What is an Energy Audit?

What is an Energy Audit?

An energy audit is the first step to determine how much energy your home or business consumes and evaluate the steps to make the property more energy efficient. An energy audit provides you with the framework needed to establish or improve energy management such as increasing Energy Conservation, replacing existing gadgets by Energy Efficient gadgets, and using Renewable Energy to the extent possible.  It also provides a baseline for saving money and energy over time when corrected.

Step 1: Desktop Analysis

The energy auditor will first need to collect historical energy data, usually at least 24 months worth of energy bills. Often this can be obtained from your strata manager or requested from your energy retailer. With this information a desktop analysis will be conducted to:

• Investigate your sites pattern of energy use; this can be very useful to identify control issues and energy wastage.
• Check your regulated tariffs to make sure you are not being overcharged.

Step 2: Site Inspection

The energy auditor will conduct an inspection of your site. It is necessary to inspect all areas of interest (including meter rooms, plant rooms, fire stairs, common areas, car park and rooftops). Ideally the site inspection should be conducted with a building manager or member of the executive committee who can answer questions about your site.

Step 3: Detailed Analysis

The energy auditor will analyze the observations and reading taken during inspection using special purpose instruments.

Step 4: The Report

The energy auditor will provide you with a report. The scope, level of detail and accuracy of calculations presented in the report varies depending on the level of the energy audit. As a general guide the report should:

• Analyze your site’s energy usage and costs
• Conduct a tariff analysis to make sure you are not being overcharged
• Identify how and where energy is being used at your site
• Provide you with a list of energy saving opportunities

Step 5:  What to do next?

Once you have the energy audit report the last thing you want is it sitting on your desk gathering dust. The energy audit will give you a list of options to save energy. Most of these will involve some capital expenditure however the report should help you decide which are the most cost effective and practical.

The next step is to chose which energy saving opportunities you are interested in, obtain quotes from suppliers, implement and start saving!

 Steps to be followed for energy audit-

A.      Lighting-in building passages, peripheral  (fencing )and garden  from task lighting point of view.

B.      Pumping- Motor ratings, no. of pumps,pump maintenance details if available.

C.      Renewable energy sources being used if any as amenity.

D.     DG set KWH records and diesel consumption records   and maintenance details if available.

E.      Condition of earthing cables from mains transformer.(Leakages if any  to be checked by megger)

F.       Usable terrace area (rooftop) for solar devices like- FPC, Solar heaters, PV for power generation, solar cooker,

G.     Power consumed in STP if any for pumps, STP in working condition or not.

H.     Borewell water quality analysis , pump power consumption, possibility of rain water harvesting if any.

I.        Club house/ swimming pool power consumption.

J.        Swimming pool  water quality analysis.

K.      Club house/ gym – power consumed for equipments.

L.       Club house A.C. – maintenance record. Desired cooling temp.

M.    

Calculations of Energy auditing-

1.      Record of average energy consumption in KWH per month based on copies of light bills submitted.

2.      D.G. set – specific fuel consumption in KWH/ Lit. based on D.G. set readings record.

3.      Possibility of LED lights/ Dimmers/electromiser panels  in night time based on KW load of common lighting if exceeds 2o KW.

4.      Feasibility of solar water heater depending on vacant area available on rooftop in sq. feet.

5.      Pump power requirement calculation based on actual  head and discharge  requirement verses actual power consumed by the pumps.

6.      Suggestions to the committee for STP if not being maintained or if  not in operating condition.

7.       Readings of earthing resistance.

Akshay Urja Abhiyan [AUA] is a voluntary, non - profit forum floated by ‘Samata Vichar Prasarak Sanstha’ to work in rural and urban areas of Maharashtra for the empowerment of communities in fulfilling their energy needs in sustainable ways.

Vision:

‘Communities following energy conservation, use of energy efficient devices and adopting renewable energy sources to the extent possible leading to a sustainable life style’.  

 Mission:                            

Facilitate a process of social change to create energy sensitive community well aware about its energy needs, and potential alternatives to fulfill the same sustainably.

Foster process of public-public partnership among various stake holders building energy-just society.

Initiate and support research, awareness building and implementation activities leading to adoption of sustainable lifestyle.

Activities to be undertaken:

·         Energy awareness drive by conducting exhibitions, seminars, talk shows, competitions etc.

·         Forming Energy Clubs / Energy awareness programs.

·         Offer workshops and webinars.

·         Creating Awareness Material such as pamphlets, posters, exhibitions, slide shows, animation films, short film, documentaries etc.

·         Develop strong PUPP network among various stakeholders to explore implementation of such model.

Services Offered:   

·         Free Energy audit of common areas of housing societies.

·         Consultancy for installation of renewable energy facility.

·         Internship program for college students in energy audit.

·         Building the documentation and library for encouraging research in energy sustainability.

·         Build Energy auditing team by organizing Training Program.

Office Bearers: Coodinator: Dr. Sanjay M.G. Co-Coordinators:  Prof. N.V.Vader,  Bipin Chitre.

                           Secretary: Meenal Utturkar. Joint Secretary: Deepa Joshi. 

                           Audit Coordinator: Vinay Pathak.

Advisory Board Members

·         Dr. Dawood Dalvi : Samarth Bharat Vyaspith

·         Mr. Sunil Pote : Dy. City Engineer, Electrical Dept, Thane Municipal Corporation.

·         Mr. Milind Ballal, Chief Editor, ‘Thane Vaibhav’.

·         Dr. Madhuri Pejaver, Principal, Thane Bandodkar College of Science.

·         Dr. K. K. Sangale, Dean, V.J.T.I.

·         Dr. Vikas Hajirnis, Enviro – Vigil, Thane.

·         Ms. B. Pimenta, Sevadham.

·         Mr. Hemant Jagtap, Executive Engineer, PWD.