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| Energy Audits |  | |
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| Energy audits are one of the first steps in effective energy management. They have a similar function to financial audits, in that they analyse the energy accounts of an organisation, compare the purchases to the actual uses, and identify opportunities for reducing energy costs. |
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| Energy Solutions audits |
Energy audits provided by Energy Solutions Ltd are renowned as being of the highest quality. Our meters and data logging equipment provide a greater understanding of the energy consumption patterns of our clients. We provide more detailed and more exact energy audits than is standard.
We recommend that our clients fully understand what will be provided by an energy audit so that they can avoid believing the myths of energy audits. |
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| We provide our clients with a sample of one of our typical energy audit reports ( Bloggsville Motor Inn or Bloggs Hardware ) so that they can be totally familiar with what to expect when engaging Energy Solutions to provide an audit of their facility. |
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| In virtually all projects we are involved with, we will provide a guarantee that we will identify cost-effective energy savings worth more than our fees. More... |
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| Contact us to find out more details about our savings guarantee in our energy audits. More... |
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| Government grants available |
To assist organisations needing finance to have an energy audit of their facilities completed, EECA has established an energy audit grant scheme. These are direct grants to organisations as an incentive to complete an energy audit by an accredited energy auditor.
The Energy Management Association of New Zealand (EMANZ) assesses energy auditors who apply for accreditation. Energy Solutions has 1 accredited energy auditor and 2 of our associates are also accredited. For more details of energy auditor accreditation refer to the EMANZ website. |
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| This scheme will provide a subsidy of 50% of the cost of the energy audit up to a maximum of $50,000 for most organisations. There is also a subsidy of up to 100% for the cost scoping studies up to $10,000 for large users (annual energy spend over $1 million). More... |
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| Cost |
The cost of an energy audit is dependent on the specific details of the site. One rule of thumb of 5% of the annual energy expenditure is used to estimate of the price. Sometimes $1 per square metre of floor area is used as a guide. The exact price is largely dependent on the time required to complete the audit.
In most situations the cost of the energy audit will be paid for in energy cost savings over a period of about a year.
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| Who needs an energy audit |
In facilities where, historically, energy efficiency has not really been a consideration, there are generally good savings available. In particular, the typical savings measures with very short payback periods will be more readily available. In contrast, facilities where an energy audit has already been performed, many of the "easy" saving measures may already have been implemented.
Larger facilities (such as industrial sites and large commercial buildings) will be likely to generate the most energy savings simply because they have a higher energy consumption to start with. In terms of the percentage of potential energy savings per sector, all three sectors (residential, commercial and industrial) are similar. However, it is usually most cost effective for industrial or larger-scale commercial operations to engage an energy auditor.
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| The best time to optimise energy efficiency is at the design stage of a building. Far more significant energy savings are able to be achieved if energy efficiency is considered prior to construction, so designers and clients should consider seeking design advice. More... |
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| What type of energy audit |
There is a New Zealand Standard (NZS 3598:2000) for energy audits. It describes the three levels of energy audits.
Basically, a level one energy audit is just an analysis of historical energy use data and tariffs, with a brief site visit (optional). It is often used as a scoping study to determine if there is good potential for significant energy savings. Because it is the most basic level of energy audit it is relatively inexpensive.
A level two energy audit, what most organisations choose, is more detailed. It involves a thorough site visit with detailed spot-measurements. It gives a description of energy use patterns, examines all the end-uses (heating, lighting etc.) and explicitly calculates the energy savings from recommendations.
For large sites it is often worth doing a level three energy audit, which is even more detailed. Data-loggers, and where possible, building management systems are used to record specific energy patterns over time. The more detailed investigation generally uncovers greater energy savings with much more accuracy.
Energy audits analyse all energy sources and all end-uses. In commercial buildings the largest energy end-use is generally the heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) plant. This is often where the most lucrative energy savings can be found, if a HVAC Optimisation project is commissioned.
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| Case Studies |
Energy Solutions has completed over 100 commercial and industrial energy audits. Here are a couple of past projects:
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| Massey University, Albany |
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 Energy Solutions has been working with Massey University for a number of years. At the end of 2004 Massey contracted Energy Solutions to provide an energy audit of the East Precinct of their Albany campus.
Seven buildings were audited (a total of 26,000 m2). During the audit we worked with facilities management staff and contractors to identify energy cost savings of 35%. There was potential for an additional 18% savings, which would require more work to confirm.
We identified 28 different energy saving measures ranging from using occupancy and motion sensors to changing drive belts on air handlers to removing excess lamps to adjusting temperature set-points.
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"We are very impressed with the way Energy Solutions performed the Energy Audit and the subsequent comprehensive reports produced. The saving opportunities and recommendations identified in the reports are now being put into practice. I have no hesitation in recommending Energy Solutions Ltd in performing Energy Audits."
Mike Ott, Regional Works Co-Ordinator, Massey University Albany
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| Ports of Auckland |
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 In mid-2005 Energy Solutions conducted an energy audit of the Ports of Auckland.
The major energy consumption was from the refrigerated containers stored on site while in transit. The floodlighting was also a significant energy user. A major project where the floodlights were replaced meant the number of lamps, and resulting energy use, could be cut in half. Of the buildings on site we were able to find energy cost savings of 15%.
Perhaps the most useful outcome of the audit was the analysis of where the energy was used on site. It revealed some interesting performance statistics about the operation of the 8 large cranes and uncovered just how much energy the refrigerated containers really used. |
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