What Are Energy Audits?
Performing an energy audit, or a baseline energy evaluation, is a crucial step to assessing and improving energy efficiency. There are many types of energy audits that can be performed at water and wastewater treatment facilities, ranging from general walk-through audits to more comprehensive systematic process audits analyzing one or more end uses. A walk-through audit provides a “first cut” assessment of energy savings and is used to identify potential opportunities to save energy. While detailed economic analyses of potential energy conservation measures are not performed, a walk-through audit does collect facility energy data, reviews energy bills, compares the facility’s unit energy consumption with facilities using similar processes and identifies processes and equipment where energy can be reduced. Equipment audits, such as lighting, heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) and pumping audits, can be performed as part of the walk-through audit or can be a component of a
