Energy Management
An energy audit is an inspection, survey and analysis of energy use for energy conservation in a building, process or system and a preparation of a report showing ways in which energy use may be reduced in the system without negatively affecting the output(s). It is a compilation of energy related data of the energy/mass balance in an energy using/producing system. Once a system is identified, its boundaries clearly specified and all mass and energy inputs and output measured will it be possible to tell where, how much and at what cost energy is being provided to a system.
A system can be a building or a part of a manufacturing process.
To complete the picture of energy use it is also necessary to study energy use patterns and trends and to understand energy use as a function of time, productivity, building occupancy and load profiles.
In an energy audit you will be tracing the energy inputs and outputs. You will learn the quantities and costs of energy used at each step in the operation of a system, understand the patterns of energy use and see opportunities for energy savings.
Only with the gathering of such information can creative or straightforward ways be developed to reduce energy use and costs.
An energy audit should only be conducted if there is a commitment on the part of the Company to do something with the results.
Energy Audit Process
An Energy Audit involves the following steps:
Collection of energy related data
Load apportioning
Identify energy saving measures
Estimating implementation costs and energy savings of energy saving measure
Writing an audit report
There are three types of Energy audits, namely
Desktop Audit – desktop data collection
Walk through Audit – where Field Data Collection may be necessary
Energy Data Logging Audit – more in-depth study