Energy Efficiency Flashcards
7 cards from real CPACE 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 Efficiency flashcards as text
A PACE program requires that financed improvements be 'permanently affixed' to the property. Which scenario would NOT qualify under this requirement?
Answer: Portable plug-in electric vehicle charging units
PACE financing attaches to the property via a tax assessment lien, so only permanently affixed improvements that transfer with the property qualify.
What energy efficiency improvement does 'demand-controlled ventilation' (DCV) provide in commercial spaces?
Answer: Reduces outdoor air intake when CO2 levels indicate low occupancy, cutting ventilation energy
DCV uses CO2 sensors to supply only as much outdoor air as occupancy actually requires, avoiding the energy waste of over-ventilating partially occupied spaces.
In PACE project underwriting, what is the purpose of the 'savings-to-investment ratio' (SIR)?
Answer: To confirm that lifetime energy savings exceed the financed project cost, validating repayment capacity
An SIR greater than 1.0 means lifetime savings exceed costs, providing lenders confidence that energy savings can service the PACE debt.
A commercial kitchen installs a demand-controlled kitchen ventilation (DCKV) system. What is the primary energy benefit?
Answer: Exhaust fan speed is reduced when cooking equipment is idle, cutting fan and makeup air energy
DCKV systems use heat and opacity sensors to detect actual cooking activity and modulate exhaust fan speed accordingly, reducing fan energy and conditioned makeup air losses.
Which factor most directly determines whether a PACE energy efficiency project achieves its projected savings in practice?
Answer: Actual occupancy patterns and operational behavior of building users
Even well-designed efficiency measures can underperform if occupants leave equipment running, override controls, or use the building differently than assumed in the energy model.
A PACE-financed project installs high-efficiency domestic hot water (DHW) heaters in a hotel. What performance metric should be compared to justify the upgrade?
Answer: Uniform Energy Factor (UEF) or thermal efficiency of new vs. existing unit
UEF (or thermal efficiency for commercial units) directly measures how efficiently a water heater converts fuel or electricity to hot water, making it the correct metric for quantifying energy savings from an upgrade.
What distinguishes an 'eligible improvement' from a 'non-eligible expense' in a commercial PACE project budget?
Answer: Eligible improvements are hard costs for installed equipment and materials that improve energy performance; non-eligible costs include soft costs like feasibility studies if the program excludes them
PACE programs define eligible costs in their program guidelines; typically hard costs for qualifying equipment qualify, while certain soft costs, contingencies, or non-energy improvements may not.