CEM Event Operations Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a large convention, the facility's chiller plant is operating at 95% capacity. What is the most effective immediate action for an energy manager?
- Shed non-critical loads such as unoccupied meeting room HVAC zones (Correct answer)
- Purchase additional electricity from the utility at spot market rates
- Lower the chilled water supply temperature to increase system efficiency
- Increase condenser water flow to reduce chiller head pressure
Correct answer: Shed non-critical loads such as unoccupied meeting room HVAC zones
Shedding non-critical loads in unoccupied zones immediately reduces demand on an overtaxed chiller plant without capital expenditure.
Question 2: A convention center wants to measure the energy impact of a 3-day trade show. Which baseline methodology is most appropriate?
- Use energy consumption from the same three days in the prior year
- Use average daily consumption from the 30 days immediately before the event
- Use a weather-normalized baseline derived from regression analysis against HDD/CDD (Correct answer)
- Use the facility's nameplate equipment capacity as the baseline
Correct answer: Use a weather-normalized baseline derived from regression analysis against HDD/CDD
Weather-normalized regression baselines account for outdoor conditions, making comparisons between different event periods more accurate and defensible.
Question 3: Which metric best quantifies the energy intensity of a large event for benchmarking purposes?
- Total kWh consumed during the event
- kWh per attendee-day (Correct answer)
- Peak demand (kW) recorded during the event
- Annual energy use intensity (EUI) of the facility
Correct answer: kWh per attendee-day
kWh per attendee-day normalizes energy use for event size and duration, enabling meaningful comparisons across different events.
Question 4: An event manager notices that exhibit hall lighting accounts for 40% of event energy costs. What control strategy would have the greatest impact?
- Replace all fixtures with LED sources before the next event
- Implement zone-by-zone dimming tied to the exhibit hall occupancy schedule (Correct answer)
- Install occupancy sensors that shut off all lighting when the hall is empty
- Reduce lighting levels by 50% uniformly across the hall
Correct answer: Implement zone-by-zone dimming tied to the exhibit hall occupancy schedule
Zone-by-zone dimming aligned with the occupancy schedule targets energy precisely where and when it is not needed, avoiding blanket reductions that may compromise safety or exhibitor needs.
Question 5: A stadium hosting a nighttime event requires full field lighting for 4 hours. The utility offers a time-of-use (TOU) rate with an on-peak period ending at 9 PM. How should the energy manager advise scheduling pre-event lighting warm-up?
- Begin warm-up at 9 PM exactly to avoid all on-peak charges
- Begin warm-up before 9 PM only if the lamps require it for color rendering stability, accepting some on-peak cost (Correct answer)
- Pre-heat lamps during off-peak hours earlier in the day and restart them at 9 PM
- Avoid warm-up entirely by using LED fixtures that reach full output instantly
Correct answer: Begin warm-up before 9 PM only if the lamps require it for color rendering stability, accepting some on-peak cost
Metal halide and some HID lamps require warm-up time for color stability; the energy manager must balance TOU savings against operational requirements and may need to start slightly before 9 PM.
Question 6: Which demand response strategy is most compatible with maintaining attendee comfort during a packed arena event?
- Cycling HVAC compressors off for 15-minute intervals during peak demand periods
- Pre-cooling the arena 2 hours before the event to allow demand reduction during the event itself (Correct answer)
- Dimming arena bowl lighting by 30% during the event
- Shutting down the main scoreboard to reduce electrical load
Correct answer: Pre-cooling the arena 2 hours before the event to allow demand reduction during the event itself
Pre-cooling (thermal mass pre-conditioning) stores cooling energy before peak periods, allowing reduced mechanical operation during the event without sacrificing comfort.
Question 7: A facility's energy management system shows a spike in natural gas consumption coinciding with each event's catering setup. What is the most likely cause?
- Kitchen exhaust fans creating negative pressure that increases infiltration through the building envelope
- Increased domestic hot water usage by catering staff
- Gas-fired make-up air units bringing in large volumes of unconditioned outdoor air through kitchen exhaust replacement (Correct answer)
- Gas leak in the catering kitchen piping
Correct answer: Gas-fired make-up air units bringing in large volumes of unconditioned outdoor air through kitchen exhaust replacement
Commercial kitchens require large make-up air volumes to replace exhaust air; gas-fired make-up air units condition this outdoor air and can cause significant gas consumption spikes during catering operations.
CEM Event Operations Management 2
During a large convention, the facility's chiller plant is operating at 95% capacity.
What is the most effective immediate action for an energy manager?