Several companies have been conducting energy audits to analyse their energy consumption to reduce the amount of energy input into their systems without negatively affecting their output.

The process involves the evaluation of energy usage in a company and forms part of the overall energy management process and is a vital component in the general outcome of an energy conservation effort.

In Kenya, it is a legal requirement for firms to carry out energy audits to comply with the Energy Management Regulations 2012 published by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) which requires consumers of more than 180,000 units of electricity per year to carry out audits every three years and submit the findings to the regulator. Failure to do so attracts specified punitive measures. The audits are usually conducted by licensed energy auditors.

Miltec Engineering is one of the licensed energy auditors and has been in operation since 2014. With a team of 10 engineers and five technicians, the firm’s experts give a clear understanding of how a facility consumes energy. The audits include a physical inspection of buildings and equipment. According to the firm’s director, Mr Duncan Ndenga, depending on the level of detail required, audits may include a simple visual inspection or detailed measurements.

The Nairobi-based firm’s model of operation is the ESCO model (Energy Service Company) which is fashioned around the principles of maximizing operational efficiency, reducing energy costs, and enhancing the sustainability of energy solutions. The ESCO model allows an energy auditor to carry out energy services without the client having to invest their own capital into the project.

“The regulator has a Compliance Certificate. Currently, in Kenya there are several organisations undertaking this, and recently, the regulator awarded four organisations with a Compliance Certificate, three had been supported by Miltec Engineering (from identifying, measuring, and implementing),” said Mr. Ndenga.

He said energy audits are usually conducted to determine ways to reduce energy consumption per unit of product output and, or to lower operating costs for an organisation. Within the sector, there are two types of energy audits: a General Audit, and an Investment Grade Audit.

A General Audit looks at all the classes of equipment in a facility and estimates the current consumption and determines how efficient they are and advises whether there are alternatives or more efficient technologies to replace them.

On the other hand, an Investment Grade Audit usually gives a more detailed analysis of the proposed energy efficiency investment and goes further than a general audit and uses other economic analysis tools such as Internal Rate of Return, Net Present value or Life Cycle costing depending on the acceptable criteria for ranking investment projects in an organisation.

According to Mr. Ndenga, there are three steps in a general audit process. The first step is data characterisation process. “We do request historical data which is usually for a period of about one year. We look at it and analyse it, which gives us a better understanding of patterns in energy utilisation within an organisation,” he said.

The second step is to walk into the facility and do what is called ‘a walk-through audit’. This process involves walking through the facility and looking at what is happening as the manufacturing process is taking place. It is at this stage that you get to know the energy consumption levels within the process, and it’s at this level you notice where energy is being lost,” he said.

The third stage involves measurement. The energy auditor asks the following questions: What is the quality of power you are receiving? (If you receive good quality power, you use it well. If the power you are receiving is bad quality, it means that it affects your utilisation). How are these equipment’s converting the energy they receive? How well do they convert that one unit to the energy? What type of losses are they occurring? What is the extent of these losses? And how can these losses be minimized?

It is in these conversations and measurements that an auditor finds where the losses are occurring and makes recommendations to the client. The firm was instrumental during the installation of an Economiser for an 8-ton boiler at British American Tobacco (BAT) Kenya.

The consulting firm was the brain behind the Economizer device which reduces energy consumption by recovering waste heat from gases and then pre-heats water that goes to boilers.

“They no longer waste that heat, after we installed that machine. They have been recovering that heat, and with that, they are now able to reduce the amount of fuel that they use in their boilers,” said Mr. Ndenga. This has translated to a reduction in fuel costs and the amount of carbon dioxide generated into atmosphere.

At East African Cables, the firm installed a Power Factor Correction Unit that has reduced the cable manufacturer’s load on the electricity distribution system, increasing its energy efficiency and reducing electricity costs.

And, at Rubis Energy Kenya, the firm was involved in the installation of voltage stabilizers for several Rubis petrol stations in the country. This has ensured that the pumping sections are stable.

Mr. Ndenga points out that energy efficiency is not only good for a company’s bottom line, but also has a direct impact on the environment. And the more energy- efficient companies become, the more economy will grow and more so in a very green way, implying that our carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced.