Energy Audit and Retrofit

Energy Audits Reduce Consumption

Every occasion where a building component or a piece of equipment requires replacement or renewal should also be viewed as an opportunity to improve the utilization of energy and water by considering the incremental cost of the more efficient alternative against its cost saving potential. It is always true that good building operations and maintenance can improve an inefficient facility, but even the best equipped facility will not perform efficiently unless operated properly. The priority is to ensure that the mechanical/electrical equipment and systems are always available to serve the needs of the occupants. The building systems must be operated and maintained to maximize the asset value of the building and to optimize the owner's return on investment.

The Audit

An energy audit is designed to provide answers to questions such as "how much energy does a building use for space heating, cooling, lighting, and other equipment?" or "how much water do my occupants use for sanitation?" The audit is essential to determine the potential payback of conservation measures for a facility. Ideally, the billing history for electricity, fuel, water, and waste haulage for at least one year (prefereably three) is assembled and reviewed.

During the audit phase, Accent uses swing-stages for exterior wall inspections and infrared cameras to locate areas of air/energy transfer. Infrared thermography is used to convert data from a camera designed to detect infrared radiation into a colour video display.

A consumption and cost analysis defines

• annual and monthly energy and water consumption
• annual and monthly energy and water costs
• annual and monthly waste haulage costs
• annual energy consumption and cost breakdown for the base load
• energy, heating and cooling

Specific, detailed audits are undertaken to determine

• energy for lighting
• water for domestic and operating end uses
• gas / oil / hydro heating
• sources of waste

Selecting prospective measures for facility

In order to determine the best measures to take to increase the overall efficiency and operation of a building, a number of factors must be considered. These include the resource consumption of the end use, the cost of the measures, the payback of the budget, and the practicality of the measures.

Lighting

Lighting is the major electrical energy end use in most facilities. Lighting technologies have advanced drastically in recent years for all types of lighting that could be used in retrofit and new application.

Mechanical Systems

Modern heating and cooling equipment operate at higher efficiencies than most older equipment. In some cases, distribution system efficiencies can be improved. Auxiliaries such as fans and pumps, which operate at a part load, can be fitted with variable speed drives for increased efficiency.

Building Envelope

Windows and their surroundings are the largest source of heat transfer in a building and different types of glazing material can significantly improve the efficiency of windows. Components in walls and roofs also perform an important role in the energy transfer both into and out of the building. Openings around doors and other protrusions in walls must be sealed properly to resist any energy transfer.

Water Conservation

Implementing a program of adding water conserving devices such as controlled aerating faucets, low flow toilets, and showerheads whenever replacement is required, supported by a regular program of repairing and maintaining leaking fixtures, will save energy resulting in significant cost savings.

Waste Management

The three R's of waste management, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle can be implemented throughout all aspects of the building's operations. This includes construction, renovation and operation.

Monitoring Phase

Tracking the success of the energy retrofit and establishing benchmarks are essential and can be established by setting up a simple recording and reporting structure in the organization.

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