A systematic energy audit can be broken into four phases: planning, investigating, implementing and sustaining. Proactive facilities strive to continually improve energy efficiency by repeating these phases at regular intervals. This two-part column will highlight each of the four phases.
Planning phase: Once plant management commits to energy conservation, the following preplanning activities should be initiated: 1) determining the scope of the audit; 2) picking members of the audit team; and 3) developing audit tasks with a targeted timeline and assigning responsibility to members. These activities could take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months depending on the size of the facility and the scope of the audit.
Protecting electrical controls and equipment within food and beverage plants presents unique challenges due to the sanitation requirements of the hygienic environment.
