A successful energy assessment will include activities which are comprised of:

• Understanding the site and data gathering

• Measuring/Monitoring/Testing

• Assessing the situation

• Proposing an action plan

From each of the processes conducted during the energy assessment, Resource Conservation Measures (RCM) for the different areas are discovered and developed by following the basic Six Sigma principles and practices of Measure, Analysis and taking Action. Each of the RCM’s developed are presented in a form that attempts to be written as a mini-report allowing for it to stand alone as an assessment for the category listed by each RCM.

 

Each RCM is developed and written utilizing the following structure:

 

Project Description:

This describes the goal of the particular RCM for the area of study

Symptoms:

This listing provides the type of issues that may exist within a facility in order to search out opportunities for improved efficiencies and reductions of wasted energy use or practices.

Findings:

This is a listing of all the processes or issues discovered within the facility where improved efficiencies and opportunities for energy reduction may exist. This section also attempts to list points that the facility may be performing well and requires no change except where expansion or replication of these actions may benefit the facility further or other facilities within the organization. These findings will include pictures from the site and/or tables and graphs which would include site interval energy data, operation specific energy usage, weather patterns, current and previous billing statements. All of these are melded together in an attempt to paint a true picture of how the site operates from an energy usage standpoint.

Recommendations:

This is an inventory/description of actionable items that may be considered for implementation. Each recommendation is given a 1-3 Priority Ranking using criteria that would describe ease of implementation and/or cost. Some recommendations that may be regarded as “investment grade” will suggest that a particular field expert may be required.

Calculations:

Wherever possible, the calculations section will provide site specific data driven analysis to provide the energy cost and usage impact of each recommendation.

Summary and Ranking of Recommendations:

This section provides a summary table of all the recommendations in a given RCM where calculations were provided. It lists the estimated energy consumption and costs “before” and estimated energy consumption and costs “after” the implementation of each recommendation.