EMP Remediation & Mitigation Strategies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A facility's compressed air system is found to have a leak rate of 30% of total output. Which remediation step should be prioritized first?
- Upgrade the compressor to a higher-capacity unit
- Conduct an ultrasonic leak detection survey and tag all leaks for repair (Correct answer)
- Increase system pressure to compensate for lost air
- Install a larger air receiver tank
Correct answer: Conduct an ultrasonic leak detection survey and tag all leaks for repair
Ultrasonic leak detection identifies and tags leaks so they can be systematically repaired, directly addressing the root cause of energy waste.
Question 2: Which mitigation strategy best addresses excessive reheat energy consumption in a dual-duct HVAC system?
- Increase chilled water supply temperature
- Convert to a single-duct variable air volume (VAV) system (Correct answer)
- Add more reheat coils to improve zone control
- Lower the supply air temperature setpoint
Correct answer: Convert to a single-duct variable air volume (VAV) system
Converting to a VAV system eliminates simultaneous heating and cooling, which is the primary source of reheat energy waste in dual-duct systems.
Question 3: A manufacturing plant wants to recover waste heat from a 400°F exhaust stream. Which technology is most appropriate for this temperature range?
- Heat pump water heater
- Run-around coil system
- Recuperator or regenerator heat exchanger (Correct answer)
- Ground-source heat exchanger
Correct answer: Recuperator or regenerator heat exchanger
Recuperators and regenerators are designed to capture high-temperature exhaust heat and transfer it to combustion air or process streams efficiently.
Question 4: Which measure most effectively mitigates vampire load (standby power) losses in a commercial office building?
- Installing occupancy sensors on all overhead lighting
- Deploying smart power strips and scheduling equipment shutdown policies (Correct answer)
- Upgrading to Energy Star-rated HVAC units
- Adding sub-metering to individual circuits
Correct answer: Deploying smart power strips and scheduling equipment shutdown policies
Smart power strips cut power to devices in standby mode, and shutdown policies ensure equipment is fully de-energized outside occupied hours.
Question 5: A chiller plant operates with a COP of 3.2 against a benchmark of 5.0. Which corrective action addresses condenser-side degradation?
- Lower the chilled water supply temperature setpoint
- Clean condenser tubes and verify cooling tower performance (Correct answer)
- Increase chilled water flow rate through the evaporator
- Add refrigerant charge to the system
Correct answer: Clean condenser tubes and verify cooling tower performance
Fouled condenser tubes and poor cooling tower performance raise condensing pressure, directly reducing COP; cleaning and verifying tower performance restores efficiency.
Question 6: An energy manager finds that a facility's power factor is 0.72 lagging. Which mitigation measure directly corrects this?
- Installing variable frequency drives on all motors
- Adding power factor correction capacitors at the main service entrance or motor terminals (Correct answer)
- Replacing incandescent lamps with LEDs
- Scheduling large motor loads during off-peak hours
Correct answer: Adding power factor correction capacitors at the main service entrance or motor terminals
Capacitors supply reactive power locally, raising power factor toward unity and reducing utility demand charges for reactive power.
Question 7: Which building envelope remediation measure provides the greatest energy impact in a heating-dominated climate for a poorly insulated existing building?
- Replacing single-pane windows with double-pane low-e units
- Adding continuous exterior insulation to opaque walls (Correct answer)
- Installing a cool roof membrane
- Sealing penetrations and adding weatherstripping to doors
Correct answer: Adding continuous exterior insulation to opaque walls
Opaque walls represent the largest surface area in most buildings, and adding continuous insulation eliminates thermal bridging while dramatically reducing heat loss.
EMP Remediation & Mitigation Strategies 2
A facility's compressed air system is found to have a leak rate of 30% of total output.
Which remediation step should be prioritized first?