Achieving sustainable consumption of electricity through energy audit: A case study of a public sector institution in Ghana

2013

English

This paper investigated and recommended possible solutions to the high electricity consumption of a public sector organization. The activities of the organization include managing database and information systems and host a number of training workshops in the course of the year as part of its core activities. A hybrid of a walkthrough and standard energy audits were conducted in the organization in September 2009 with the full implementation date in March 2010. This involved the visual inspection of the building, cataloguing of the electrical appliances and the installation of energy monitoring meters on selected electrical equipment of the building. The main segments of energy consumption in the organization were on its lighting systems, computers and accessories, and air conditioners. The total instantaneous power consumption in the building was 79.38 kW, with the highest consumption of energy being from lighting (48%) followed by air conditioners (24.1%) and then computer and accessories (10.1%). Measures on energy conservation were recommended based on the audit. The follow up visit in February 2011, it was realized that electricity consumption by the end of 2010 had dropped by 46% equivalent to 29% of cash savings in spite of tariff increase of 42% in June 2010.

Amponsah-Benefo, K.; Animpong, M. A. B.; Boafo-Mensah, G.; Oduro, W. O.; Kotey, E. N.; Obiri, H. A.