Energy Management & Sustainability Flashcards

Which metric is most commonly used to measure a building's energy use intensity (EUI)?

Answer: BTU per square foot per year

Energy Use Intensity (EUI) is expressed as BTU (British Thermal Units) per square foot per year, allowing comparison across buildings of different sizes.

What is the primary purpose of an energy audit in a commercial building?

Answer: To identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption and costs

An energy audit systematically identifies where and how a building uses energy in order to pinpoint opportunities for reducing consumption and lowering utility costs.

Which ASHRAE energy audit level involves a detailed analysis of capital-intensive modifications with engineering-level calculations?

Answer: Level III

ASHRAE Level III audits (Investment Grade Audit) include detailed engineering analysis of high-capital modifications, providing the data needed to support major investment decisions.

A building maintenance manager wants to reduce peak demand charges on the electricity bill. Which strategy is most effective?

Answer: Load shifting or demand response scheduling

Peak demand charges are based on the highest 15- or 30-minute interval of power draw; load shifting moves energy-intensive tasks to off-peak hours to reduce that peak.

What does LEED stand for in the context of green building certification?

Answer: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a globally recognized green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Which type of lighting control system automatically adjusts light levels based on the amount of natural daylight entering a space?

Answer: Daylight harvesting (photosensor control)

Daylight harvesting uses photosensors to detect ambient light levels and dims or raises electric lights accordingly, reducing energy use when natural light is sufficient.

Which term describes the ratio of useful cooling output to electrical energy input for a chiller?

Answer: Coefficient of Performance (COP)

The Coefficient of Performance (COP) is the ratio of useful refrigeration effect to the energy input, commonly used to rate chiller efficiency at a specific operating point.