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Total Number of Subscribers: 420 | |
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Date: 4 March 2008 |
Compiled by : M. Sathya Kumar | |
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Energy
Audit The Role of an
Energy Audit
To
institute the correct energy efficiency programs, you have to know first
which areas in your establishment unnecessarily consume too much energy,
e.g. which is the most cost-effective to improve. An energy audit
identifies where energy is being consumed and assesses energy saving
opportunities - so you get to save money where it counts the
most. In
the factory, doing an energy audit increases awareness of energy issues
among plant personnel, making them more knowledgeable about proper
practices that will make them more productive. An energy audit in effect
gauges the energy efficiency of your plant against “best practices”. When
used as a “baseline” for tracking yearly progress against targets, an
energy audit becomes the best first step towards saving money in the
production plant. Contents of an
Audit
An
energy audit seeks to document things that are sometimes ignored in the
plant, such as the energy being used on site per year, which processes use
the energy, and the opportunities for savings. In so doing, it assesses
the effectiveness of management structure for controlling energy use and
implementing changes. The energy audit report establishes the needs for
plant metering and monitoring, enabling the plant manager to
institutionalize the practice and hence, save money for the years to come.
The energy audit action plan lists the steps and sets the preliminary
budget for the energy management program. 1.
Analysis of energy use Identifying
where energy is used is useful because it identifies which areas the audit
should focus on and raises awareness of energy use and cost. The results
of the analysis can be used in the review of management structures and
procedures for controlling energy use. Analysis
of energy use can be done by installing submeters in different plant
locations to pinpoint actual energy usage per area. This is a good source
data for allocating energy use. The plant manager can also list all
equipment used and the corresponding operating hours. With this
information, he can create spreadsheet information and generate charts
useful for analysis. Important Points to
Consider When Collecting Site Load
Data
1. Operating hours - This
can be gathered from plant personnel. It is important to ensure the
accuracy of this data because much of the potential for energy savings
lies on correct estimation of the equipment’s operating
hours. 2. Duty cycle - Machines
such as large electric motors have varying loads and hence, different
power requirements. 3. Actual power consumed -
For electric power users, this is based on either 3-phase current/voltage
readings or power analyzer measurements (e.g., direct kW which
incorporates power factor). For fuel users, tank readings of monthly
consumption estimates and flow meters with totalization can be sources of
measurement. 2.
Identification of energy projects Opportunities
for energy savings can range from the simplest, such as lighting
retrofits, to the most complex such as the installation of a cogeneration
plant. The important thing to remember is to focus on major energy users
and areas. Always apply the 80/20 rule, focus on opportunities that
provide 80% of the saving but require 20% input. After the preliminary
identification of opportunities, spend more time on those which have
shorter payback periods. 3.
Cost benefit analysis The
identified energy conservation opportunities should be analyzed in terms
of the costs of implementing the project versus the benefits that can be
gained. If you want to, say, install a heat plate exchanger to recover
waste heat, you need to calculate the total cost of installation and
compare that with the savings you will derive from recovering waste heat.
It makes sense to go on with the project if there is a net positive
benefit from the project. 4.
Action plan to set implementation priority After passing the cost benefit test, an action plan should be developed to ensure that the opportunities identified are implemented. The action plan should include all the major steps for implementing the opportunity as well as the people responsible. Furthermore, there should be a plan for monitoring the results.
Source : www.audit.com | |
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