Energy Auditing

By:
Bharat Chaudhari
SIT,Lonavala
Audit
• Audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process,
enterprise, project or product

• Most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but also exist in

project management, quality management and energy conservation

• We are concerned with only Energy Audit

• Energy Audit is an inspection, survey and analysis of energy flows
for energy conservation in building, process or system to reduce the
amount of energy input into the system without negatively affecting
the output(s)

• Energy audit is the translation of conservation ideas into realities,

by lending technically feasible solutions with economic and other
organizational considerations within specified time frame
 Need of Energy Audit
• Potential cost saving energy is more important than other areas of
expenditure

• Energy management function constitutes a strategic area for cost

reduction

• Helps to understand more about the ways energy and fuel are used in
any industry
• Helps in identifying the areas where waste can occur

• Helps in identifying the scope for improvement exists

• Give a positive orientation to the energy cost reduction, preventive

maintenance and quality control activities

• Useful for production and utility activities

 Objectives of energy Audit
1. To determine ways to reduce energy consumption per unit of
product output

2. To lower operating cost

3. To provide “bench-mark” for managing energy in the organization

4. To provide the basis for planning a more effective use of energy

throughout the organization
 Pre Audit Phase
• A structured methodology to carry out an energy audit is
necessary for efficient working

• An initial study of the site should always be carried out, as the

planning of the procedures necessary for an audit is most
important.
 Initial Site Visit and Preparation
Required for Detailed Auditing

An initial site visit may take one day and gives the Energy
Auditor/Engineer an opportunity to meet the personnel
concerned, to familiarize him with the site and to assess the
procedures necessary to carry out the energy audit
During the initial site visit the Energy Auditor/Engineer should
carry out the following actions: -
• Discuss with the site's senior management the aims of the
energy audit

• Discuss economic guidelines associated with the

recommendations of the audit

• Analyze the major energy consumption data with the relevant

personnel
The main aims of this visit are: -
• To finalize Energy Audit team
• To identify the main energy consuming areas/plant items to be
surveyed during the audit
• To identify any existing instrumentation/ additional metering
required
• To identify the instrumentation required for carrying out the audit
• To plan with time frame
• To create awareness through meetings/ programme
The information to be collected during the detailed audit
includes: -
• Energy consumption by type of energy, by department, by major
items of process equipment, by end-use

• Material balance data (raw materials, intermediate and final

products, recycled materials, use of scrap or waste products,
production of by-products for re-use in other industries, etc.)
• Energy cost and tariff data
• Process and material flow diagrams
• Generation and distribution of site services ([Link] air,
steam)
• Sources of energy supply (e.g. electricity from the grid or self-
generation)
• Potential for fuel substitution, process modifications, and the use of
co-generation systems (combined heat and power generation)
• Energy Management procedures and energy awareness training
programs within the establishment
The audit team should collect the following baseline data:
• Technology, processes used and equipment details
• Capacity utilization
• Amount & type of input materials used
• Water consumption
• Fuel Consumption
• Electrical energy consumption
• Steam consumption
• Other inputs such as compressed air, cooling water etc
• Quantity & type of wastes generated
• Percentage rejection / reprocessing
• Efficiencies / yield
 Identification of Energy Conservation
Opportunities
• Fuel substitution: Identifying the appropriate fuel for efficient
energy conversion
• Energy generation :Identifying Efficiency opportunities in energy
conversion equipment/utility such as
1. captive power generation
2. steam generation in boilers
3. Optimal loading of DG sets
4. Optimizing existing efficiencies
5. efficient energy conversion equipment, biomass gasifiers,
6. Cogeneration, high efficiency DG sets
• Energy distribution: Identifying Efficiency opportunities
network such as transformers, cables, switchgears and power
factor improvement in electrical systems and chilled water,
cooling water, hot water, compressed air, Etc.

• Energy usage by processes: This is where the major

opportunity for improvement and many of them are hidden.
Process analysis is useful tool for process integration measures
• Technical and Economic feasibility :The technical feasibility
should address the following issues
1. Technology availability, space, skilled manpower, reliability,
service etc.

2. The impact of energy efficiency measure on safety, quality,

production or process

3. The maintenance requirements and spares availability

 Economic Analysis
• The economic analysis can be conducted by using a variety of
methods. Example: Pay back method, Internal Rate of Return
method, Net Present Value method

• Net saving/year=Annual saving-annual operating cost

• Payback period in month= (investment/net saving/year)*12
 Energy Audit Instruments
• The requirement for an energy audit such as identification and
quantification of energy necessitates measurements; these
measurements require the use of instruments

• These instruments must be portable, durable, easy to operate

and relatively inexpensive
 Basic Electrical Parameters in AC &DC
systems
Voltage (V) Reactive power (kVAr)

Current (I) Energy consumption (kWh)

Power Factor Harmonics

Active Power (kW) Frequency (Hz)

Apparent power (demand) (kVA)

 Parameters of importance other than
electrical system
Temperature and heat flow Noise and vibration
Radiation Dust concentration
Air and gas flow Total dissolved solids (TDS)
Liquid flow pH
Revolutions per minute (RPM) Moisture content
Air velocity Relative humidity
Flue gas analysis- 𝐶𝑂2 , 𝑂2 , 𝐶𝑂, 𝑆𝑂𝑥 , 𝑁𝑂𝑋 Combustion efficiency
 Electrical Measuring Instruments
• These are instruments for measuring major electrical parameters
such as kVA, kW, Hertz, Amps and Volts

• In addition some of these instruments also measure harmonics

• These instruments are applied on-line i.e on running motors without

any need to stop the motor

• Instant measurements can be taken with hand-held meters, while

more advanced ones facilitates cumulative readings with print outs at
specified intervals
 Combustion analyzer

• This instrument has in-built chemical cells which

measure various gases such as O2, CO, NOX
and SOX.
 Fuel Efficiency Monitor:

• This measures oxygen and temperature of the flue gas

• Calorific values of common fuels are fed into the

microprocessor which calculates the combustion efficiency
 Fyrite
• A hand bellow pump draws the flue gas sample into the solution
inside the fyrite

• A chemical reaction changes the liquid volume revealing the

amount of gas

• A separate fyrite can be used for O2 and CO2 measurement

 Contact thermometer
• These are thermocouples which measures for example flue
gas, hot air, hot water temperatures by insertion of probe into
the stream

• For surface temperature, a leaf type probe is used with the

same instrument.
 Infrared Thermometer:
• This is a non-contact type measurement which when directed at
a heat source directly gives the temperature read out

• This instrument is useful for measuring hot spots in furnaces,

surface temperatures etc.
 Pitot Tube and manometer

• Air velocity in ducts can be measured using a pitot tube and

inclined manometer for further calculation of flows
 Water flow meter
• This non-contact flow measuring device using Doppler effect /
Ultra sonic principle
• There is a transmitter and receiver which are positioned on
opposite sides of the pipe
• The meter directly gives the flow
• Water and other fluid flows can be easily measured with this
meter
 Speed Measurements
• In any audit exercise speed measurements are critical as they
may change with frequency,belt slip and loading.

• A simple tachometer is a contact type instrument which can be

used where direct access is possible.

• More sophisticated and safer ones are non contact instruments

such as stroboscopes.
 Leak Detectors

• Ultrasonic instruments are available which can be used to

detect leaks of compressed air and other gases which are
normally not possible to detect with human abilities
 Lux meters
• Illumination levels are measured with a lux meter

• It consists of a photo cell which senses the light output,

converts to electrical impulses which are calibrated as lux
 Energy Conservation Opportunities
• Boiler

• Steam system

• Furnaces

• HVAC
Energy Conservation Opportunities in
boilers

• The various energy efficiency opportunities in boiler system can

be related to combustion, heat transfer, avoidable losses, high
auxiliary power consumption, water quality and blowdown
1. Stack temperature
• The stack temperature should be as low as possible
• However, it should not be so low that water vapor in the exhaust
condenses on the stack walls
• This is important in fuels containing significant sulphur as low
temperature can lead to sulphur dew point corrosion
• Stack temperatures greater than 200°C indicates potential for
recovery of waste heat
• It also indicate the scaling of heat transfer/recovery equipment
and hence the urgency of taking an early shut down for water/
flue side cleaning.
 General Fuel Economy Measures in
Furnaces
1. Complete combustion with minimum excess air
2. Correct heat distribution
3. Operating at the desired temperature
4. Reducing heat losses from furnace openings
5. Maintaining correct amount of furnace draught
6. Optimum capacity utilization
7. Waste heat recovery from the flue gases
8. Minimum refractory losses
9. Use of Ceramic Coatings
1. Complete Combustion with Minimum Excess Air
• The amount of heat lost in the flue gases (stack losses)
depends upon in amount of excess air
• In the case of a furnace carrying away flue gases at 900°C, %
heat lost
• To obtain complete combustion of fuel with the minimum
amount of air, it is necessary to control
1. air infiltration

2. maintain pressure of combustion

3. air, fuel quality and excess air monitoring

• Higher excess air will reduce
1. flame temperature
2. furnace temperature
3. heating rate

• On the other hand, if the excess air is less, then unburnt

components in flue gases will increase and would be carried
away in the flue gases through stack
• The optimization of combustion air is the most attractive and
economical measure for energy conservation

• The impact of this measure is higher when the temperature of

furnace is high

• Air ratio is the value that is given by dividing the actual air
amount by the theoretical combustion air amount, and it
represents the extent of excess of air
• More excess air also means more scale losses, which is equally
a big loss in terms of money

• If a reheating furnace is not equipped with an automatic air/fuel

ratio controller, it is necessary to periodically sample gas in the
furnace and measure its oxygen contents by a gas analyzer
2. Proper Heat Distribution

• Furnace design should be such that in a given time, as much of

the stock could be heated uniformly to a desired temperature
with minimum fuel firing rate.
• Following care should be taken when using burners, for proper
heat distribution

 The flame should not touch any solid object and should
propagate clear of any solid object. Any obstruction will
deatomise the fuel particles thus affecting combustion and
create black smoke. If flame impinges on the stock, there would
be increase in scale losses
 If the flames impinge on refractories, the incomplete combustion
products can settle and react with the refractory constituents at
high flame temperatures

 The flames of different burners in the furnace should stay clear

of each other
 Flame should not hit the roof

 The larger burners produce a long flame, which may be difficult

to contain within the furnace walls. More burners of less
capacity give better heat distribution in the furnace and also
increase furnace life

 For small furnaces, it is desirable to have a long flame with

golden yellow colour,while firing furnace oil for uniform heating
3. Maintaining Optimum Operating Temperature of Furnace
• It is important to operate the furnace at optimum temperature
• Operating at too high temperatures than optimum causes heat
loss, excessive oxidation, decarburization as well as over-
stressing of the refractories

• These controls are normally left to operator judgment, which is

not desirable. To avoid human error, on/off controls should be
provided.
4. Prevention of Heat Loss through Openings
• Heat loss through openings consists of the heat loss by direct
radiation through openings and the heat loss caused by
combustion gas that leaks through openings

𝑇 4
𝑄 = 4.88 × ( ) ×𝑎×𝐴×𝐻
100
• where
• T: absolute temperature (K)
• a: factor for total radiation
• A: area of opening
• H: time (hr)
• If the furnace pressure is slightly higher than outside air
pressure (as in case of reheating furnace) during its operation,
the combustion gas inside may blow off through openings and
heat is lost with that

• But damage is more, if outside air intrudes into the furnace,

making temperature distribution uneven and oxidizing billets
5. Control of furnace draft
• If negative pressures exist in the furnace, air infiltration is liable
to occur through the cracks and openings thereby affecting air-
fuel ratio control

• Some of the associated problems with ex filtration are leaping

out of flames, overheating of the furnace refractories leading to
reduced brick life, increased furnace maintenance, burning out
of ducts and equipments attached to the furnace
• proper control on furnace pressure is must

• it is important to keep the openings as small as possible and to

seal them in order to prevent
a) the release of high temperature gas
b) intrusion of outside air through openings such as the charging
inlet, extracting outlet and peephole on furnace walls or the
ceiling.
6. Optimum Capacity Utilization

One of the most vital factors affecting efficiency is loading

If the furnace is under loaded a smaller fraction of the available

heat in the working chamber will be taken up by the load and
therefore efficiency will be low
The loading of the charge on the furnace hearth should be
arranged so that
• It receives the maximum amount of radiation from the hot
surfaces of the heating chambers and the flames produced

• The hot gases are efficiently circulated around the heat

receiving surfaces
Stock should not be placed in the following position
• In the direct path of the burners or where flame impingement is
likely to occur

• In an area which is likely to cause a blockage or restriction of

the flue system of the furnace

• Close to any door openings where cold spots are likely to

develop.
In the interests of economy and work quality the materials
comprising the load should only remain in the furnace for the
minimum time to obtain the required physical and metallurgical
requirements

When the materials attain these properties they should be

removed from the furnace to avoid damage and fuel wastage.
Optimum utilization of furnace can be planned at design stage
Correct furnace for the jobs should be selected considering
whether continuous or batch type furnace would be more
suitable
For a continuous type furnace, the overall efficiency will
increase with heat recuperation from the waste gas stream
If only batch type furnace is used, careful planning of the loads
is important
Furnace should be recharged as soon as possible to enable
use of residual furnace heat
7. Waste Heat Recovery from Furnace Flue Gases
Heat in flue gases can be generally recovered by
the following methods
• Charge (stock) preheating
• Preheating of combustion air
• Utilizing waste heat for other process (to generate steam or hot
water by a waste heat boiler)
• Charge Pre-heating
 When raw materials are preheated by exhaust gases before
being placed in a heating furnace, the amount of fuel necessary
to heat them in the furnace is reduced

 Since raw materials are usually at room temperature, they can

be heated sufficiently using high-temperature gas to reduce fuel
consumption rate
• Preheating of Combustion Air
 The energy contained in the exhaust gases can be recycled by
using it to pre-heat the combustion air

 A variety of equipment is available; external recuperators are

common, but other techniques are now available such as self-
recuperative burners
• There are two main types of recuperators:
1. radiation recuperators

2. convection recuperators
• The simple construction means that such recuperators are
suitable for use with dirty gases, have a negligible resistance to
flow, and can replace the flue or chimney if space is limited

• Radiation recuperators rely on radiation from high temperature

exhaust gases and should not he employed with exhaust gases
at less than about 800°C.
• consist essentially of bundles of drawn or cast tubes

• Internal and/or external fins can be added to assist heat transfer

• The combustion air normally passes through the tubes and the
exhaust gases outside the tubes, but there are some
applications where this is reversed. For example, with dirty
gases, it is easier to keep the tubes clean if the air flows on the
outside

• Convection recuperators are more suitable for exhaust gas

temperatures of less than about 900°C.
• Estimation of fuel savings in preheating
𝑃
%𝑆 = × 100
𝐹+𝑃−𝑄
S: fuel saving rate, %
F: Calorific value of fuel (kCal/kg fuel)
P: quantity of heat brought in by preheated air (kCal/kg fuel)
Q: quantity of heat taken away by exhaust gas (kCal/kg fuel)
8. Minimising Wall Losses
• About 30–40% of the fuel input to the furnace generally goes to
make up for heat losses in intermittent or continuous furnaces
• The heat losses from furnace walls affect the fuel economy
considerably. The extent of wall losses depend on:
1. Emissivity of wall
2. Thermal conductivity of refractories
3. Wall thickness
4. Whether furnace is operated continuously or intermittently
• Heat losses can be reduced by increasing the wall thickness, or
through the application of insulating bricks
• Outside wall temperatures and heat losses of a composite wall
of a certain thickness of firebrick and insulation brick are much
lower, due to lesser conductivity of insulating brick as compared
to a refractory brick of similar thickness
• Furnace walls built of insulating refractories and cased in a shell
reduce the flow of heat to the surroundings
• Use of Ceramic Fibre
• Ceramic fibre is a low thermal mass refractory used in the hot
face of the furnace and fastened to the refractory walls
• Due to its low thermal mass the storage losses are minimized
• This results in faster heating up of furnace and also faster
cooling
• Energy savings by this application is possible only in
intermittent furnaces
9. Use of Ceramic Coatings
• Ceramic coatings in furnace chamber promote rapid and
efficient transfer of heat, uniform heating and extended life of
refractories
• The emissivity of conventional refractories decreases with
increase in temperature whereas for ceramic coatings it
increases
• This outstanding property has been exploited for use in hot face
insulation
 Energy Saving Opportunities in HVAC
• Cold Insulation
Insulate all cold lines/vessels using economic insulation thickness to
minimize heat gains and choose correct insulation

• Building Envelope
Optimize AC volumes by measures such as use of false ceiling and
segregation of critical areas for AC by air curtains
• Building heat loads minimization
Minimize the AC load by measures such as
1. roof cooling
2. roof painting
3. efficient lighting
4. precooling of fresh air by air to air heat exchangers
5. variable volume air system
6. optimal thermo-static setting of temperature of AC space
7. Sun film application
• Process heat load minimization
Minimize process loads in terms of TR capacity as well as refrigeration
level byway of:
1. Flow optimization
2. Heat transfer area increase to accept higher temperature coolant
3. Avoiding wastages like heat gains, loss of chilled water, idle flows
4. Frequent cleaning/de-scaling of all heat exchangers
• At the refrigeration A/C plant area
1. Ensure regular maintenance of all A/C plant components as per
manufacture guidelines
2. Ensure adequate quantity of chilled water and cooling water flows,
avoid bypass flows by closing valves
3. Minimize part load operations by matching loads and plant capacity
on line, optimize condenser and evaporator parameters for
minimizing SEC and maximize capacity
4. Adopt VAR system where economics permit as a non CFC solution
 Energy saving tips for pumping system
Operate pumping near best efficiency point
Modify pumping to minimize throttling
Adapt to wide load variations with variable speed drives or sequenced
control of smaller units
Use booster pump for small load requiring high pressure
Repair seals and packing to minimize fluid waste
Balance the system to minimize flows and reduce pump power
requirements
Use siphon effect to advantages ; don’t waste pumping head with a
free-fall return
 Energy saving tips for DG set
Optimize loading
Use waste heat to generate steam/hot water/power an absorption
chiller or preheat process or utility feeds
Use jacket and heat cooling water for process needs
Clean air filters regularly
Insulate exhaust pipes to reduce DG set room temperatures
Use cheaper heavy fuel oil for capacities more than 1 MW
 Energy saving tips for compressed air system
Install a control system to coordinate multiple air compressors
Study part-load characteristics and cycling costs to determine the most-
efficient mode for operating multiple air compressor
Turn off the back-up air compressors until it is needed
Use the highest reasonable dryer dew point settings
Turn off refrigerated and heated air dryers when the air compressors
are off
Use a control system to minimize heatless desiccant dryer purging
Minimize purges, leaks, excessive pressure drops and condensation
accumulation
Use drain controls instead of continuous air bleeds through the drains
Consider engine-driven or steam-driven air compressions to reduce
electrical demand charges
Replace standard v-belt with high efficiency flat belts as the old v-belts
wear out
Use a small air compressor when major production load is off
Be sure the heat exchangers and air/oil separators are not fouled
Monitor pressures drops across suction and discharge filters and clean
or replace filters promptly upon alarm
Check for leaking drain valves on compressed air filter/regulator sets.
Certain rubber-type valves may leak continuously after the age and
crack
 Energy saving tips for cooling tower
Control cooling tower fans based on leaving water temperatures
Control to the optimum water temperature as determined from cooling
tower and chiller performance data
Turn of unnecessary cooling tower fans when loads are reduced
Cover hot water basins
Balance flow to cooling tower hot water basins
Install new nozzles to obtain a more-uniform water pattern
Optimize cooling tower fan blade angle on seasonal and /or load basis
Use a velocity pressure recovery fan ring
Check water overflow pipes for proper operating level
Optimize chemical use
Consider side stream water treatment
Restrict flows through large loads to design valves
Shut off loads that are not in service
Optimize blowdown flow rate
Automatic blowdown to minimize it
Implement a cooling tower winterization plan to minimize ice build-up
 Energy Audit Software
Advantages/significance

• Time: cut the time it takes

• Accuracy: provide a business with personalized energy-efficiency

advice supported by accurate fig.
• Logic: make sophisticated energy-related calculations in seconds-
calculate fig. relating to energy consumption, energy cost, emissions

• Report: rapidly create a focused energy efficiency report telling the

business how much they could save, and how to go about saving it
Types of billing errors
Wrong billing data-meter misreads
Wrong meter point administration number (MPAN)
Wrong tariff applied
Wrong pass through elements applied
Wrong meter coefficient
wrong timecode
Energy Accounting Software
• Popularly known as:-
Energy accounting software
Energy tracking software
Utility bill management software
• Used for tracking, managing, processing, reporting and analyzing
utility bills
• Can come as a specific piece of software
• May come as a module of more all encompassing energy
management software
• Ensures correctness in utility energy bills
• Also calculate according to the tariff, and use correct billing data
• Most applicable any organization that has a significant energy bill be it
one very large site or multi site organization
• Records monthly utility bills
• Automatically audits them to spot billing, metering or consumption
problems
• Prepares a variety of management and analysis report
• Varies in terms of user-friendliness, application, and cost, comparing
different programs can be challening
THANK YOU