170 Energy Project Financing: Resources and Strategies for Success
by taking the data for the 12-month period and calculating the cost over
this period of time. Using the numbers from the table, one can see that
this company has an average energy cost of $0.075 per kWh.
These data are used initially to analyze potential ECOs and will
ultimately influence which ECOs are recommended. For example, an
ECO that reduces peak demand during a month would save $7.02 per
kW per month. Therefore, the auditor should consider ECOs that would
involve using certain equipment during the night shift, when the peak
load is significantly less than the first shift peak load. ECOs that save
both energy and demand on the first shift would save costs at a rate
of $0.075 per kWh. Finally, ECOs that save electrical energy during the
off-peak shift should be examined too, but they may not be as advan-
tageous. They would only save at the rate of $0.043 per kWh because
they are already used off-peak, so there would not be any additional
demand cost savings.
Physical and Operational Data for the Facility
The auditor must gather information on factors likely to affect
energy use in the facility. Geographic location, weather data, facility
layout and construction, operating hours, and equipment can all influ-
ence energy use.
- Geographic Location/Weather Data: The geographic location of
the facility should be noted, together with the weather data for that
location. Contact the local weather station, the local utility, or the
state energy office to obtain the average degree days for heating
and cooling for that location for the past twelve months. These
degree-day data will be very useful in analyzing the need for
energy for heating or cooling the facility. Bin weather data would
also be useful if a thermal envelope simulation of the facility were
going to be performed as part of the audit. - Facility Layout: Next the facility layout or plan should be ob-
tained and reviewed to determine the facility size, floor plan, and
construction features such as wall and roof material and insulation
levels, as well as door and window sizes and construction. A set of
building plans could supply this information in sufficient detail. It
is important to make sure the plans reflect the “as-built” features
of the facility, since many original building plans do not get used
without alterations.