Energy audit as a potential meansw for cost reduction in industries

Carol Correia Viana

Abstract: The industrial sector is the largest consumer of energy in Brazil. Therefore, the opportunities to
reduce costs and waste generation derived from energy consumption in this sector can increase productivity
and competitiveness, as well as bring benefits to society. Energy audits emerge as a fundamental tool to
eradicate the unnecessary use of energy, and to control and streamline processes that lead to energy
efficiency. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the concepts, importance, main items and activities
regarding energy audits, as well as the opportunities, to reduce energy consumption in items, such as interior
lighting, cooling, heating, and fans. This was an exploratory-descriptive study, based on a literature and
document research. We found that the understanding and the insertion of energy audit in the industry can
promote general improvements in the use of energy in this sector. Future works should prove the practical
value of energy audits and should include technical studies.

Keywords: Energy audit; Production costs; Energy efficiency; Energy management; Industrial sector.