Energy Efficiency: Conducting a Simple Energy Audit

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Efficiency

• Energy efficiency is one area that scientists are focusing on to decrease the worlds overall energy use
• Energy efficiency in buildings is one of the top priorities in energy conservation
• There are many different ways that we can make an older building more energy efficient
• Simple ways to improve a building’s efficiency
• Insulate and Plug Leaks
• Use energy-efficient windows
• Stop other heating and cooling losses
• Heat living and working spaces more efficiently
• Heat water more efficiently
• Use energy efficient appliances and lighting
• Cut off electrical devices when not using them

Auditing Energy Efficiency

• In order to determine if a building is energy efficient or not, we use an energy audit.
• Professional companies will take exact measurements and specific details about how energy efficient a building is
• We will conduct a simpler, more qualitative analysis of both the school and your home

Energy Audit

• We will be looking at the following criteria for energy efficiency:
• Light bulbs
• Windows
• Doors
• Room temperature and heating
• Room dynamics
• Appliance Use

Light Bulbs

• Fluorescent bulbs are much more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs.
• Fluorescent bulbs cost more, but save money in the long run
• A simple way to improve the energy efficiency of a building is to switch all light bulbs to fluorescent bulbs

Windows and Doors

• If you feel/detect air moving underneath or between windows and doors than heat is also being lost or gained through those cracks.
• Drafty windows and doors are considered inefficient and energy wasting
• Intense sunlight needs to be blocked from entering rooms during summer months and allowed to enter during winter months
• This helps lower the dependency on heating and cooling by electrical devices

Room temperature and heating

• The temperature that a room is maintained at tells a lot about the energy efficiency of that room
• Room temperature is on average 22°C.  A room is colder/warming than that is wasting heat energy (either through loss or by over heating/cooling)
• Having the ability to control the amount of heat (or air conditioned air) that is entering a room helps to improve efficiency.
• A room that is under automatic heating control is energy inefficient, because its temperature cannot be adjusted to reflect the weather outside
• Obstructions to heating vents block air from circulating (and heating the room) requiring more energy to be put in to regulate the room temperature

Room dynamics

• Carpeting and floor covers make a room more energy efficient by conserving heat
• The higher the ceiling is in a room, the more energy is lost trying to heat the room all the way to the top.  Hot air rises so a room is in fact heated from top to bottom

Appliance Use

• Computers require a large amount of energy
• Turning them off when they are not in use is a big energy saving practice
• New appliances have been modified to save on energy.  Older appliances tend to require large amounts of energy and waste a lot of it
• Newer appliances all have blue “efficiency” stickers which indicate how much energy they save

Related Posts

1. Energy Conservation
2. Forms of Energy
3. Renewable and Non-renewable Energy Sources
4. Cell Reactions and Energy
5. Thermoregulation