Certified Energy Auditor Certification Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield Certified Energy Auditor Certification facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. During a duct pressurization test, a technician measures 15% duct leakage to outside. What is the primary energy impact of this finding? → Conditioned air is lost directly to the exterior, increasing heating and cooling loads
2. Which lighting metric measures the total luminous flux emitted per watt of electrical power consumed? → Luminous efficacy
3. What does a savings-to-investment ratio (SIR) greater than 1.0 indicate about an energy project? → The project's discounted savings exceed its discounted costs
4. What is the purpose of a bypass factor in coil selection? → Fraction of air that bypasses the coil without being conditioned
5. What does a low superheat reading at the evaporator coil of a direct-expansion cooling system typically indicate? → The system is overcharged or the expansion valve is feeding too much refrigerant
6. When evaluating a small wind turbine for a facility, what is the generally accepted minimum average annual wind speed for a viable installation? → 5 m/s (11.2 mph)
7. An energy auditor finds that a building's electricity consumption drops significantly on weekends. This pattern most likely indicates: → Process or occupancy-related loads that cease during non-business hours
8. Which HVAC system type is generally most efficient for buildings with highly variable zone loads? → Variable air volume (VAV) with DDC controls
9. What is the primary advantage of a variable air volume (VAV) system compared to a constant air volume (CAV) system in commercial buildings? → Reduced fan energy consumption at partial loads
10. A performance contract (ESPC) shifts the financial risk of energy savings shortfalls to the: → Energy Service Company (ESCO)
11. In a hot climate, which roof strategy provides the greatest reduction in cooling load? → Installing a white or light-colored reflective roof coating
12. Which transformer type produces the lowest no-load (core) losses for distribution to lighting panels? → Amorphous core transformer
13. For a tax-paying entity, the after-tax annual savings from an energy project are calculated by: → Multiplying gross savings by (1 − marginal tax rate)
14. Which metric is used to evaluate the seasonal cooling efficiency of a central air conditioning system? → SEER – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio
15. Which inverter technology is best suited for maximizing energy harvest when individual PV panels may experience partial shading? → Microinverter or DC power optimizer
16. Which type of expansion device provides the best refrigeration system efficiency at varying loads? → Electronic expansion valve (EEV)
17. Which benchmarking tool is most commonly used by energy auditors in the US to compare a building's energy performance against similar facilities? → ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
18. When performing a lighting audit, what does a field-measured 'luminaire dirt depreciation' (LDD) factor below 0.85 suggest? → Fixtures have not been cleaned per the recommended maintenance schedule
19. What is the primary limitation of using simple payback period as the sole criterion for evaluating energy conservation measures? → It ignores the time value of money and savings beyond the payback period
20. Which energy conservation measure (ECM) typically offers the greatest ROI in a large industrial steam system? → Steam trap repair and replacement program
21. Which thermal imaging condition is most likely to produce accurate results when scanning a building envelope for insulation defects? → When there is at least a 10°F temperature difference between indoors and outdoors
22. A steam trap survey reveals 15% of traps are failed-open. What does this indicate for the energy audit? → Live steam is blowing through, causing direct energy loss
23. What is the primary risk of performing air sealing work without addressing combustion safety in a home with atmospheric-vented appliances? → Backdrafting of combustion gases including carbon monoxide into the living space
24. What is the recommended minimum outdoor air ventilation standard that energy auditors reference for commercial HVAC systems in the United States? → ASHRAE Standard 62.1
25. Which control strategy is most effective for reducing energy consumption in a multi-zone HVAC system experiencing simultaneous heating and cooling? → Resetting supply air temperature based on zone demands
26. Which FEMP (Federal Energy Management Program) metric ranks energy projects when budgets are limited and multiple projects compete for funding? → Savings-to-Investment Ratio (SIR)
27. In a rotary screw compressor, what is the role of the oil separator? → Remove lubricating oil from the compressed air before it leaves the compressor
28. When sizing a VFD for a motor retrofit, what minimum rating should the VFD have relative to the motor's nameplate horsepower? → Equal to motor nameplate hp
29. In lighting retrofit analysis, simple payback period is calculated as: → Installed cost divided by annual energy cost savings
30. What is the most common kind of loss in an AC motor at full load? → Resistive losses