Does your utility bill seem unusually high? It may be time for an energy audit. Do you fill as though your HVAC systems constantly runs, but never quite hits the temperature at which it is set? Consider calling an auditor.
Energy audit of a building involves evaluating the building’s existing energy consumption to identify the potential energy savings and report the findings. This is carried out without negatively affecting the building’s functionality. Energy auditing is the first step in identifying opportunities to reduce energy expense. An energy audit seeks to prioritize the energy uses according to the greatest to least cost effective opportunities for energy savings.
The energy audit consists mainly of collecting and measuring data that are available for the energy assessment of the building. Its primary purpose is to conduct an initial energy survey and to identify operation and maintenance procedures. It describes and assesses the current energy demand and consumption, identifies the possible and crucial energy management improvements and then offer an energy management plan. Most of the targeted facilities consist of commercial buildings, hotels, industries and institutions such as universities. Nevertheless it is also advisable to carry out energy audits even in their residential set ups. The cumulative savings by millions of individuals ends up having a great positive impact in the energy infrastructure in the country.
In Kenya, the energy management regulations require that consumers of more than 180,000 units (attach the daily nation link) of electricity per year to carry audits every three years. According to estimates by the Energy regulatory commission, about Sh43 million is lost every day through inefficient electricity consumption.
There is normally a direct relationship to the cost of the audit, how much data will be collected and analyzed, and the number of conservation opportunities identified. Thus, a first distinction is made between costs of the audit which determines the type of audit to be performed. The second distinction is made between the types of the facility. For example, a building audit may emphasize the building envelope, lighting, heating and ventilation requirements. On the other hand, an audit of an industrial plant emphasizes the process requirements.
We need to understand the value of a home audit too. A home audit will help homeowners determine how and where a house is losing energy. It helps evaluate the efficiency of a home’s heating, cooling, and electrical systems. It helps take guess work out of the equation. A home owner can use a do it yourself guide to carry out assessment of their home’s energy efficiency. Nevertheless, it is advisable to employ the services pf a professional auditor who will perform a more detailed audit. An energy audit may even force you to become aware of problems you didn’t know existed.
For more technical information regarding energy audits, you can read “Handbook of Energy Audits” and Energy Management Handbook
