The auditing of energy use depict the potential or magnitude of cost savings that can be achieved in a consumer if proper energy conservation measures are adopted.
But in the existing energy audit methodologies the selection mechanism of ENergy CONservation(ENCON) measures are still subjective and depends on the experience of the auditor and the demands from the engineers of the system being audited.
This subjectivity is not acceptable and can be mitigated if proper research is performed regarding this aspect.The following topics can become a potential idea of research to mitigate the problem.
Research Idea 1 : Potential of Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods in selection of Energy Conservation measures proposed by the auditors
The advent of the decision making methods like MCDMs has provided sufficient opportunity to imbibe objectivity in the decision making processes required in various problem solving activities.In the present case also the ENCONs can be selected based on the methods of multi criteria decision making(Analytical Hierarchy Process or Analytical Network Process). The implementation of these methods will maintain objectvity and will make the selection free of human bias.
Research Idea 2 : Identification of priority parameters for classification and prioritization of ENCONs proposed for a specific industrial or domestic or agricultural consumers by MCDM methods
The parameters with which the ENCONs can be prioritized is also a point of concern and here also the strength of MCDMs can be adopted.The end result from most of the compensatory MCDMs are the priority values or a fraction which gives the priority of selection or weight of importance of a parameter with respect to the objective of decision making.More the priority more will be the importance.If the correlated factors are ranked based on the priority values then the parameter with the highest weight of importance will be identified as the most important parameter with respect to the selection of ENCONs for reducing energy consumption in the audited system.As the MCDMs are free of human bias the identification will be objective and will represent the reality.
