Practice Test Geeks(CPACE) Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Practice Test
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Efficiency Improvements Flashcards

7 cards from real CPACE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Efficiency Improvements flashcards as text

  1. Under CPACE financing, which building system upgrade typically delivers the fastest simple payback period?

    Answer: Lighting retrofit to LED

    LED lighting retrofits typically achieve payback periods of 2–4 years due to large wattage reductions and low installation costs.

  2. A commercial building owner uses CPACE to finance a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) on HVAC fans. The primary energy benefit of a VFD is:

    Answer: It reduces motor energy use by matching speed to actual load demand

    VFDs reduce energy consumption by slowing motor speed when full airflow isn't needed, following the affinity law where power drops with the cube of speed reduction.

  3. Which CPACE-eligible measure directly reduces a building's peak demand charge on its utility bill?

    Answer: Battery energy storage systems (BESS)

    Battery storage systems discharge during peak demand periods, reducing the measured peak kW that drives demand charges on commercial utility bills.

  4. An energy audit for a CPACE project identifies 'plug loads' as a significant waste source. Which measure addresses plug load efficiency?

    Answer: Installing smart power strips and advanced power management

    Smart power strips eliminate phantom loads from equipment in standby mode, directly reducing plug load energy waste.

  5. In a CPACE efficiency project, what does 'commissioning' refer to?

    Answer: The process of verifying installed systems operate as designed to achieve projected savings

    Commissioning (Cx) is a quality-assurance process ensuring that energy systems are installed, tested, and operating per design specifications to deliver projected savings.

  6. A CPACE project finances a building envelope upgrade. Which metric best quantifies the thermal performance of insulation installed?

    Answer: R-value

    R-value measures thermal resistance of insulation — higher R-value means greater resistance to heat flow and better insulating performance.

  7. When sizing a CPACE-financed chiller replacement, engineers use 'ton-hours' to measure:

    Answer: Cooling energy delivered over time, used to calculate efficiency and cost savings

    Ton-hours represent the cumulative cooling energy provided (1 ton = 12,000 BTU/hr), used to calculate annual energy consumption and project savings.