Energy Audit

The Energy Audit is an in-depth analysis of the energy consumption applicable to a building, industrial plant or production process, with the aim of identifying inefficiencies and proposing energy redevelopment measures. In building decarbonisation strategies, the energy audit is a fundamental tool for understanding a building’s energy performance status and identifying opportunities for improvement both in terms of reducing consumption and optimising the way energy is used.

Energy Diagnosis is the first step in building decarbonisation strategies.

Greenwich’s Green & Healthy Building Business Unit performs the specialist service of Energy Audit or Energy Diagnosis, as part of strategic consultancy for the reduction of carbon emissions in residential, office, industrial and service sector buildings.

Professionals:

Greenwich employs Energy Management Experts (EGEs) on its staff, who assess in detail the actual consumption of a building in use, insulation characteristics, heating and cooling systems, lighting and motive power systems, and identify the best opportunities for energy efficiency, using different energy modelling software and tools depending on the purpose, ultimately that of achieving carbon neutrality.

Objectives:

  • to define the actual state of the building from an energy-performance point of view;
  • to prepare a model capable of describing the energy behaviour of the building envelope in relation to the climatic context in which it is inserted and with which it interacts, as well as taking into account the quantities that influence specific consumption such as operating conditions, crowding, building and system use profiles;
  • estimate its energy requirements for winter and summer air conditioning using calculation procedures capable of allowing both qualitative and quantitative assessments;
  • identify energy upgrading interventions to be promoted to increase the building’s energy efficiency.

Phases:

  • the collection of data on the site under investigation and its activity, as well as existing energy consumption;
  • the on-site visit to the production unit/building to examine the data characteristic of the site and the activity carried out therein, to analyse the use of energy vectors (electricity, methane gas, diesel oil, etc.), to detect the technical data and utilisation parameters of all the electrical, thermal and refrigeration utilities present (power, hourly requirements/consumption, utilisation factor, working hours, etc.) and to carry out monitoring activities;
  • the analysis and processing of the data collected to create a model for the breakdown of the site’s consumption by type of service (production activities or services such as compressed air, lighting, heating, air conditioning, etc.), by cost centre and/or by department and finally to construct Energy Performance Indices (IPE);
  • proposal of energy requalification interventions that may concern the reduction of electricity requirements or thermal/refrigeration demand, improving the control and management of plants and/or replacing old technologies with more efficient alternatives.

When to request an energy diagnosis

In case of renovation or new installation of thermal systems with a nominal heat output of the generator greater than or equal to 100 kW;
In the presence of obliged parties: ‘large enterprises’ and ‘energy-intensive enterprises’, which pursuant to Article 8 of Legislative Decree 102/2014, by 5 December 2015 and every 4 years thereafter, are obliged to carry out an Energy Diagnosis by uploading the documentation on ENEA’s dedicated portal. This obligation does not apply to large companies that have adopted Management Systems compliant with UNI CEI EN ISO 50001 including a diagnosis in accordance with Annex II of Legislative Decree 102/2014).

Energy Diagnosis, definition and reference legislation

The legislative framework is based on Legislative Decree 102/2014* which defines an energy diagnosis as a: ‘Systematic procedure aimed at obtaining adequate knowledge of the energy consumption profile of a building or group of buildings, an industrial or commercial activity or facility, or public or private services, at identifying and quantifying cost-benefit energy-saving opportunities, and at reporting on the results.’

Implementation of Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency, amending Directives 2009/125/EC and 2010/30/EU and repealing Directives 2004/8/EC and 2006/32/EC.