ENRG 62: Energy Audit Report Writing

Program Description:

The Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) Center has developed a 4-semester program to prepare students to work as commercial building energy auditors. The Commercial Building Energy Analysis & Audits Program is divided into 15 modular courses designed for a community college level student. Courses are intended to prepare students for energy auditing, analyzing a building envelope and building systems for efficiency, employing appropriate tools for energy modeling and working with data, describing utility rate structures and demand response strategies, estimating energy savings and financial impacts, and integrating business development skills and concepts with energy audit reporting.

Content modules can be selected, recombined, or offered in a more compressed format for existing workers, or those that have some background in construction, architecture, HVAC, building operations or mechanical engineering.

Course Description:

This model course from BEST Center focuses on energy audit reporting, and asks students to consider elements, formats, templates, structure, and graphics involved in writing a compelling and accurate technical report of audit findings for a non-technical audience. In completing this lesson, students will: 1) Assess the purpose of the audit report, scope of work, and level of detail required for the report, 2) Organize information and create a plan for report writing, 3) Manage time effectively to meet client and employer needs, 4) Summarize audit findings and recommendations clearly and concisely, 5) Utilize tables, charts, and graphics to illustrate information and improve client understanding of findings, and 6) Formulate prioritized recommendations that evaluate energy efficiency measure (EEM) recommendations in terms of energy savings and financial costs/ benefits to the client.

The completion of the lesson in full takes 36 lecture hours. Resources available as part of this course include a course outline, three PowerPoint presentations, an auditing template, three separate sample audit reports, two generic integrated audit reports, and an editing exercise.

For orientation purposes, viewers should begin with ENRG 62_Course Outline.pdf, which offers a description of the course as well as an overview of topics covered through a course outline.

Course Contents:

The 2-page course outline document includes a course description, learning outcomes, and a detailed course topics outline. Topics include: 1) Purpose of the audit report, 2) Report format, 3) Time management, 4) Report for an ASHRAE Level 1, walk-through basic energy analysis, 5) Report for an ASHRAE Level 2 energy survey and engineering analysis, and 6) Report for an ASHRAE Level 3 detailed survey and analysis.

The PowerPoint presentations are titled The Audit Report as a motivator for Change, The Value of Editing, and Writing Best Practices.

The Audit Template includes an instruction page and areas for a disclaimer, table of contents, executive summary, project information, energy savings measures, and appendices. All sections are blank, and include blank tables and graphs.

Three separate sample audits are provided. These audits are partially complete, and include blanks that can be tailored to specific clients. Sample Audit 1 is an Identification and Analysis of Energy Efficiency Measures. Sample Audit 2 is a Preliminary Building Energy Audit. Sample Audit 3 is an Energy Analysis Report.

The two Generic Audit Reports are complete generic integrated report samples for large commercial audit customers and industrial audit customers.

The Editing Exercise is a one-page document with several poorly written audit report paragraphs for students to practice editing skills.

Below is a list of the files contained within the .zip attachment. The size of each file is included in parenthesis.

ENRG 62 – Energy Audit Report Writing (11 files, 9.3MB)

• Energy Audit Report Writing Course Outline (ENRG 62_Course Outline.docx 21KB)
• The Audit Report as Motivator for Change (Audit Rpt as motivator.pptx 73KB)
• The Value of Editing (Value of Editing .pptx 62KB)
• Writing Best Practices (writing best practices.pptx 77KB)
• Energy Analysis Report Audit Template (audit-template-Final.doc 368KB)
• Sample Audit 1 (sample audit1.pdf 209KB)
• Sample Audit 2 (sample audit2.pdf 370KB)
• Sample Audit 3 (sample audit3.pdf 286KB)
• Industrial Integrated Energy Audit (Industrial Integrated Audit Report Generic.pdf 5.5MB)
• Large Commercial Integrated Energy Audit (Large Commercial Integrated Audit Report-Generic.pdf 2.8MB)
• Editing Exercise (Editing Exercise.docx 14KB)