Data Analysis & Reporting Flashcards
7 cards from real CEA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Data Analysis & Reporting flashcards as text
In a scatter plot of energy use versus outdoor air temperature, a strong positive correlation during summer months most likely indicates:
Answer: Significant cooling load driven by outdoor temperature
A positive correlation between energy use and outdoor temperature in summer indicates that cooling loads—driven by HVAC systems responding to heat—are a major energy driver.
What does the term 'baseload' refer to in energy data analysis?
Answer: The minimum energy consumption that occurs regardless of weather or production
Baseload is the minimum energy consumption level that persists regardless of weather or production changes, typically representing always-on equipment like servers, refrigeration, and lighting.
An energy analyst is comparing two buildings using Energy Star Portfolio Manager. The primary output metric is:
Answer: Energy Star score (1–100) based on source energy intensity
Energy Star Portfolio Manager generates a 1–100 score based on source energy use intensity compared to similar buildings nationally, where 50 is median and 75+ qualifies for certification.
When an energy report shows a facility's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in CO2e, the 'e' stands for:
Answer: Equivalent
CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) converts all greenhouse gases to their warming potential relative to CO2, allowing different GHGs to be expressed in a single comparable unit.
An energy analyst uses an OLS regression model with R² = 0.92. What does this indicate?
Answer: 92% of the variance in energy consumption is explained by the independent variable(s)
R² = 0.92 means 92% of the variation in energy consumption is explained by the model's independent variables, indicating a strong and reliable predictive relationship.
Which of the following best describes 'source energy' as used in building energy benchmarking?
Answer: Total energy required to generate and deliver the energy used at the site, including generation and transmission losses
Source energy accounts for all energy used to generate, transmit, and deliver energy to the building, providing a complete picture of total resource consumption including utility-side losses.
A facility manager asks for a report showing which energy conservation measures (ECMs) to prioritize. Which analysis framework ranks ECMs by cost-effectiveness?
Answer: Cost-benefit ranking with payback period and NPV
Ranking ECMs by payback period and net present value (NPV) allows decision-makers to prioritize investments that offer the greatest financial return relative to implementation cost.