I have been having a lot of success in performing energy audits to help my commercial customers lower their energy bills. I usually start by reviewing the customer's utility bills to check on any demand charges or power factor penalties that are being assessed. Then I track track power consumption of equipment inside the facility to help understand where the energy is being consumed. I use my Fluke 435 power quality analyzer to measure demand over time. I try to identify peak demands and track down the cause which might be large loads operating concurrently. I use a thermal imager in conjunction with the power quality analyzer to to check if any feeders or neutral conductors are warmer than ambient, which might indicate a high harmonic content. I look for problems such as overloaded circuits, loose connections, motors running hot, etc. Finally, I propose solutions for the problems I have identified and provide a calculation of how fast they will pay back their cost. I have had considerable luck in generating additional business using this approach. I wonder if anyone else is performing energy audits of commercial customers and has any ideas on how I can improve my practices?
- posted
14 years ago