AN ENERGY AUDIT ANSWERS TWO QUESTIONS, “HOW CAN I LOWER MY UTILITY BILLS?” AND “WHERE DO I START?”
Utility bills are on any building owner’s mind – regardless of building size. An Energy Audit prepared by Wright Design is a great baseline for directing and achieving LEED and Sustainable Design renovation or new construction goals and for prioritizing and planning long-range capital expenses. Building operations and systems have many factors and Wright Design takes a whole building approach combined with a detailed analysis to prioritize energy saving recommendations that fit the client and building.
Major contributing factors of energy use are user behavior, climate, building age, construction type and the leakage rate or infiltration of air through the building envelope. This contributing factor in energy loss and is affected by window construction and quality of door weatherstripping.
I can still see my Folks turning off the lights when they were leaving a room and lowering the thermostat at night.
An Energy Audit is a written report that considers current energy use given local climate criteria, thermostat settings, roof overhang, and solar orientation. The characteristics of the building envelope are recorded including the walls, ceilings, floors, doors and windows. Each of these components has some amount of resistance to heat flow (R-value). The utility billing history from the local utility company is calibrated with the heating degree day and cooling degree day data obtained from local weather data in combination with the building’s energy model. The result quantifies the building’s overall thermal performance. The audit also assess the efficiency, physical condition, and programming of mechanical systems such as the heating, ventilation, air conditioning equipment, and thermostats. An energy audit also includes interviews to better understand the building’s use patterns over time. Advances in computer-based energy modeling can take into account many variables affecting energy use.
The physical data is then combined with retrofit costs, based on National Construction Cost data combined with current local pricing, to identify the most efficient and cost-effective Energy Conservation Opportunities (ECOs) or Measures (ECMs). Energy conservation opportunities (or measures) can consist in more efficient use or of partial or global replacement of the existing installation.
Additionally, building retrofits can be designed to qualify for energy efficiency grants, rebates or tax deductions from local energy companies, States and the Federal Government. This can significantly speed up the pack back of already effective measures.
Major contributing factors of energy use are user behavior, climate, building age, construction type and the leakage rate or infiltration of air through the building envelope. This contributing factor in energy loss and is affected by window construction and quality of door weatherstripping.
I can still see my Folks turning off the lights when they were leaving a room and lowering the thermostat at night.
An Energy Audit is a written report that considers current energy use given local climate criteria, thermostat settings, roof overhang, and solar orientation. The characteristics of the building envelope are recorded including the walls, ceilings, floors, doors and windows. Each of these components has some amount of resistance to heat flow (R-value). The utility billing history from the local utility company is calibrated with the heating degree day and cooling degree day data obtained from local weather data in combination with the building’s energy model. The result quantifies the building’s overall thermal performance. The audit also assess the efficiency, physical condition, and programming of mechanical systems such as the heating, ventilation, air conditioning equipment, and thermostats. An energy audit also includes interviews to better understand the building’s use patterns over time. Advances in computer-based energy modeling can take into account many variables affecting energy use.
The physical data is then combined with retrofit costs, based on National Construction Cost data combined with current local pricing, to identify the most efficient and cost-effective Energy Conservation Opportunities (ECOs) or Measures (ECMs). Energy conservation opportunities (or measures) can consist in more efficient use or of partial or global replacement of the existing installation.
Additionally, building retrofits can be designed to qualify for energy efficiency grants, rebates or tax deductions from local energy companies, States and the Federal Government. This can significantly speed up the pack back of already effective measures.
