EMP Assessment & Monitoring Methods 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An energy manager wants to identify thermal losses in a building envelope. Which assessment tool provides the most direct visualization of heat loss patterns?
- Blower door test
- Infrared thermography (Correct answer)
- Ultrasonic leak detector
- Data loggers with temperature sensors
Correct answer: Infrared thermography
Infrared thermography captures thermal images that visually reveal areas of abnormal heat loss or gain through walls, roofs, windows, and other building envelope components.
Question 2: Which metric is used in ASHRAE Level 2 energy audits to express the energy use of a building relative to its size?
- Energy Use Intensity (EUI) (Correct answer)
- Load Factor
- Demand Charge Ratio
- Capacity Factor
Correct answer: Energy Use Intensity (EUI)
Energy Use Intensity (EUI) expresses annual energy consumption per square foot of building area, enabling benchmarking against similar buildings and tracking performance over time.
Question 3: In industrial energy monitoring, what does 'specific energy consumption' (SEC) measure?
- Total annual energy cost per facility
- Energy consumed per unit of production output (Correct answer)
- Peak demand relative to average demand
- The ratio of electrical to thermal energy used
Correct answer: Energy consumed per unit of production output
Specific energy consumption expresses how much energy is required to produce one unit of output (e.g., kWh per ton of product), enabling efficiency tracking independent of production volume.
Question 4: A facility's energy monitoring system flags an anomaly showing a 40% spike in compressed air system energy at 2 AM when production is halted. What does this most likely indicate?
- A faulty energy meter
- Compressed air leaks consuming energy during non-production hours (Correct answer)
- Normal pressure maintenance cycling
- An unscheduled production run
Correct answer: Compressed air leaks consuming energy during non-production hours
Significant compressed air energy consumption during non-production hours typically indicates air leaks, as compressors must run continuously to maintain pressure in a leaking system.
Question 5: When performing an M&V (Measurement and Verification) assessment, what is the primary function of the 'Option A' approach under IPMVP?
- Measuring all parameters that affect energy consumption continuously
- Stipulating some parameters while measuring key performance indicators (Correct answer)
- Comparing whole-facility metering before and after retrofit
- Using simulation software to model energy savings
Correct answer: Stipulating some parameters while measuring key performance indicators
IPMVP Option A (Retrofit Isolation – Key Parameter Measurement) measures key performance parameters while stipulating other less significant factors, balancing accuracy with cost-effectiveness.
Question 6: What is the primary advantage of using automated fault detection and diagnostics (AFDD) in building energy management systems?
- It eliminates the need for utility metering
- It continuously identifies equipment malfunctions and inefficiencies without manual inspection (Correct answer)
- It automatically schedules maintenance crews
- It generates energy reports for regulatory compliance
Correct answer: It continuously identifies equipment malfunctions and inefficiencies without manual inspection
AFDD analyzes real-time sensor data to automatically detect equipment faults, performance degradation, and operational anomalies, reducing energy waste and downtime without constant human monitoring.
Question 7: In energy benchmarking, what is the significance of ENERGY STAR's 1-100 score for commercial buildings?
- It rates the installed capacity of renewable energy systems
- It indicates a building's energy efficiency relative to similar buildings nationwide, with 100 being most efficient (Correct answer)
- It measures the percentage of energy sourced from renewables
- It quantifies the return on investment of energy improvements
Correct answer: It indicates a building's energy efficiency relative to similar buildings nationwide, with 100 being most efficient
The ENERGY STAR 1-100 score places a building's energy performance on a national percentile scale; a score of 75 or above qualifies for ENERGY STAR certification.
EMP Assessment & Monitoring Methods 3
An energy manager wants to identify thermal losses in a building envelope.
Which assessment tool provides the most direct visualization of heat loss patterns?