AdvancedTopic 104 of 106Electrical Engineering
Energy auditing and efficiency
Identify and reduce losses in electrical systems.
In depth
An energy audit measures consumption, identifies losses and opportunities, and quantifies savings and payback. Measures: efficient motors and drives, power factor correction, LED lighting, HVAC controls, load shifting, metering. ISO 50001 provides a management framework.
Key points
- Baseline and benchmarks
- Simple payback and ROI
- Measure and verify
ExampleReplacing 100 fluorescent fittings with LEDs can save about 50% of lighting energy.
What is Energy auditing and efficiency?
Identify and reduce losses in electrical systems.
Why is it important to understand energy auditing and efficiency?
Energy auditing finds where electricity is wasted, which often gives the fastest and cheapest savings for a site.
What is the first step in an energy audit?
Collect utility bills and metered data to establish the baseline consumption and identify the main loads.
Why are motors often the biggest target?
Motors use a large share of industrial electricity, so small efficiency gains or better sizing can yield large savings.
How is Energy auditing and efficiency used in practice?
Typical applications include auditing the lighting and motor loads of a factory for savings, identifying leakage and idle losses in an office building and estimating the payback for replacing old motors with high-efficiency types.
What should I learn before Energy auditing and efficiency?
Study "Electrical measurements and sensors" first (topic 103 of 106 in Electrical Engineering). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
What are the key points of Energy auditing and efficiency?
Baseline and benchmarks. Simple payback and ROI. Measure and verify.
Can you give an example of Energy auditing and efficiency?
Replacing 100 fluorescent fittings with LEDs can save about 50% of lighting energy.
What comes after Energy auditing and efficiency?
The next topic is "Power quality and harmonics", which builds directly on this one.
How difficult is Energy auditing and efficiency?
It is classed as Advanced in Electrical Engineering (topic 104 of 106). It is an advanced topic. It assumes you are comfortable with the intermediate topics in Electrical Engineering.