Certified Energy Auditor Certification Data Collection and Analysis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which instrument is used to measure the airtightness of a building envelope?
- Blower door (Correct answer)
- Combustion analyzer
- Pyranometer
- Infrared thermometer
Correct answer: Blower door
A blower door depressurizes the building to measure air leakage through the envelope.
Question 2: What does a lighting power density (LPD) calculation require?
- Total wattage of fixtures divided by floor area (Correct answer)
- Lamp lumens multiplied by ballast factor
- Number of fixtures multiplied by hours of operation
- Voltage times current divided by power factor
Correct answer: Total wattage of fixtures divided by floor area
LPD is expressed in watts per square foot and equals total connected wattage divided by the conditioned floor area served.
Question 3: When benchmarking a facility's energy use, which metric normalizes consumption across buildings of different sizes?
- Energy Use Intensity (EUI) (Correct answer)
- Peak demand (kW)
- Annual energy cost ($)
- Load factor (%)
Correct answer: Energy Use Intensity (EUI)
EUI divides annual energy consumption by gross floor area, enabling fair cross-building comparisons.
Question 4: A chiller log shows entering condenser water temperature consistently 5°F above design. What analytical step should an auditor take first?
- Compare actual vs. design cooling tower performance curves (Correct answer)
- Replace the chiller refrigerant charge
- Reduce chilled water set point
- Increase condenser pump speed
Correct answer: Compare actual vs. design cooling tower performance curves
Elevated condenser water temperature usually indicates cooling tower degradation, so comparing actual vs. design tower performance is the correct diagnostic step.
Question 5: Which data source provides historical utility billing intervals that help identify demand spikes?
- Interval data from the utility meter (Correct answer)
- ASHRAE 90.1 tables
- Equipment nameplate data
- ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager baseline
Correct answer: Interval data from the utility meter
Utility interval (15-minute or hourly) meter data captures the demand profile needed to identify peak demand events.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of a degree-day analysis in energy auditing?
- Normalize energy consumption for weather variation across years (Correct answer)
- Calculate peak thermal loads for HVAC sizing
- Determine equipment runtime in summer months only
- Estimate lighting energy use independent of occupancy
Correct answer: Normalize energy consumption for weather variation across years
Degree-day normalization adjusts utility data for heating and cooling weather differences, enabling year-over-year comparisons.
Question 7: During a walk-through audit, an auditor notices motor nameplate data shows 460V/3-phase but the panel schedule lists 480V. What should be recorded?
- The voltage discrepancy as a potential efficiency and reliability concern (Correct answer)
- Only the panel schedule voltage as authoritative
- A recommendation to replace all motors immediately
- Nothing, because 460V and 480V motors are interchangeable without concern
Correct answer: The voltage discrepancy as a potential efficiency and reliability concern
Voltage mismatches can affect motor performance and longevity, so both values should be documented and flagged for investigation.
