# Presentation: 299341

## Reviewing the Audit Results

## Defining a Quality Base Year is Keyto Maximizing Project Value

- Base year is the mutually agreed upon pre-retrofit *annual* utility consumption and cost for your building or a specific energy end use
- It provides the basis for the technical and economic analysis of potential energy conservation measures (i.e., investment-grade audit)
- It also provides the basis for measuring and/or calculating the value of future energy savings (i.e., monitoring project performance)

## Factors to Consider When Establishingthe Base Year

- Changes in building equipment, structures, schedule, occupancy, or control setpoints
- Recent operations and maintenance work impacts on energy consumption
- Mild or severe weather conditions
- Changes in utility rates
- Adequate, accurate documentation or measurement of current equipment operating conditions, sizes, loads, and schedules
- Existing lighting levels, ventilation rates, temperature, and humidity

## Challenges to Calculating an Accurate Base Year

- Data analysis fails to account for periods during which equipment was broken or malfunctioning
- Base year consumption data reflect atypical schedule or operating conditions
- Consumption data are inaccurate or missing due to utility metering, billing, or data entry errors
- Run hours of equipment  operating hours of building
- Run hours of equipment  facility staff estimates
- Thermal loads may not be simply proportional to weather due to occupant load
- Actual annual equipment loads  full load rating nameplate (e.g., average motor operates at 60% of full load rating)

## Review of Audit Draft

- Request draft copy of audit report (70–80% complete).
- Review draft with HA Performance Contract team.
- Develop list of questions for ESCO.
- Meet with ESCO to resolve questions and/or reiterate expectations.

## Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) to Consider

- Building envelope
- Heating systems
- Air-conditioning systems
- Ventilation systems
- Control systems
- Lighting systems
- Water services
- Appliances
- Resident education

## Accurate Technical Analysis

- Are the data used for energy rates and equipment costs accurate?
- Does it provide a comprehensive analysis of technical options?
- Are the calculations based on reasonable input estimates?
- Are the calculations reproducible and free from math errors?
- Have interactive effects between technical options been evaluated?

## Accurate Technical Analysis (cont.)

- Poor data collection practices can create significant errors in the analysis (check the ESCO’s standardized data collection format)
- Use technical assistance to review the calculations and proposed technical schedules
- Does the audit properly quantify environmental costs and benefits? (e.g., value of recycled CFCs, disposal costs, avoided air emissions)
- Do the proposed measures maximize net project benefits?

## Accurate Economic Calculations

- Utility bill reconstruction should be used to value savings
- Materials and maintenance savings should be clearly documented and calculated
- Utility price escalation rates used for cash flow analysis or future savings valuation should be reasonable
- Economic impacts of performance guarantee provisions on HA annual budget should be evaluated