Certified Energy Auditor Certification Energy Audit Process 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which field measurement technique is used to determine the thermal resistance of an existing wall assembly without destructive testing?
- Infrared thermography combined with heat flux meter (Correct answer)
- Blower door pressurization test
- Duct leakage pressurization test
- Ultrasonic thickness gauge
Correct answer: Infrared thermography combined with heat flux meter
A calibrated heat flux meter measures heat flow through a wall section while infrared thermography identifies thermal anomalies, together allowing in-situ R-value calculation.
Question 2: In energy auditing, what does the term 'Energy Use Intensity' (EUI) represent?
- Peak demand in kilowatts per square foot
- Annual energy consumption per unit of floor area (kBtu/sf/yr) (Correct answer)
- Monthly utility cost per occupant
- Ratio of cooling to heating energy use
Correct answer: Annual energy consumption per unit of floor area (kBtu/sf/yr)
EUI normalizes a building's total annual energy consumption by its gross floor area, enabling comparison across similar building types.
Question 3: A facility has a power factor of 0.72. What corrective measure should an energy auditor recommend?
- Install variable frequency drives on all motors
- Add power factor correction capacitors (Correct answer)
- Replace fluorescent lamps with LEDs
- Reduce HVAC supply air temperature
Correct answer: Add power factor correction capacitors
Capacitor banks counteract the inductive reactive power from motors and transformers, raising power factor closer to unity and reducing utility demand charges.
Question 4: During duct leakage testing, a total duct leakage of 25% of system airflow is measured. Which consequence is most directly associated with this finding?
- Increased water heater standby losses
- Conditioned air delivered to unconditioned spaces, wasting heating/cooling energy (Correct answer)
- Higher lighting power density
- Reduced domestic hot water temperature
Correct answer: Conditioned air delivered to unconditioned spaces, wasting heating/cooling energy
Duct leakage in unconditioned spaces (attics, crawlspaces) means conditioned air never reaches occupied zones, directly increasing HVAC energy consumption.
Question 5: What is the main advantage of using an electrical sub-meter during an energy audit compared to relying solely on utility bills?
- It eliminates the need for equipment nameplate data
- It isolates energy use by system or end-use for precise savings calculations (Correct answer)
- It automatically adjusts for weather normalization
- It measures fuel combustion efficiency
Correct answer: It isolates energy use by system or end-use for precise savings calculations
Sub-metering disaggregates total building energy into end-uses (lighting, HVAC, plug loads), enabling auditors to target the highest-impact measures accurately.
Question 6: Which occupancy-related factor should an auditor collect to properly normalize energy consumption for comparison purposes?
- Number of parking spaces
- Annual operating hours and occupant density (Correct answer)
- Aesthetic finish materials used
- Age of the building permit
Correct answer: Annual operating hours and occupant density
Operating hours and occupant density directly drive plug loads, lighting schedules, and HVAC demand, making them essential for accurate normalization and benchmarking.
Question 7: An auditor identifies a steam trap that is continuously passing steam (failed open). What is the primary energy impact?
- Increased boiler combustion air requirements
- Continuous live steam waste, increasing boiler fuel consumption (Correct answer)
- Reduced domestic hot water temperature
- Higher chilled water loop pressure drop
Correct answer: Continuous live steam waste, increasing boiler fuel consumption
A failed-open steam trap allows live steam to bypass the condensate return continuously, wasting significant boiler fuel to regenerate that steam.
Certified Energy Auditor Certification Energy Audit Process 3
Which field measurement technique is used to determine the thermal resistance of an existing wall assembly without destructive testing?