Energy audit is an energy examination of objects aiming to determine efficiency of their use of energy resources and develop recommendations to reduce the cost of energy consumption.
An energy audit report is the result of such examination. It is prepared by a certified specialist and allows the owner to plan activities on energy efficiency measures in the facility.
Implementing individual measures in facilities without prior analysis and planning is ineffective. Therefore, the main value of the energy audit report is to provide a justified analysis of effectiveness of energy use by the facility, estimate energy saving potential and develop a sequencing plan for implementation of energy efficiency measures, which may be used without hesitation to reduce energy consumption at the facility.
The energy audit report includes the sequence of measures to be implemented, which allows the owner to correctly plan individual measures in the absence of sufficient funding.
In addition, the energy audit specialist recommends low-cost measures that an owner may not be aware of. Yet, they may result in significant energy cost savings without significant investment at the initial stage.
In 2017, the Law of Ukraine «On Energy Efficiency of Buildings» was adopted. This law aims to attain energy efficiency of buildings and reduce energy consumption by buildings. The law regulates the process of energy efficiency certification of buildings.
Energy efficiency certification is a type of energy audit, which includes analysis of information on the actual or design characteristics of the building envelope and engineering systems, assessment of compliance of the calculated value of the building’s energy efficiency with normative energy efficiency requirements. It provides recommendations how to increase energy efficiency of buildings, taking into account local climatic conditions, and being technically and economically reasonable.