Comparative Analysis of Energy Efficiency Recommendations: A Case Study between Guatemala and the United States

This thesis presents a comparative analysis of energy efficiency recommendationsfor facilities in Guatemala and the United States, based on energy audits from the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) in the U.S. and a collaborating Guatemalan energy auditing center. Common energy efficiency recommendations and key energy indicators are identified for the purpose of aiding energy auditors in each country. National profiles reveal that in the U.S., transportation consumes 39% of site energy, followed by industry at 18%, residential at 17%, commercial and public services sector at 14%, and agriculture at 1%. In Guatemala, the residential sector consumes 61%, transportation 26%, industry 9%, and commercial and public services at 3%. IACs in the U.S. service agriculture, industry, and commercial sectors which combined consume 33% energy in the U.S. The Guatemalan center audits industry and commercial sectors that combined make up 12% of Guatemala’s energy consumption. Another energy indicator is the energy consumption per capita, where in the U.S. it is eighteen times more than in Guatemala. This indicates that an individual in the U.S. uses around eighteen times more electricity than an individual in Guatemala. Carbon emissions analysis shows that 16% of the United States’ CO2 emissions come from sectors that are audited by IACs. In comparison, 14% of Guatemala’s CO2 emissions come from sectors that the Guatemalan center can audit. The analysis identified common energy efficiency recommendations made in both the U.S. and Guatemala: installing solar panels, upgrading electrical motors, and installing lighting controls. Through comparisons between audits conducted in the United States and a sample of five audits conducted in Guatemala, the expected payback periods for installing solar panels are shorter for facilities in Guatemala, at around 2 to 4.5 years, compared to facilities in the United States, at around 6-16 years. This difference stemmed from electrical usage costs in Guatemala being 110% higher than in the United States. For upgrading electric motors in Guatemala, the estimated payback period is between 2.5-5.5 years with the U.S. being between 0.5-7 years and for installing lighting controls (occupancy sensors) between 1-2 years for Guatemala and 0.5-2.5 years for the U.S.