Day 2 THE CONDITION
SURVEY
Introduction

The Condition Survey - an initial walk-through of the facility - is essentially an
inspection tour. Attention should be given to

where energy is obviously being wasted

where repair or maintenance work is needed

where capital investment may be needed in order to improve energy efficiency
The Condition Survey has at least three purposes:

It provides the auditor and/or audit team with an orientation of the entire facility
to observe its major uses of energy and the factors that influence those uses.

It helps to identify areas that warrant further examination for potential energy
management opportunities (EMOs) before establishing the audit's mandate and
scope.

It identifies obvious opportunities for energy savings that can be implemented
with little or no further assessment. Often these are instances of poor repair or
housekeeping that involve no significant capital expenditure.
A Systematic Approach

It is important for the Condition Survey to be comprehensive and systematic.
Although the information obtained by the survey will be primarily qualitative,
it can be useful to give a numerical score to each survey observation to help
determine the scope and urgency of any corrective actions.

Below is a checklist template for collecting information. It includes a point
rating system. The checklist template can be readily modified and adapted to
your facility; for example, in a survey of lighting, a line can be created for
each room or distinct area in your facility.

The rating is based on a three-point system in which 3 represents a condition
reflecting high energy efficiency and 0 represents a condition reflecting low
energy efficiency. The rating indicates the urgency of corrective action.
After each checklist is completed, a score is calculated [i.e. according to the formula given in the above example].


This score is then used to indicate the urgency
of corrective action, based on the following
scale:

Heat Distribution

Cooling Plant
Checklists in "Part C: Technical Supplement"
address the following:

Cooling Distribution

Electrical Power Distribution

Hot Water Service

Water Service

Compressed Air

Process Heating

In each case, only the template headings are
shown, along with the scoring structure. At the
end of the section, there is a blank template
that can be customized to specific systems in
your facility and others not included in the
above list. In the latter case, consider using a
scoring structure similar to the one shown
above.

Windows

Exterior Doors

Ceilings

Exterior Walls

Roofs

Storage Areas

Shipping and Receiving Areas

Lighting

Food Areas

Heating and Boiler Plant
Spreadsheet Templates for the
Condition Survey

"Part C: Technical Supplement" includes a spreadsheet template for the
Condition Survey (Condition Survey.xls). A sample spreadsheet customized for
a survey of lighting systems is shown in Figure 1.1. We suggest that the
auditor create a customized spreadsheet for each of the systems and pieces
of equipment in the facility. From the checklists in Section C-3, items and
scores can be entered into the spreadsheet.
Finding Energy Management
Opportunities (EMOs)

Although the Condition Survey precedes the main audit, it can also identify
EMOs. The survey rating system helps to identify and prioritize areas of the
facility that should be assessed more extensively. However, direct
observations of housekeeping, maintenance and other procedures can lead to
EMOs that need no further assessment and that can be acted on right away.
For example, fixing leaks in the steam system, broken glazing and shipping
dock doors that won’t close will pay off immediately in reduced energy
consumption.
ESTABLISH THE AUDIT MANDATE

Introduction

Audit Mandate Checklist
Introduction

It can be tempting to move quickly into the audit itself, especially for
auditors who are technically oriented. However, knowing the "ground rules" in
advance will help auditors to use their time to maximum effect and will
ensure that the needs of the organization commissioning the audit are met.

The terms of reference presented to the energy auditor are as follows:

■ audit mandate - this should make the audit's goals and objectives clear and
outline the key constraints that will apply when the audit's recommendations
are implemented

■ audit scope - the physical extent of the audit's focus should be specified,
and the kinds of information and analytical approaches that will comprise the
auditor's work should be identified

The following checklist can help articulate a clear and concise audit mandate.
A similar approach to defining the audit's scope follows in Section 3.
ESTABLISH AUDIT SCOPE

Introduction

Audit Mandate Checklist
Introduction

A systematic approach to energy auditing specifically defines the boundaries
that apply (as defined in the exploration of the thermodynamic basis for
energy auditing). The audit scope provides this detailed definition of the
system to be audited.

In addition, the audit scope is a "scope of work" statement; i.e. it defines the
sources of information and the analysis that will be applied to them. Figure
3.1 illustrates a sample audit scope.

As noted earlier, the system may be anything from an entire plant to a piece
of processing equipment. Figure 3.1 illustrates the hierarchy of an audit scope
and the pertinent levels of information.

Define the system to Be Audited

This step defines the audit's boundaries and the specifics of the energy
systems within those boundaries. Although details on the energy load
inventory will emerge from the audit process itself, it is useful to define the
areas to be examined, as outlined in the Audit Scope Checklist.

Identify Energy inputs and Outputs

Using a schematic diagram of the area being audited, you should be able to
list energy inputs and outputs. It is important to identify all flows, whether
they are intended (directly measurable) or unintended (not directly
measurable). Obvious energy flows are electricity, fuel, steam and other
direct energy inputs; and flue gas, water to drain, vented air and other
apparent outputs. Less obvious energy flows may be heat loss though the
building envelope or the intrinsic energy in produced goods.

Identify Subsystems

Each of the systems to be considered in the audit should be identified, as
outlined in the Audit Scope Checklist below.