On-Site Energy Audits: Ways to Identify and Reduce Energy Consumption (kWh) and Carbon Emissions (tCO2e)
Share on LinkedIn1 Jul 2024
Reduced energy consumption through improved energy management and efficiency is a prominent benefit of completing an on-site energy audit, however, it is not the only one. Energy audits are beneficial for developing an understanding of energy use; identifying consumption, financial spend and environmental impacts. These can be of significant value to a business, with possible energy cost savings for an average company reported at 20%.
This article will discuss what an energy audit is, what they include, typical recommendations, how they can support in reaching net zero and what to do to implement recommendations after an audit.
What is an on-site energy audit?
An on-site energy audit is a physical site inspection and survey of current energy use. It involves a walking tour by an auditor (energy engineer with experience in site audits) of what is being audited, be it a site, a building or a specific piece of equipment, to identify and analyse how energy is being used. This would often follow a desk-based energy analysis, which identifies the areas of highest consumption to focus on in the on-site audit. The auditor will identify any areas where energy is being used inefficiently or equipment poorly maintained and recommend what the company can do to improve their energy usage. An auditor may undertake some tests, such as testing for air leakage. It is recommended that a company creates a plan of action following the audit based on the recommendations provided.
The most effective audits will be those which include as much as possible, covering the outside and inside of a building and all its fixtures and equipment. This often includes, insulation, lighting, electrical equipment, heating and cooling equipment, motors, pumps and other industrial processes.
What are typical findings/recommendations?
An energy audit will result in a report providing a selection of options for improved energy use. These can range from low budget, easy to implement actions, such as reducing the temperature of a heater, to investment projects, such as new equipment.
Recommendations cover behavioural, technical and organisational opportunities.
Typical recommendations often refer to the following:
- Identifying opportunities for solar PV, heat pumps, electrification, EV charging points etc
- Control improvements to lighting, heating and cooling
- Improve insultation and sealing of buildings and piping
- Upgrade to more efficient equipment
- Ensure equipment is the appropriate size and model for its use
- Improved maintenance of equipment
- Remove any unnecessary equipment
How can an on-site energy audit support Net -Zero?
An on-site energy audit is highly beneficial for any company aiming to report a reduction in emissions. It is often one of the earliest steps towards sustainable energy systems due to it being considered a low-risk action and a cost-effective investment towards environmental improvement.
An on-site energy audit works towards net-zero by identifying ways to reduce energy consumption and energy waste. By extension, if recommendations are implemented, greenhouse gas emissions from energy for the site will also be reduced. It is recommended to carry out an energy audit before implementing any renewable energy systems as this would reduce the amount of energy needed to be produced.
Implementation following on-site energy audit
Implementation of energy savings recommendations from an energy audit can lead to significant energy savings without necessarily investing large sums of money.
Some recommendations can be low cost and easy to implement, particularly those relating to behavioural changes or adjusting equipment settings. These are often recommended to be implemented first as they can generally be implemented without difficulty and bring fast results, demonstrating possibilities of energy efficiency and building momentum with colleagues and stake-holders.
For more high-investment options, more steps are required to implement energy saving methods. It may be beneficial to combine complementary methods in order to show a combined benefit or reduce the weighting of a disadvantage. This could be, for example, through adding a low-investment action to a high- investment option to increase overall payback.
Before implementing, it is necessary to consider benefits, financial costs and risks of implementation, and to involve other decision makers to ensure implementations reflect the interests of corporate ambitions. An organisation will then need to create and follow a structured implementation plan including finding relevant equipment, installers and financings. After implementing it can also be beneficial to monitor the results to understand the savings and detect any overuse of energy.
How NUS can Help
If you are interested in conducting an energy audit on your site, NUS’ Energy and Sustainability Service engineers are qualified and experienced in energy audits across a range of industries. NUS can also support in the implementation of many energy efficiency and management methods you may be interested in. For more information contact us online.
More: Energy Market Commentary, Decarbonization, Net-Zero