Certified Energy Auditor Certification Certified Energy Auditor Data Collection and Analysis Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When conducting a preliminary energy audit, which data source is most critical for establishing a building's baseline energy consumption?
- Utility billing history for at least 12 months (Correct answer)
- A single month's peak demand reading
- The building's original design specifications
- Occupant survey responses
Correct answer: Utility billing history for at least 12 months
A minimum of 12 months of utility bills captures seasonal variations and establishes an accurate baseline for energy consumption analysis.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of normalizing energy data using heating degree days (HDD) and cooling degree days (CDD)?
- To compare energy performance across different climate zones
- To account for weather variations when comparing energy use across different periods (Correct answer)
- To calculate the R-value of building insulation
- To determine the correct HVAC equipment sizing
Correct answer: To account for weather variations when comparing energy use across different periods
Degree day normalization removes the effect of weather differences so energy use can be fairly compared across months or years.
Question 3: During a walk-through energy audit, an auditor measures lighting power density at 1.8 W/sq ft in an office space. According to ASHRAE 90.1, the allowance is 0.82 W/sq ft. What does this indicate?
- The lighting system is operating within acceptable parameters
- There is a significant energy conservation opportunity in lighting (Correct answer)
- The measurement equipment is likely miscalibrated
- The space requires additional lighting fixtures
Correct answer: There is a significant energy conservation opportunity in lighting
A lighting power density more than double the ASHRAE 90.1 allowance indicates substantial potential for energy savings through lighting upgrades.
Question 4: Which regression analysis technique is most commonly used to develop a baseline energy model from utility data?
- Polynomial regression with five variables
- Three-parameter change-point model (Correct answer)
- Logistic regression analysis
- Neural network modeling
Correct answer: Three-parameter change-point model
The three-parameter change-point model effectively captures the relationship between energy use and outdoor temperature, including the balance point where heating or cooling begins.
Question 5: An energy auditor collects interval meter data showing 15-minute demand readings. What analysis is best performed with this granularity of data?
- Annual energy cost estimation
- Identification of base load and peak demand patterns (Correct answer)
- Calculation of annual degree days
- Estimation of building envelope R-values
Correct answer: Identification of base load and peak demand patterns
Fifteen-minute interval data reveals detailed load profiles that identify base load, peak demand timing, and potential demand reduction opportunities.
Question 6: When performing an energy balance on a commercial building, the sum of all end-use energy estimates accounts for only 72% of the metered total. What should the auditor do first?
- Accept the result since 72% is close enough for audit purposes
- Report the discrepancy as unaccounted-for energy without further investigation
- Re-examine the largest energy end uses and verify measurement assumptions (Correct answer)
- Increase all end-use estimates proportionally to reach 100%
Correct answer: Re-examine the largest energy end uses and verify measurement assumptions
A 28% discrepancy exceeds acceptable tolerance, so the auditor should first recheck the largest end uses where measurement errors would have the greatest impact.
