English - Covenant of Mayors

8. Energy audits ( 68 ) and measurementsThe purpose of Energy Audits is to perform an analysisof energy flows in buildings or processes that allowsunderstanding how efficient the use of energy is.In addition, it should propose corrective measures in thoseareas with poor energy performance. The characteristicsof the building or equipment to be audited, as well as theenergy consumption and performance data, are collectedby means of surveys, measurements or energyconsumption bills provided by utilities and operatorsor simulations performed, using validated software.As measurement and data acquisition are an importantissue in energy-efficiency projects, the way to do it hasto be planned in advance. More information on energymeasurements can be found on the IPMVP webpagewww.evo-world.org. Once these data are collected andcorrectly analysed, it is possible to propose correctivemeasures aimed at improving the energy efficiency ofthe building/installation. The outcomes of energy auditsshould at least be:• identification and quantification of energy-savingpotentials;• energy-efficiency corrective/improvement measurerecommendations;• quantification of investments to improve energyefficiencyeffectiveness;• a plan/programme to implement measures.The energy audit is the first step before taking thefinal decision on which type of measures will be takenin order to increase the energy efficiency. Regardlessof measures, an energy audit can reveal bad energyconsumption practices.From the point of view of energy efficiency, showingenergy consumption and progress to people hasan awareness effect that can lead to additional saving,due to the change of behaviour.During the decision process of the financing scheme(i.e. programmatic carbon crediting – financing schemeschapter), the method used to measure savings or energyproduced plays an essential role. In fact, this can bea requirement from the bank or fund to access financing.Moreover, when a project is based on an ESCO scheme,the contract should clearly specify how the energy will bemeasured (heat, electricity or both) and the paymentdeadlines and penalisation are based on thesemeasurements. In addition, monitoring the energyconsumption/savings allow investors and engineeringoffices to check the accuracy of forecasts and implementcorrective measures in case of non-expected deviations.25(68) Further information and guidelines are available on the GreenBuilding Webpagehttp://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/energyefficiency/greenbuilding/pdf%20greenbuilding/GBP%20Audit%20Guidelines%20final.pdf