Text 4. Energy Audit

Effective management of energy-consuming systems leads to significant cost and energy savings as well as increased comfort, lower maintenance costs and extended equipment life. A successful energy management begins with a thorough energy audit.

The word ”audit ” comes from the Latin word ”audire” which means ”to hear” because, in the Middle Ages, accounts, revenues and expenditures were ”heard” by the auditor. Over the last 20 years or so the auditing profession has sought to broaden its role.

Energy audits initially became popular in response to the energy crisis of 1973 and later years. Interest in energy audits has recently increased as a result of growing understanding of human impact upon global warming and climate change .

An energy audit is an inspection, survey and analysis of energy flows in a building, process or system with the objective of understanding the energy dynamics of the system under study. Typically an energy audit is conducted to seek opportunities to reduce the amount of energy input into the system without negatively affecting the output. When the object of study is an occupied building then reducing energy consumption while maintaining or improving human comfort, health and safety are of primary concern. Beyond simply identifying the sources of energy use, an energy audit seeks to prioritize the energy uses according to the greatest to least cost effective opportunities for energy savings.

The energy audit evaluates the efficiency of all building and process systems that use energy. The energy auditor starts at the utility meters, locating all energy sources coming into a facility. The auditor then identifies energy streams for each fuel, quantifies those energy streams into discrete functions, evaluates the efficiency of each of those functions and identifies energy and cost saving opportunities. The report documents the use and occupancy of the building and the condition of the building systems. The report also recommends ways to improve efficiency through improvements in operation and maintenance and through installation of energy conservation measures.

A home energy audit is a service where the energy efficiency of a house is evaluated by a person using professional equipment (infra-red cameras) with the aim to suggest the best ways to improve energy efficiency in heating and cooling the house.

An energy audit of a home may involve recording various characteristics of the building including the walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, and skylights. For each of these components the area and resistance to heat flow (R-value) is measured or estimated. The leakage rate or infiltration of air through the building envelope is of concern which are strongly affected by window construction and quality of door seals. The goal of this exercise is to quantify the building overall thermal performance. The audit may also assess the efficiency , physical condition, and programming of mechanical systems such as the heating, ventilation, air conditioning equipment, and thermostat.

A home energy audit may include a written report estimating energy use, given local climate criteria, thermostat settings, roof overhang, and solar orientation . This could show energy use for a given time period, say a year, and the impact of any suggested improvements per year. The accuracy of energy estimates are greatly improved when the homeowner’s billing history is available showing the quantities of electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, or other energy sources consumed over a one-or two-year period.

Some of the greatest effects on energy use are user’s behaviour, climate, and age of the home. An energy audit may therefore include an interview of the homeowners to understand their patterns of use over time. Advances in computer-based thermal modelling can take into account many variables affecting energy use.

A home energy audit is often used to identify cost effective ways to improve the comfort and efficiency of buildings.

Exercise 39. Translate the following word combinations.

Extended equipment life; reduced amount of energy; occupied building; improved human comfort; in response to the energy crisis; significant cost and energy savings; thorough energy audit; growing understanding of human impact; cost effective opportunities; the best ways; energy efficiency; written report; suggested improvements; the greatest effect; advanced computer-based technologies.

Exercise 40. Fill in the gaps with the words in brackets:

(variables, emissions, lower, greenhouse, evaluates, modelling, calculate, loads, reduce, data, analyze, demand)

1. Energy audit helps to … increasingly expensive energy costs.

2. Advances in computer-based thermal … can take into account many … affecting energy use. 3. With increases in carbon dioxide … or other … gases, pollution audit is now a prominent factor in most energy audits. 4. The energy audit … the efficiency of all buildings and systems that use energy. 5. The information is used to … operational characteristics and … energy losses. 6. High seasonal … may reveal opportunities to … energy consumption. 7. One of the easiest ways to evaluate energy … is to watch for the trends in use, … , or costs over time.

Exercise 41. Write the verbs related to the following nouns. Translate the pairs.

Quantity, document, occupancy, maintenance, improvement, installation, assessment, audit, movement, heating, ventilation, suggestion, measurement, stream, inspection, quality, resistance, leakage, service, equipment, performance, consumption.

Exercise 42. Write the nouns related to the following verbs. Define the suffixes used to form nouns. Translate the pairs.

Prioritize, replace, occur, apply, audit, resist, leak, orient, consume, identify.

Exercise 43. Identify by suffixes: a) nouns; b) adjectives;

c) adverbs; d) verbal forms. Translate them.

assessed – assessment – assessable – assessing

occupancy – occupant – occupation – occupational – occupied

quantity – quantitative – quantify – quantum – quantification

accountability – accountable – accountant – accounting

heat – heated – heater – hot – heatedly – heating

significance – significant – significantly – signified

Exercise 44. Complete the following sentences putting the verbs in brackets into correct Active or Passive tense forms.

1. Energy audit (become) popular in response to the energy crisis of 1973 and later years. 2. Energy conservation (drive) both by economical and environmental considerations. 3. In efficient energy (increase) the negative impact on the environment. 4. A simplified approach called the UA delta-T method (use) for good approximate results. 5. The audit (assess) the efficiency, physical condition and programming of mechanical systems such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning. 6. TVs and radios that (not/used) must be turned off.

7. Energy can (save) in different ways. 8. Individuals and organizations (consume) much energy.

Exercise 45. Make up sentences with Gerundial constructions.

He She We You They

avoid insist on object to succeed in suggest discuss

making improvements to the heating and air conditioning equipment preparing a list of the major energy – using systems in the building evaluating energy data monthly using cheaper and more environ- mentally sensible renewable energy consuming much electricity using outdated equipment and infrastructure

Exercise 46. Find Gerunds and define their functions in the sentences.

1. Energy conservation can be done by reducing energy consumption while maintaining or improving human comfort, health and safety. 2. A new project involves installing and financing a natural gas-fired mini power station that will produce energy for the whole plant. 3. The companies began providing ”recycle energy” – using the clients’ own thermal waste to produce heat, cooling, steam and electricity. 4. Putting insulation in walls and windows can reduce the amount of energy it takes to heat our homes. 5. Energy Alliance is interested in continuing and expanding its services throughout Ukraine. 6. Producing goods will take less energy making our product even more competitive. 7. The company has succeeded in providing alternative solutions.

Exercise 47. Match the beginning (left column) and the end (right column) of the sentences.

1. If you had turned off home appliances 2. If the energy auditor identifies energy streams for each fuel 3. If proper insulation had been put in walls and attics 4. If we bought new equipment 5. If people use alternative energy sources 6. If manufactures and other industries use energy inefficiently 7. If you use computer-based thermal modelling

a) he will evaluate the energy efficiency and identify saving opportunities. b) the leakage rate of air through the building envelope would have been decreased. c) greenhouse effect would be reduced. d) you would have paid less for electricity last month. e) it will be easy to understand patterns of energy use. f) we could increase energy efficiency. g) the negative impact on the environment will increase.

Exercise 48. Translate into English.

1. Енергетичний аудит оцінює ефективність використання енергії у будівлях з урахуванням систем опалення або охолод-ження. 2. Побутові прилади треба відключати, якщо ви ними не користуєтесь. 3. Енергоаудит допоможе вирішити проблему раціо-нального використання електроенергії. 4. Модернізація металур-гійної, нафтопереробної, гірничодобувної та інших енергоємних галузей потребує всебічного аналізу використання енергії. 5. В Україні ще не існує великих енергоаудиторських компаній, які б могли розробляти проекти енергозбереження для окремих галу-зей промисловості. 6. Впровадження новітніх технологій комбіно-ваного виробництва теплової та електричної енергії дозволить скоротити використання природного газу. 7. Якщо ціна на природний газ буде постійно підвищуватись, його використання стане економічно невигідним. 8. Енергоаудитори проводять робо-ту за трьома головними напрямками: зниження енерговитрат, підви-щення коефіцієнту енергоефективності та впровадження нового обладнання, яке споживає менше енергії.

Exercise 49. Rewrite the following sentences in Conditional II and III after the model. Translate the sentences.

Model : 1. If the condition of the building systems are improved, energy costs will be less. 2. If the condition of the building systems were improved, energy costs would be less. 3. If the condition of the building systems had been improved, energy costs would have been less last month.

1. Electric appliances will not work if there is no electricity. 2. A report on energy use in these buildings will be more accurate if you include local climate criteria and solar orientation. 3. If you interview the homeowners, it will be easier to identify cost effective ways of improving the comfort and efficiency of the building. 4. The amount of energy will be reduced if the homeowners put insulation in walls and attics. 5. Energy consumers will reduce heating and electrical bills if they conserve energy.

Exercise 50. Ask:

a) if effective management leads to significant cost and energy savings;

if energy audits became popular in response to the energy crisis of 1973;

if the energy audit evaluates the energy efficiency;

if demand for natural gas during the summer months is now increasing;

if a home energy audit includes a written report.

b) what the greatest effects on energy use are;

what home energy audit is used for;

where infiltration of air usually occurs;

why effective energy management leads to significant cost savings;

how individuals and organizations can save energy;

how energy consumption can be reduced.

why energy management is important.

Exercise 51. Learn the following words and word combinations.

Thoroughness – ґрунтовність, досконалість; завершеність

walk-through audit – проміжний збір даних; ”оглядовий

tour – 1) обхід; 2) робити обхід

benchmark – критерій, контрольний показник

preliminary – попередній

warrant –1) гарантувати; 2) виправдовувати

review – 1) огляд; 2) переглядати

operational characteristics – робочі характеристики

on-site – локальний, на місці

simulation – моделювання

comprehensive –1) всебічний, поглиблений; 2) обов’язковий

account for –1) відповідати за щось, пояснювати; 2) нараховувати

consistent – відповідний, сумісний

baseline – еталон; основне значення

overestimation – переоцінювання

yield – давати (результат)

Exercise 52. Read, translate and give the gist of text 5.