Energy Audit Data Analysis Flashcards
7 cards from real Certified Energy Auditor Certification practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Energy Audit Data Analysis flashcards as text
An energy auditor is performing a Level II audit and finds 15-minute interval electricity data shows demand spikes lasting only 1-2 intervals. What is the most cost-effective first step to address this?
Answer: Investigate whether the spikes are caused by equipment with staggered start sequencing that could be adjusted
Short-duration demand spikes often result from simultaneous equipment startups; staggering starts through controls or timers can eliminate spikes at minimal cost before capital solutions are considered.
When calculating the internal rate of return (IRR) for an energy project, what does it mean if the IRR equals the organization's minimum acceptable rate of return (MARR)?
Answer: The project generates exactly the minimum required return and is at the threshold of acceptability
When IRR equals MARR, NPV equals zero—the project just meets the minimum financial hurdle and the decision is at the breakeven point of acceptability.
An auditor discovers that a manufacturing facility's energy consumption per unit of production has increased 12% over three years despite no equipment changes. What analysis should be performed?
Answer: Analyze production mix, shift patterns, equipment loading factors, and maintenance records for the period
An unexplained efficiency decline over time requires root cause analysis across operational factors—production mix changes, reduced throughput, deferred maintenance, or process changes—before conclusions are drawn.
What is the primary distinction between 'gross savings' and 'net savings' in energy audit reporting?
Answer: Net savings account for free-rider effects and spillover, while gross savings reflect total measured savings
Gross savings are the total energy reduction attributed to a measure; net savings adjust for free riders (who would have acted without incentive) and spillover effects in program evaluation contexts.
An auditor analyzes a steam trap survey and finds that 30% of traps are failed-open (blowing live steam). How should this finding be quantified for the audit report?
Answer: Calculate steam loss per trap using known failure mode flow rates, convert to fuel cost, and project annual savings from repair
Failed-open traps have known steam loss rates by trap orifice size and pressure; converting steam loss to boiler fuel consumption and applying fuel cost yields a quantifiable annual savings for the audit report.
A building energy model predicts 18% annual energy savings from a proposed HVAC upgrade. Which factor would most reduce confidence in this prediction?
Answer: Occupancy schedules in the model were estimated rather than measured
Occupancy schedules directly drive HVAC loads; if schedules are estimated rather than measured (via occupancy sensors or badge data), predicted savings can deviate significantly from actual post-retrofit performance.
When reporting energy audit findings to facility management, which financial metric is most useful for comparing projects with different lifetimes and investment sizes?
Answer: Net present value (NPV)
NPV normalizes cash flows over the project lifetime and accounts for the time value of money, enabling valid comparison of projects with different scales, lifetimes, and cash flow profiles.