MODULE 6

Activity submission
Learning outcomes:

LO4: Recommend energy-saving measures.

LO5: Draft an energy audit report.

Name:
1. Instructions and guidelines (Read carefully)
Guidelines
1. There are 8 pages and 1 question in this assignment.

2. Make sure that you have carefully read and fully understood the questions before
answering them. Answer the questions fully but concisely and as directly as possible.
Follow all specific instructions for individual questions (e.g. “list”, “in point form”).

3. Answer all questions in your own words. Do not copy any text from the notes, readings,
or other sources. The assignment must be your own work only.

Plagiarism declaration:

1. I know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is to use another’s work and pretend that
it is one’s own.

2. This assignment is my own work.

3. I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of
passing it off as his or her own work.

4. I acknowledge that copying someone else’s assignment (or part of it) is wrong and
declare that my assignments are my own work.

2. Mark allocation
The question is worth 30 marks. However, you will only receive a final percentage mark and
will not be given individual marks for the sections of the question. Use the grading rubric to
see how marks will be allocated.

3. Case study and question

Case study
A large hotel group notices that one of its hotels has significantly higher energy costs than the
rest. The hotel manager is tasked with reducing the costs. He approaches an energy

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management company that promptly sells him an online metering system so that he can see
the energy use of different loads throughout the hotel as well as the total energy consumption
for the loads. Six months after the metering is put into place, the manager notices that the
monthly bills have not come down.

You have been asked to analyse the hotel’s energy use for the month of June and present your
findings. After meeting the hotel management and establishing an audit mandate, you begin
a walk-through of the hotel and its facilities with the maintenance manager and note some of
your findings as follows:

• Metering exists for the whole hotel, the HVAC system, and the hot water system.
Apart from these two large consumers (HVAC and hot water system), most of the
energy use is thought to be for lighting.

• The hot water system consists of five 40,000-litre tanks with electric heating
elements. Hot water circulation pumps ensure that water is circulated throughout the
hotel’s hot water ring main (a circulation system to ensure that hot water is always
available near each point of use). There are areas where the system’s piping is not
well insulated.

• The lighting in the passages, bathrooms, lobbies, common areas, and parking areas
are all controlled by timer switches.

• The lighting throughout the hotel consists of relatively old technologies: old-design
fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps.

• The cleaning staff sometimes leaves the air conditioning on and the windows open
after they have cleaned a room. They do not seem to be aware of the consequences
of this on energy use.

• Some rooms have the air conditioning left on a very low temperature while nobody is
in the room.

• The plant room (containing the HVAC equipment) has not been cleaned for some
time, and the air filters and chiller condensers are visibly dirty.

• In general, it seems as if no technology changes have been made since the hotel was
built.

• No staff member has been given the responsibility of managing energy as one of their
key performance areas. Everybody has just been told to save energy generally in any
way they can.

• Throughout any given month, hotel occupancy is highly variable, but a month of
average occupancy data has been provided for analysis.

The energy use of the whole hotel, as well as of each individual major metered system, was
averaged for the month of June, and the data is presented in the following four graphs. Each
time slot represents the energy used for the previous half hour. For example, the period
“00:30” represents the energy used from 00:00 to 00:30, and so on.

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The total daily energy data versus daily occupancy for the past 6 months is as follows:

Question
Based on the findings above, you are required to draft the energy audit report. You only need
to compile the following sections:

• Executive summary: Include the audit objectives, key findings, and four
recommended energy-saving options ranked according to what should be
implemented first. (Max. 250 words)

• Energy use analysis: Identify and explain energy use trends for total energy
consumption and demand, as well as the three major energy-consuming systems at
the hotel (HVAC, hot water, and other). Be sure to also comment on the energy use
of the hotel as a function of occupancy. (Max. 250 words)

• Energy-saving options and recommendations: Include at least six recommendations

for energy saving. These need to be presented logically, with the no- and low-cost
options ranked before the more costly interventions. Note that you do not need to

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 provide any cost calculations in your answers. Instead, use the knowledge you have
gained throughout the course to identify energy-saving measures based on the
scenario.

Start writing here:

Executive summary:

An energy audit was conducted on a hotel that has significantly higher energy costs than
other hotels in its group. The objective of the audit was to identify areas of improvement
together with collected data from the hotels metering system to enable energy cost
saving.

The key findings of the metering allowed one to make deductions of the demand profile
for a typical day in the month of June for various areas like HVAC, Hot water, lighting and
total energy. The data for the past six months allowed one to make deductions on average
occupancy profile and the usages as the occupancy increase. General findings include:

1) Hot water piping areas that are not well insulated;

2) Old Lighting technology with some areas utilising timers;

3) Staff members not adequately aware of their actions and consequences and energy
management is not a part of their key performance areas;

4) Air conditioning left on low temperature settings when no occupancy;

5) HVAC air filters and condensers were visibly dirty.

In general the following four suggestions to enable some savings and efficiency can be
implemented:

1) Create Staff awareness on methods to be energy efficient and the impact they have
(stimulate a culture change);
2) Clean HVAC filters and chiller condensers, this will induce efficiency of the system
and lower the energy consumption;
3) Switch from older light technologies to new LED type technologies;
4) Utilise motion sensors on the air conditioning systems in the room and some lighting
in some areas.

Energy Use Analysis:

There is Energy Metering currently for the entire hotel focusing on the HVAC system and the
Hot Water system. The remaining energy utilized is assumed to be allocated for lighting.

The total daily energy data versus daily occupancy for the past 6 months is shown in Figure 1
below.

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 Figure 1: Total Hotel Energy Data Over 6 months vs Occupancy

As expected one sees that as the occupancy increases the daily energy consumption increases.
The graph also indicates the highest concentration of occupancy range between 0 and 400
before it starts to spread out. This can assist to determine expected average peak demand
periods.

Total Energy Use:

Figure 2: Total Hotel Energy Use Averaged over June and Presented half-hourly to represent usage
for a Day

Total Energy use for Hot Water:

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 Figure 3: Total Hotel Energy Use for Hot Water Averaged over June and Presented half-hourly to
represent usage for a Day

Total Energy use for HVAC:

Figure 4: Total Hotel Energy Use for HVAC Averaged over June and Presented half-hourly to
represent usage for a Day

Total Energy use for all other loads including Lighting on timers:

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 Figure 5: Total Hotel Energy Use for HVAC Averaged over June and Presented half-hourly to
represent usage for a Day

The trends of the energy use shows the demand periods for an average day in June. The trends
indicate:

• In general Figures’ 2-5: The demand starts to increase as guest start to wake up, and
morning activities such as guests showering, aircon use and cooking takes place. The
trend starts to increase from 15:30, this could be attributed to increase in HVAC
demand, increased lighting as well as evening preparations such as cooking and hot
water use for showering.
• Figure 2 and 3: Demand between 08:30-15:30 is stable indicative of guests probably
going out for the day and for general activities.
• Figure 4: The HVAC stabilises from 06:30 to 11:30 and increases again sharply
thereafter as the temperature of the day would be around its maximum. This
stabilizes until 19:30 and the demand decreases thereafter as the ambient
temperature decreases and guests retire for the evening.
• Figure 5: The demand decreases as natural lighting increases from 07:30 and further
at 10:30. As the ambient lighting changes the demand for lighting increases from
15:30. This again decreases from 21:30 as guests retire for the evening.

Energy-saving options and recommendations:

Metering is simply not enough to enable energy savings. The data collected needs to be
utilised to determine various interventions that can be introduced. These will be
calculated and review to provide potential savings, initial investment costs and payback
periods. In general the following could be suggested to enable some savings and
efficiency:

1) No Cost contributions:
a. Create Staff awareness on methods to be energy efficient and the impact
they have (stimulate a culture change). For example educate staff on the
HAV demands and the effects of not turning off aircons when the rooms

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 aren’t utilised or when windows are open. Encourage staff to report faults
such as leaks. Introduce energy saving as part of the employee KPI (key
performance indicators)
b. Clean (periodically) HVAC filters and chiller condensers, this will induce
efficiency of the system and lower the energy consumption.
c. Based on occupancy data, one could negotiate the best suited tariff plans,
even though the occupancy is variable the data can allow one to be fairly
close.
2) Minor to moderate cost contributions:
a. Change from timer set lighting to sensor (movement) lighting in the
passages, bathrooms, lobbies, common areas, and parking areas. This will
allow for lighting demand to decrease as lighting in these areas would only
be operational should the area have occupancy.
b. Insulate identified pipework on the hot water system to reduce energy
losses.
c. Ensure periodic maintenance of HVAC and hot water systems to ensure
leaks and defects that lead to energy losses are dealt with.
d. Switch from older light technologies to new LED type technologies. This will
lower the energy demand and associated costs.
e. Switch to water efficient water fittings like water efficient shower heads and
taps. This will have a positive effect on water demand as well as hot water
demand which in turn would promote energy savings.
f. Utilise motion sensors on the air conditioning systems in the room, should
there be no occupancy the air con use can be set to be terminated or
cooling load reduced. This may have a moderate initial cost if current HVAC
systems are incompatible or need to be upgraded.

All of the above recommendations would contribute positively to energy saving and would
have a cost saving component especially when the payback periods are past.

4. Rubric
The following rubric will be used to grade your submission:

Unsatisfactory Limited Accomplished Exceptional

Executive summary No submission. There is minimal There is sufficient There is critical

engagement with engagement with the and thorough
Answer critically OR
the module content. module content. engagement with
engages with the
Answer fails to the module content.
module content and The audit objectives The audit objectives
outline the audit
outlines the audit and key findings are and key findings are The audit objectives
objectives, key
objectives, key unclear. Some adequately and key findings are
findings from the
findings from the recommendations described. clearly described.
audit, and
audit, and the top are identified but are
recommended Recommendations Recommendations
recommended unrealistic and not
energy-saving are provided and are are provided and are
energy-saving ranked according to
options. (0) mostly realistic, and a realistic, and they are
options. what would be best
fair attempt has been ranked according to
what would be best

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 to implement first. made to rank them. to implement first.
(2) (4) (6)

Energy use analysis No submission. Answer Answer Answers

demonstrates demonstrates demonstrate
Answer clearly refers OR
some engagement sufficient excellent
to the case study, and
Answer fails to with the case study. engagement with engagement with
summarises energy
mention any trends the case study. the case study.
consumption. Trends However, trends
for total demand,
are noted for total have not been An attempt has been Trends have been
each individual load,
demand, each adequately explained made to identify and identified, and good
or occupancy. (0)
individual load, and based on total explain trends in the explanations have
energy use based on demand, individual data for total been provided for
occupancy. load (HVAC, hot demand and total demand and
water, and other individual loads. individual loads.
loads including Energy use based on Energy use based on
lighting). occupancy has been occupancy has been
adequately critically analysed.
No reference has
described. (8) (12)
been made to
occupancy. (4)

Energy-saving No submission. Answer provides two Answer provides five Answer provides six
measures and to five to six excellent
OR
recommendations recommendations recommendations recommendations
Answer fails to that could refer to that refer to the case that clearly relate to
Answer clearly refers
provide at least six the case study. study. the case study.
to the case study and
recommendations,
provides at least six However, the ranking An adequate attempt The
and no attempt has
recommendations. of recommendations has been made to recommendations
been made to rank
These is not done with no- rank the have been logically
the options. (0)
recommendations are and low-cost options recommendations ranked with no- and
ranked with the no- presented first. (4) with no- and low-cost low-cost options
and low-cost options options presented presented first. (12)
presented first, and first. (8)
the ranking reflects
what is
recommended in the
executive summary.

Total: 30 marks

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