Energy Consultants Key Terms
Find the right worker by understanding energy consultants key terms
Energy consultants work to save their clients money while saving the environment. They can help you determine whether or not your home is as energy efficient as it can be. They also find solutions to reduce your home or business's carbon footprint. Energy consultants use the LEED Green Building Rating System to plan energy efficient buildings. Starting with an energy efficiency audit, the path to savings may include using energy audit software to decide the best HVAC system.
Energy efficiency auditing
Energy consultants start by performing an energy efficiency audit, which is a multi-step process. Utility bill auditing is one step in evaluating energy usage. Personalized inspection helps identify and solve energy efficiency problems.
Try: Learn more about the energy audit process at Efficiency Partnership. For more information on utility bill auditing, see Energy Consultants.
HVAC
In your home and business, your heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, called HVAC, is likely to be your biggest power drainer. Your energy consultant should be able to make suggestions to make your existing HVAC systems as efficient as possible or to help you choose a new, more efficient system.
Try: Learn more about how to design and implement efficient HVAC systems at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website.
Energy audit software
Many energy consultants use energy audit software as a tool for simulating various energy usage scenarios. Inputting findings into an energy audit software program yields detailed information. As with any software, features and pricing vary widely.
Try: Discover one such energy audit software program at Elite Software Development, which shows the included features.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, regulates energy industries. They do not regulate individual utility companies, but they regulate the market as a whole.
Try: Learn about what the FERC does for the energy industry.
LEED
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is a set of standards for energy efficient building. Large energy consulting firms often have professional engineers with LEED certification.
Try: Learn more about LEED certification at Bluestone Energy Services.
Carbon footprint
Your carbon footprint represents your impact on the environment. It's a measure of the carbon dioxide emitted by daily activities usually expressed in metric tons. Use a carbon footprint calculator to determine those activities that have the greatest impact.
Try: Calculate your business or personal impact on the environment and learn what you can do to offset it at Carbon Footprint.
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