In considering the more serious energy audits, the practitioner should be armed with a set of tools.  I’ve not seen a good practical list for this task so I thought it might be of value to begin a list, here.  Many of these tools are suggested in the many energy articles which have become prevalent in the trade journals.

My background is heavily oriented toward the water and wastewater markets – where I have spent the better portion of 35 years since college.  So, if you have a better list – based on your background – please add to this list with a comment below.

Here is a start:

• Amp probe or clamp on amp coils which fit around motor lead wires or lead wires leading to consumers of power.
• Watt meters – this is the logical next step up from amp meters and can be considered less popular due to costs and logistics of getting to a portable form of such watt meters.
• Flow meter – air and water flow meters are available from multiple rental sources.  GE rentals (a division of GE Company) have a number of models available for nominal rental fees.
• Pressure gages with snubbers (and diaphragm protectors) with ranges appropriate.  Such gages are now available in digital form and allow extensive recording/time tracking opportunities.
• Heat sensing imaging equipment (Fluke and others) which offer infrared images which can be timed to interface with other instruments in this family of devices.
• Digital cameras and video recorders – which record and date the data input/shown from the above family of devices
• Access to power company data for meters which are providing and recording power consumption at the sites being investigated.  Power companies have very detailed history for power being used at major meter locations – such as for a major pumping station and – for sure – at water and wastewater sites.

Of course, the next step is to actually compile the required data in a method which allows complete evaluation of efficiencies at a later date in another location (typically at an office the day or two after the data is compiled).  There are wonderful software tools to enable compiling and presenting the meaningful data which can – then – be made meaningful for those in control of making the necessary changes/investments to implement energy savings.

There are a few, select, engineers out there who can be of invaluable assistance in determining “what to measure” and “what to do with the data”. One of these would be the “Pump Guy”, Larry Bachus, who writes a regular column in Flow Control Magazine.

I’ll take this opportunity to put in a plug for the first Pump Guy Seminar, which will be held May 27-29, 2009 at the Astor Crowne Plaza hotel in New Orleans. You can learn more about it and register for the event on the Flow Control Network website.

Cheers,
Don