Certified Energy Auditor Certification Certified Energy Auditor Data Collection and Analysis 1

Question 1

An energy auditor calculates an office building's Energy Use Intensity (EUI) as 95 kBtu/sq ft/year. The national median EUI for office buildings is 69 kBtu/sq ft/year. What does this comparison most accurately indicate?

Accepted Answer

The building consumes approximately 38% more energy per square foot than the median

Answer

EUI is calculated as total energy consumed divided by gross floor area. Comparing the building's EUI of 95 to the median of 69 shows a (95-69)/69 ≈ 37.7% excess, indicating the building uses significantly more energy per square foot than a typical comparable facility and is a strong candidate for efficiency improvements.

Question 2

While analyzing 15-minute interval electricity demand data, an auditor identifies sustained consumption of 120 kW between midnight and 5 AM on weekdays when the building is unoccupied. What is the most likely explanation for this pattern?

Accepted Answer

Equipment or systems operating unnecessarily during unoccupied hours

Answer

Sustained load during unoccupied hours typically indicates systems such as HVAC, process equipment, or plug loads that are not being shut down or scheduled properly. This 'baseload creep' during vacancy is a key finding in interval data analysis and represents a prime opportunity for operational savings.

Question 3

An auditor uses ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager to benchmark a commercial office building. What does a Portfolio Manager score of 75 signify?

Accepted Answer

The building performs better than 75% of similar buildings nationally, adjusting for operational characteristics

Answer

ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager scores are percentile rankings from 1 to 100. A score of 75 means the building outperforms 75% of similar facilities nationwide after normalizing for weather, operating hours, occupancy, and other relevant variables. A score of 75 or above is required to apply for ENERGY STAR certification.

Question 4

During utility bill analysis, an auditor finds that demand charges account for 48% of a manufacturing facility's monthly electricity costs. Which data collection step should the auditor prioritize next?

Accepted Answer

Collect interval demand data to identify the timing and sources of peak demand events

Answer

When demand charges represent a large share of electricity costs, identifying when and why peak demand spikes occur is the highest-value analytical step. Interval demand data (typically 15-minute readings) reveals which systems or events drive peak demand, enabling targeted load-shedding, load-shifting, or demand-control strategies that can yield significant bill reductions.

Question 5

An auditor collects nameplate data from a rooftop HVAC unit and finds the installed cooling capacity is 60 tons. A peak load calculation for the served zone yields 18 tons. What does this finding most directly indicate?

Accepted Answer

The equipment is significantly oversized, likely causing short-cycling and degraded efficiency

Answer

A capacity-to-load ratio of more than 3:1 indicates severe oversizing. Oversized cooling equipment short-cycles — it satisfies the thermostat setpoint quickly and shuts off before completing a full dehumidification cycle — reducing efficiency, increasing wear, and degrading occupant comfort. This is a key finding requiring equipment right-sizing as an energy conservation measure.

Certified Energy Auditor Certification Practice Test

Certified Energy Auditor Certification Practice Test

Certified Energy Auditor Certification Certified Energy Auditor Data Collection and Analysis 1