Energy Audit is a vital link in the entire management chain. Energy audit is an effective tool in defining and pursuing comprehensive energy management programmes. It has a positive approach aiming at continuous improvement in energy utilisation in contrast to financial audit which stresses to maintain regularity. Energy audit provides answers to the question – what to do, where to start, at what cost and for what benefits?
Energy audit helps in energy cost optimization, pollution control, safety aspects and suggests the methods to improve the operating and maintenance practices of the system. It is instrumental in coping with the situation of variation in energy cost availability, reliability of energy supply, decision on appropriate energy mix, decision on using improved energy conservation equipment, instrumentations and technology.
It has been established that energy saving of the order of 15 to 30% is possible by optimising use of energy by better housekeeping, low cost retrofitting measures and use of energy efficient equipment at the time of replacements. Indian industry consumes more energy as compared to its counterparts in the developed countries.
The energy audit provides the vital information base for the overall energy conservation programme covering essentially energy utilization analysis and evaluation of energy conservation measures.