Counselling for energy saving in buildings

Issue of energy labels
An energy label is a document which indicates the amount of energy consumed by a building in order to maintain an indoor climate as compared to the average amount of energy consumed by other similar buildings. The energy label shows the actual or presumed annual amount of energy consumed by a building or its separate part in order to maintain indoor climate. Energy consumption may include the amount of energy necessary for heating up or cooling down the building, heating up water and for ventilation and lighting. An energy label will be appended with a list of economically justified measures necessary to reduce the building's energy consumption.

Energy calculations
Energy calculations are performed pursuant to the regulation providing for minimum energy-efficiency requirements. Calculations are performed using special software and taking into account local climatic conditions (temperature, air humidity and solar radiation). In the course of the calculation process the building’s geometric parameters (areas of external walls, position with regard to compass points, structure of the walls and shadows cast by the buildings in the vicinity) and technical parameters (power consuming equipment, heating system, preparation of domestic hot water, ventilation and refrigeration) are entered in the software. The result of the calculation shows the specific energy consumption of the planned building. This indicator forms the basis for the issue of an energy label and it also shows whether the building’s energy consumption corresponds to minimum requirements.

Rapid energy monitoring of production buildings
Rapid monitoring of a production complex in the course of which the entire complex is visually inspected, data are collected and elementary calculations made in order to determine whether the energy consumption is optimal.

Rapid energy monitoring of business buildings
Rapid monitoring forms a part of the property-related consultations offered to business clients encompassing the determination of maintenance and operational characteristics of the buildings’ utility systems, building shells, and power, heating and ventilation systems and the analysis of consumption data.
As the result of such rapid monitoring a report is prepared providing an overview of the technical condition of building shells and energy consumption of utility systems, and showing possible energy losses and deficiencies in energy-efficiency. More detailed measures for saving energy along with an investment plan and pay-back period are identified in the course of a more thorough analysis called an energy audit.

Rapid monitoring is, thus, the simplest form of energy audit and is usually used in buildings with simple energy systems and also in small or medium-sized enterprises with relatively simple production procedures.

The inspection carried out in the course of rapid monitoring:

• provides an overview of the energy consumption of the respective object
• shows the apparent saving possibilities and assesses saving potential
• points out necessary steps to be taken
• may include simpler calculations
• presents the initial distribution of energy consumption
• enables the preparation of a short report