Comprehensive energy audit and conservation strategy for public buildings: enhancing energy efficiency and grid...

Limited access to energy presents a substantial barrier to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG-7. This impacts around 110 million people living in Pakistan, which accounts for approximately 18.3% of the global population dealing with similar problems. The primary contributing factor is suboptimal use of available capacity. This research study promotes a transformative approach incorporating comprehensive energy audits and efficiency measures to address these energy-relevant issues. These initiatives include optimized operational procedures and sophisticated electrical systems. The selected hospital building has been considered representative of public buildings since it reflects the diversity demonstrated by the architectural styles and energy consumption patterns prevalent in commercial areas throughout the country. The research findings indicate that energy consumption is highest in AC units, chiller, and cooling towers (approximately 64%), followed by lighting and fan load (23%), biomedical equipment, and laundry (8%). The maximum energy consumption was in July at 1,315,280 kWh, while the minimum in March at 122,080 kWh. The power factor of system has been varied within the range of 0.66 to 0.99. Implementing light retrofits, including the replacement of incandescent bulbs and tube lights with energy-efficient lamps, the installation of sensor lights, and reducing number of lamps, would result in an annual energy savings of 161,441 kWh (PKR 3,002,807) for the building. Retrofitting the fan results in estimated 40.1% reduction in electricity consumption, leading to annual savings of 223.64 kWh (PKR 13,976,605), with a payback period of 1 year. Furthermore, replacing the AC unit from a non-inverter to an inverter type would yield 39.85% saving in electricity consumption, leading to estimated annual savings of 385,459.2 kWh (PKR 7,169,541), with a payback period of 1.81 years. The insulation of AC pipelines would yield an estimated annual savings of PKR 343,746. Replacing air conditioners with more efficient models diminishes greenhouse gas emissions, fostering a more environmentally sustainable strategy. The recommended modifications have to collectively reduce the hospital's current consumption, indicating substantial improvements in energy efficiency and conservation. Scaling this research initiative to offer significant potential for energy savings in similar public-sector hospitals and substantially improve electricity accessibility in Pakistan and worldwide, in accordance with the concepts of SDGs.