Energy Audits
An energy audit is completed at a residential or commercial building to determine its energy efficiency. Simply put, energy efficiency means using less energy to do the same job. The audit will provide you with a complete electricity consumption and energy efficiency assessment.
You can obtain important information regarding your energy usage and Energy Star rating from the audit report. With this information, you can identify and correct any energy usage issues to cut electricity costs. It’s advisable to always undertake an energy audit before implementing a renewable energy system.
Energy Audit Approach:
- Evaluation of major loads to understand efficiencies
- Identify fast-payback energy retrofit opportunities.
- Make well-informed decisions on capital investments in your buildings
- Identify low-cost/no-cost O&M measures that have an immediate impact.
- Develop integrated capital improvement programs that coordinate energy
programs with other planned improvements
Types of Energy Audits
1. Walk-through Audit:
It helps to identify the electrical energy consumption pattern, electrical energy utilizing equipments used and to identify scope of Energy Saving Opportunities. A walkthrough audit off the industry basically involves a visual inspection of various electrical equipments and installations, recording their ratings, duration of operation etc. And thus identifying the potential of any possible energy saving opportunity.
The findings would be analyzed by experts and a draft report on findings can be made and discussed with the plant personnel. And on further interest a detailed Energy Audit can also be carried out.
Advantages:
- Advantages of the walk-though energy audit include faster results and lower cost.
- In low cost and less time Client gets an idea of energy saving opportunities and can take a call on further detailed Energy Audit.
Disadvantages:
- Not as sophisticated as a comprehensive energy audit, less data collected and analyzed.
2. Comprehensive Audit:
Advantages:
- The standard energy audit is more detailed than the walk-through audit, more data is collected and analyzed. Being more through less likely to overlook more complex EMO’s
Disadvantages:
- The standard energy audit takes the auditor more time, data loggers are used to collect additional data – therefore it is more expensive than the walk through audit. Often time-consuming data collection is far too exhaustive to add value.
3. Investment Grade Energy Audit:
Advantages:
- A very comprehensive energy assessment of the facility and its energy footprint, no stone is left unturned in the search for EMO’s (Energy Management Opportunities). Suitable for capital intensive investment programs.
Disadvantages:
- Very detailed, but time consuming. The detailed energy modeling and analysis requires many man-hours. Time to market opportunities may be lost.