BASICS OF ENERGY
MANAGEMENT
Section A - Energy Basics
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Basics of Energy Management
These resource materials were developed by the
Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center at the
University of Louisville for KEEPS – Kentucky
Energy Efficiency Programs for Schools – with
support from the U.S. Department of Energy, and
the Kentucky Department for Energy Development
and Independence.
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Basics of Energy Management
Electricity Units
Watt (W)
Electrical unit of power
Kilowatt (kW)
Unit of power equivalent to 1,000 watts of electrical
demand
Kilowatt-hour (kWh)
Amount of energy consumed when 1,000 watts are used
for one hour
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Basics of Energy Management
Electric Demand Components
Demand Period
Time interval during which flow of electricity is measured
(usually in 15-, 30- or 60-minute increments depending on
rate structure)
Peak Demand
Highest average demand over the demand period in the
billing period
Electric Load Factor (ELF)
Indicates if peak demand is high for the facility
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Basics of Energy Management
Electric Demand Profile
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Basics of Energy Management
Natural Gas Units
Btu: British thermal unit
MMBtu: Million British thermal unit
Btu/hr: British thermal unit per hour
CCF: Hundred cubic feet 10 CCF = 1 MMBtu
Dth: Dekatherm 1 dth = 1 MMBtu or ~10 CCF
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Basics of Energy Management
Conversion – Apples to Apples
Horsepower (hp) = 745.6 watts
Motor hp = 2,545 Btu/hr
Boiler hp = 33,475 Btu/hr
Cooling ton = 12,000 Btu/hr
1 kilowatt = 3,412.3 Btu/hr
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Basics of Energy Management
Efficiency Terms
Efficiency
Work done divided by work put into the system
work out
=%
work in
Efficacy
Measure of performance using units
• lumens/watt for lighting
• kW/ton for chillers
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Basics of Energy Management
HVAC Efficiency – COP
Coefficient of Performance (COP)
Measurement of how efficiently a heating or cooling
system operates at a single outdoor temperature
condition
• Temperature condition for heat pumps = 47°F
Methods to calculate COP
Heat Pump Chiller
Btu of heat produced (47◦F) 3.516
Btu of electricity used (47◦F) kW/ton
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Basics of Energy Management
HVAC Efficiency – EER
Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER)
Measurement of how efficiently a cooling system
operates when the outdoor temperature is at a specific
level (95°F)
Commonly used when referring to:
• air conditioners (window, unitary)
• heat pumps (window, unitary, water-source,
geothermal)
Btu/hr cooling at 95°F
Method to calculate EER
watts used at 95°F
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Basics of Energy Management
Conversion - Apples to Apples
Btu of cooling produced
EER =
Wh of electricity used
Energy or heat output (total)
COP =
Energy or heat input (external)
EER
COP =
3,412 Btu/Wh
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Basics of Energy Management
HVAC Efficiency – SEER
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER)
Measurement of how efficiently a residential central
cooling system operates over an entire cooling season
• air conditioner or heat pump
Not to be confused with EER
Split cooling system SEER must be greater than 13,
effective 2006
Method to calculate SEER
seasonal Btu of cooling
seasonal watt-hours used
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Basics of Energy Management
HVAC Efficiency – HSPF
Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF)
Measurement of how efficiently all residential and some
commercial heat pumps operate in their heating mode
over an entire normal heating season
Method to calculate HSPF
Btu of heat produced over heating season
watt-hours of electricity used over heating season
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Basics of Energy Management
HVAC Efficiency – AFUE
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE)
Measurement of how efficiently a gas furnace or boiler
operates over an entire heating season
Percentage of energy consumed by system that is
actually converted to useful heat
AFUE for most gas furnaces must be at least 78%
Method to calculate AFUE
Btu of heat produced over heating season
Btu of natural gas used over heating season
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Basics of Energy Management
Energy Accounting Terms
Energy Use Index (EUI): Btu/ft2/year
Use when tracking energy savings
Energy Cost Index (ECI): $/ft2/year
Use when comparing within your district
• must be a small district with single utility provider
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Basics of Energy Management
Energy and the Environment
1 lb of coal burned produces 1 to 1.25 kWh
T12 (34W) upgrade to Super-T8 (32W) for 10 fixtures with
four lamps per fixture
*100 lb/yr of coal not burned*
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Basics of Energy Management
Review of Energy Basics
Electric Units – kW, kWh, peak demand, ELF
Natural Gas Units – CCF, MMBtu, dth
HVAC Efficiency – COP, EER, SEER, HSPF, AFUE
Energy Accounting – EUI and ECI
Energy and the Environment
1 lb coal burned produces about 1 to 1.25 kWh
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