Energy Audits
Generally, if your energy spend is less than 100,000 Euro, the audit is 100% covered by an SEAI program.
Most of our day to day is performing energy audits / energy balance studies in large organisations (Turnover > 50 million Euro) that are used for compliance under S.I. No. 426/2014. We have good experience over a wide range of industrial and commercial sectors. e.g. animal feed mills, building products manufacturing, warehousing, data centres, commercial buildings, large retail, 5 star hotels, swimming pools to name just a few.
Other studies can be performed to identify energy saving opportunities and help companies on their energy efficiency or net zero journey.
The following is a small extract from part of our audit database. Press refresh to see a different entry.
Energy Consumption
Electricity is billed over three meters, off-license (includes Keg room), Downstairs Lounge and Bar, and the 2nd and third floors (Function room and Restaurant). The total electricity used by the 3 meters is 148,050 kWh (equivalent usage of 35 Irish houses), divided up as follows;
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| Energy Consumption |
Air Handling Units with gas burners supply heated fresh air into the premises. AC units connected to ceiling ducts then bring the temperature to the setpoint in a particular area. (This can lead to providing heating and cooling into the same area.)
Hot water for taps is via a gas fired cylinder in a room at the back of the service yard.
- There is no heat recovery on expelled air. Fresh air being added at 100% for all areas (including the upstairs during the week when it is unoccupied) for the full opening hours. The thermal wheel is recovering about 80% of heat in expelled air, BUT excessive air is being exchanged. More than 25% of the site electricity and nearly 50% of the gas use is from this unit alone. It is recommended that the use is drastically reduced through manual intervention in the short term and automatic controls in the medium term.
- There are good in-line beer coolers installed, there may be an opportunity to completely turn off the beer cold store during the day and rely on night rate electricity to pre-cool the beer at night (particularly in winter).
The following projects are recommended:
- Add CO2 sensors to the Air Handling controller, using setpoints (e.g. 800 ppm) to turn the units ON (or ramp UP) for a specified amount of time. This will have the effect of holding out the units until fresh air is actually required.
- Rebalance system so that only the required amount of fresh air is delivered to the unoccupied storage areas - Use motorised dampers to turn off air to the upstairs during days when the area is unused.
- Prioritise using the Split AC system for heating, this is more efficient than gas heating via the air handling.
- Investigate if the keg room can be turned off during quiet days and use the in-line chiller to provide 100% of beer chilling as needed.
- Replace gas rings and grill with induction equivalent in the kitchen. Rings and Grill is being left on.
Generally we find energy savings of many multiples of the report cost. e.g. an energy audit for a large user typically identifies reasonably easy to achieve savings in the order of 25,000 Euro, but sometimes much more.