CEA Energy Auditing & Assessment Techniques 3

Question 1

Infrared thermography during an energy audit is most effective for identifying:

Accepted Answer

Insulation voids, moisture intrusion, and thermal bridging in the building envelope

Answer

Infrared cameras detect surface temperature differences that reveal missing insulation, air leakage, and moisture—all of which degrade envelope performance.

Question 2

In motor systems assessment, what is the significance of measuring 'motor load factor'?

Accepted Answer

It reveals whether a motor is oversized for its application, indicating downsizing or VFD opportunities

Answer

A motor running at low load factor (below 50%) wastes energy; right-sizing or adding a VFD can dramatically reduce consumption.

Question 3

A retro-commissioning (RCx) study differs from a traditional energy audit primarily because RCx:

Accepted Answer

Focuses on optimizing existing systems to restore original design performance without capital upgrades

Answer

Retro-commissioning identifies operational deficiencies in existing equipment (e.g., simultaneous heating and cooling) and corrects them for low/no-cost savings.

Question 4

When auditing a compressed air system, which condition represents the GREATEST source of energy waste?

Accepted Answer

System leaks, which can account for 20–30% of compressor output

Answer

Compressed air leaks are the single largest waste source in industrial systems, often wasting 20–30% of total compressed air production.

Question 5

During an HVAC audit, the auditor finds an air handling unit with simultaneous heating and cooling (hot deck/cold deck mixing). The recommended corrective action is to:

Accepted Answer

Reset the hot deck and cold deck temperatures using an outdoor air reset schedule to minimize mixing

Answer

Optimizing hot and cold deck temperature reset schedules reduces simultaneous heating/cooling energy waste, a classic low-cost retro-commissioning measure.

(CEA) Certified Energy Analyst Practice Test

(CEA) Certified Energy Analyst Practice Test

CEA Energy Auditing & Assessment Techniques 3