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Greetings! Welcome to the third Energy & You column! As a
reminder, this column shares a variety of information to
help our readers understand the energy and sustainability
landscape and provide guidance on how to REDUCE energy
costs.
This week’s Focus – Energy Assessments/Audits
The last ‘Energy & You’ column provided an overview of
rebates and incentive programs offered by the utility
companies, which assist home owners and businesses in
reducing their out of pocket energy expenses. Columbia Gas
and First Energy both offer residential energy audits at NO
or LOW cost to homeowners depending on your income. The
utility companies are not doing this out of the goodness of
their hearts, mind you. State law mandates that utility
companies offer these services. Oh, and by the way, the cost
is covered in the rate structure that utility companies
charge its customers. Yes, that means you and me!! So you
might as well ‘experience’ this service for which you are
already paying. Investing in energy efficiency and adopting
energy conservation behaviors free up cash to be used on
other fun and important activities!
Energy Audit Overview
The energy audit is typically performed by a competent,
certified business that is listed as a trade ally or
participating energy contractor of the particular utility
company. Columbia Gas has elected to partner with CSG to
administer its residential energy efficiency program and
First Energy (Toledo Edison in northwest Ohio) partnered
with Honeywell to administer its residential energy
efficiency program. Honeywell partners with local/regional
certified businesses to conduct the energy audits, whereas
CSG typically performs the energy audits with its own
personnel. You can get the process initiated by calling
Columbia Gas at 1-877-644-6674 or First Energy/Honeywell at
1-888-243-6808.
What does the residential energy audit consist of?
The actual energy audit is performed by Building Performance
Analysts (energy auditors) that are certified by
organizations such as the Building Performance Institute
(BPI). The energy
audit takes approximately two to four hours depending on the
size of your home. The energy auditor has the experience
and knowledge to quickly identify common problems and offer
a range of no cost, low cost and more expensive options.
Specifically, the energy auditor will:
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Perform a
thorough visual inspection of your home
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Test gas
appliances for safety
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Perform tests,
such as:
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Assessing
insulation levels (walls, attic, basement);
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Identifying
air leaks;
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Determining
gas heating equipment efficiency; and
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Identifying
other health and safety issues (mold, etc.)
You may hear the energy auditor mention the following
equipment upon arrival onsite and began explaining what they
are about to do: blower door, duct blaster, smoke stick,
combustion analyzer and infrared thermography.
Additionally, the energy auditor provides a utility bill
analysis (12 or 24-month history) along with an energy
model.
Also, depending if the audit is performed by a Columbia Gas
or a First Energy energy efficiency partner, the energy
auditor will install:
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a programmable
thermostat
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a low flow,
energy efficient shower head
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bath and
kitchen faucet aerators
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smart power
strips
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several CFL
lamps (light bulbs)
J
Finally, the energy auditor will provide you with
information on your estimated utility savings and discounts
available for qualified energy efficiency improvements.
Commercial Energy Assessments
Both utility companies offer up to $5000 to commercial
customers to obtain a detailed energy assessment performed
by a businesses that employ certified energy
auditors/managers (CEM) and professional engineers (PE).
Columbia Gas requires that an ASHRAE (American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) Level
2 assessment be performed by certified or licensed
professionals in ordered to be eligible for up to $5000.
What is an ASHRAE Level 2 energy assessment? The industry
recognizes ASHRAE’s three (3) energy assessment levels:
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ASHRAE Audit Level |
Description |
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Level 1 |
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Brief
on-site survey of the building
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Savings and
cost analysis of low-cost/no-cost Energy
Conservation Measures (ECMs)
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Identification of potential capital improvements
meriting further consideration
|
|
Level 2 |
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More
detailed building survey
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Breakdown of
energy use
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Savings and
cost analysis of all ECMs
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Identification of ECMs requiring more thorough
data collection and analysis
|
|
Level 3 |
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Attention to
capital-intensive projects identified during the
Level 2 audit
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More
detailed field analysis
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More
rigorous engineering analysis
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Cost and
savings calculations with a high level of
accuracy
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** Courtesy of Energy Advantage (5/5/2011). ASHRAE, founded
in 1894, is a global society advancing human well-being
through sustainable technology for the built environment.
ASHRAE and its members focus on building systems, energy
efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration and
sustainability within the industry.
Most energy assessments begin with an analysis of the energy
consumed by electricity, natural gas, and water via the
actual utility bills of each building; that is the focus of
the energy assessment. This analysis compares the Energy
Usage Index (EUI) of each building with the national average
to identify both high and low energy performers. Completing
an energy audit of a facility provides an organization with
customized energy conservation measures designed to ensure
significant energy savings as well as CO2 emissions
reductions.
Reminder: Toledo Lucas County Port Authority (TLCPA) has a
terrific program that provides financing for multi-family,
commercial and industrial buildings. Call 419-249-6552 or
419-260-1227 to obtain information. (I strongly
encourage small businesses and churches to call
immediately.) Residential customers should call
Columbia Gas and First Energy today to get scheduled for an
assessment before the NEW POLAR VORTEX arrives!!
Central Ohio Energy Forum (Items of Interest) – 9/12/14
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Energy - Job
Out Look by 2020
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2020 - Over
955,000 job opportunities
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2030 - Close
to 1.3 million job opportunities
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63
percent of the job opportunities through 2030 are
projected to be in blue collar professions. This
suggests tremendous opportunity for workers with a
high school diploma and some post-secondary training
(i.e., certificates and community college).
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23 percent of
the job opportunities are projected to be in
scientific and managerial positions, requiring
training in fields such as engineering (petroleum,
etc.), geoscience, management, business and finance,
and as technicians.
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African
Americans, Hispanics, and women students with high
school diplomas and some additional training at
community colleges in skills related to the oil and
gas industry are immediately competitive for current
job opportunities;
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Significant
improvement in minority and female preparation in
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM) related disciplines at the primary and
secondary school levels is a national priority;
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Significant
improvement in high school completion rates for
Hispanics and African Americans is needed
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Wage range:
$30 - $150/hr
Next column: A deep dive into job opportunities in the
Energy & Sustainability industry. |
