiency and energy conservation help reduce carbon footprints where energy consumption is high.

And on the right-hand side then we can see a map which is showing the number of people without access to electricity as of 2022.

So in some low income countries or LICs, access to modern forms of energy is actually rather limited as you can see via that map there, which shows large parts of Africa, especially Central Africa as lacking access to electricity.

So a question to you is how can energy supply be increased sustainably in such countries? Now you may like pause the video here whilst you consider your answer to that question or better still have a discussion with someone near you.

So Togo then is an LIC in West Africa, its GDP per capita is just $2,600 per person.

This is the average amount of money that somebody in Togo earns each and every single year.

3.

8 million people in Togo do not have access to electricity.

Togo's population is 8.

9 million people.

Compared to Indonesia, an NEE, the number of people in Togo without electricity has hardly fallen at all since 1998.

Compare that with Indonesia whose economy is really developing at the moment.

And you can see how the number of people without access to electricity has rapidly decreased over the same amount of time.

Not having access to affordable and reliable energy causes challenges, many challenges, for the people of Togo.

For example, to increase farming yield, so to increase the amount of food produced and deal with more droughts which are coming as a result of climate change, farmers need to irrigate their crops, but many farmers can't afford diesel for irrigation pumps because of rising prices of fossil fuels.

Healthcare in rural or countryside areas of Togo also suffers from a lack of reliable, affordable electricity.

At night, for example, health workers have to use kerosene lamps or electric torches to do their work.

And these don't provide enough light to see properly which affects medical care.

There is also no refrigeration for vaccines, medicine and blood without reliable electricity.

So you can see how it's really impacting people's health in countries such as Togo, who are of course LICs.

Time once again for a learning check.

And it says that 3.

8 million people in Togo do not have access to electricity out of the population of 8.

9 million.

So my question to you is what is that as a percentage share? So you've got four different options on the screen here.

What you need to do then is pause a bit here whilst you try to calculate your answer and then select what you think is the correct answer.

And the correct answer was C, 42.

7%.

But how did I get this answer? Well, as Sophia says, "3.

8 divided by 8.

9," remember these are the populations of Togo who either don't have electricity or it's the total population of Togo.

So this comes out with 0.

427.

Times it by 100 to come out with a percentage and it equates to 42.

7%.

So really, really well done if you were able to select C is the correct answer.

Now due to Togo's geographical location, Togo actually has really high potential for solar power.

This map measures the potential for solar power and you can see Togo's location, and you can see that it's doing really, really well in terms of potential for solar power.

The measurement is based on the intensity of the solar radiation and how long it's actually sunny for.

And so because Togo is near the equator, its solar power potential is extremely high.

Managed by the African Development Bank, the project to support the social component rural electrification programme, SIZO, which in French, which is Togo's official language, has the acronym PRAVOST as you can see on the screen in front of you.

Now this aims to strengthen the resilience of 500 rural communities in Togo, as we can see on the map in front of you.

By improving access to energy for households, community infrastructure as well as small scale farms. It's also supported by the European Union and the Togolese government.

The project plans to electrify 300 health centres.

Electrify 400 water supply stations and power 600 irrigation pumps, as well as 2000 households via smart mini grids.

Dieudonne Farm solar water pump then is located in the municipality of Bas-Mono in the south of Togo.

It is a mixed farm cultivating corn, onions and papayas as well as raising pigs and poultry.

In the past, irrigation was a challenge due to unreliable electricity supplies, expensive fuel for motorised pumps and erratic patterns of rainfall.

PRAVOSTs has supported the installation of a solar-powered pump, which fills a 5,000 litre water storage reservoir, enabling the farmer to irrigate his crops during dry spells.

Fuel costs have been cut and reliable irrigation has increased the area's crop production by 50%.

The farmer has increased his workforce, thereby supporting the local economy and increased productivity has benefited the local village of Afagnan by increasing the productivity of fresh produce throughout the year.

At Batonou, on the Togo-Benin border, solar panels have been installed to provide a sustainable and reliable electricity supply at the local health centre.

In the past, frequent power cuts have forced medics to use torches during health procedures.

Six solar panels have been installed, powering lights in each room at the health centre, solar energy powers two refrigerators, one storing vaccines, and the other preserving maternity products.

There is potential to instal a solar water heater to ensure proper hygiene.

The project has installed over 100 solar water heaters in health centres in Togo.

A sustainable solution, solar energy has increased the resilience of local communities in rural areas in Togo.

Health centres can operate day and night, preserve vaccines and offer decent care to patients.

Farmers can irrigate more land and increase productivity.

So what makes a local energy scheme more sustainable? Let's have a look at some different factors then.

First of all, it should always try to use renewable energy that is locally available.

It's low cost to run and to maintain.

It provides a reliable source of energy, it reduces dependence on fossil fuels or unsustainable use of firewood for fuel, for example.

It contributes to developing education, improving people's health, as well as the local economy, perhaps by employing people.

It also saves time previously spent on gathering fuels that their time is now free for other activities.

Local people are also trained to instal and repair it.

Once again, providing employment and skills.

It also meets local community needs.

And finally, technology is simple to operate and therefore maintain.

Time now for a learning check.

And it says which two of the following are features of a sustainable local energy scheme.

So you've got four options on the screen in front of you.

What you need to do is pause video here whilst you read through those options and then select what you think are the two correct answers.

And the two correct answers are C and D, reduces dependence on fossil fuels and meets local community needs.

Really well done if you're able to select C and D as the correct answers.

Our next learning check says to match the details to the correct location.

And so on the left-hand side then you can see you've got two different locations.

And on the right-hand side you can see you've got six different details.

Now what you need to do is pause a video here whilst to attempt this learning check by matching those details on the right hand side to the location on the left.

Best of luck.

Let's go through the answers now, beginning with Dieudonne farm.

So 5,000 litre water storage reservoir, Batonou health centre matched up with six solar panels for light in six rooms. There was also the two refrigerators for medical supplies.

There was also the solar water heater for hygiene.

In terms of the farm then, there was a a crop production increase by 50% and finding more workers were hired from the local area.

Really well done if you were able to match up those six different details.

Time now for our one and only practise task for our final learning cycle, it says using an example of a local renewable energy scheme in an LIC, explain how energy supplies have been made more sustainable.

Now Aisha says, "I need to make sure I give the name of the local scheme in my answer," and Aisha is absolutely correct.

Make sure that you are mentioning the name of your local scheme in your answer.

So please then pause every here whilst you attempt this practise task.

Best of luck.

In terms of feedback then, your answer may have included the following; so I've started by looking at one local scheme as being PRAVOSTs project in Togo.

So I've said that in Togo, the PRAVOSTs project, supported by the African Development Bank, EU, as well as the Togolese government, is helping rural communities access sustainable renewable energy.

At Dieudonnne Farm, a solar-powered water pump now fills a 5,000-liter reservoir providing reliable irrigation during dry periods, which climate change is making much more common.

This has reduced fuel costs and increased the area of crops by 50%, which is creating jobs and increasing the food supply for the nearby settlement of Afagnan.

The answer continues.

At Batonou Health Centre, six solar panels now provide reliable electricity supply.

In the past, health workers had to use torches to see by.

Now six rooms have reliable lighting.

In two solar-powered fridges mean the health centre can store vaccines and other medicines safely.

These examples show how local renewable energy projects can make energy supplies more sustainable by reducing reliance on fossil fuels, lowering emissions and meeting the needs of their communities.

They also increase resilience to climate change and support long-term development.

Really, really well done if you were able to include anything like that in your own answer.

So want now to our learning summary and what we need to know from today's lesson.

Well, we need to know that many countries are taking action to use energy much more sustainably.

More sustainable energy use includes energy conservation and energy efficiency.

Togo provides examples of local renewable energy schemes using solar power.

So really, really well done during today's lesson.

It was a pleasure teaching you and I will see you again on the next lesson, goodbye.