Energy efficiency means utilizing less amount of energy to supply the equivalent degree of energy service.

Energy efficiency audits are generally done in plants. It might be carried out in a household as well, but these are generally done by individuals, whereas plants or factories tend to be more concerned as these energy expenditures eat into their all-important quarterly financial reports.

Conducting audits are a crucial way to conserve. Some of the major benefits of conducting and energy audit include:

• You will be able to maintain the energy consumption of the plant within standard and specified laws;
• You can maintain and report correct energy usage trends;
• You can then accordingly train an Energy Manager for your plant to be responsible for taking care of maintaining energy efficiency in the plant;
• You can lower your overall energy expenditures;
• You can also recover your investment in the plant much faster as utility bill savings itself will account for a lot of your savings;
• You can achieve better maintenance and lower downtime;
• You can increase your production rate and get a better quality as well;
• You will be obviously lowering overall emission levels and helping fight global warming.

Energy efficiency audits are typically performed as a result of suddenly high energy costs. It is important to determine the appropriate requirement of energy consumption and to discover where or how to reduce energy-related expenses. An audit will also help you identify energy conservation equipment, technologies and measures that can be taken in order to reduce costs.An energy efficiency audit generally covers the following:

• All operations, processes, products and plants in the organization under study
• All forms of Energy – mechanical, electrical and thermal
• Operational efficiency of diesel generator sets, turbo generator sets and utilization of power from the electricity supply authority
• Evaluation of different components of the electrical network like transformers, motors, capacitors and the distribution network.
• Study of utility equipment like air compressors, fans, pumps, blowers, air-conditioning and refrigeration, evaporative cooling, cooling towers, lighting, boilers, furnaces, thermal fluid heaters, etc.
• Study of combined heat and power

In the end, an energy efficiency audit leads to better energy balance, better balance of mass and heat, an establishment of specific energy consumption, and an identification of opportunities for energy efficiency.