An energy audit involves performing an inspection survey and analysis of energy flows in an organization, potentially including testing or interviews with employees depending on its scope of assessment.
Energy auditors can save building owners money by identifying areas where energy is being wasted, but it’s crucial that they find someone experienced with your industry.
Residential
Utility companies, nonprofits and governmental organizations in your home’s area often provide energy assessments at no or reduced costs to residential customers. Depending on the audit type, these services could also qualify them for rebates or incentives on energy-saving upgrades; even if professional services are necessary for energy audits or audit upgrades, typically homeowners see significant reductions on energy bills after using them.
Before your energy assessor arrives at your house, it is advised that you compile a list of questions and gather copies of past utility bills as this will enable them to better assess your energy use and target their assessment on specific areas.
At the start of an evaluation, an assessor may use equipment like a blower door, infrared cameras, furnace efficiency meters and surface thermometers to identify energy loss sources. With this data at hand, an action plan may then be devised in order to decrease energy consumption in your home – some popular suggestions may include switching to LED bulbs, resealing doors and windows, adding weather stripping where applicable, upgrading appliances with energy star ratings as well as installing smart thermostat technology; though these upgrades have an initial high cost; typically they payoff in energy savings over time!
Homeowners can reduce energy usage simply by making changes, such as turning off appliances and lights when not needed and setting a consistent temperature throughout their house. As well as saving on energy usage, these strategies may also have health benefits by maintaining ideal home humidity levels – something which may help alleviate respiratory conditions like allergies and asthma.
When choosing a residential energy assessor, make sure they possess credentials and are licensed as an Residential Building Energy Analyst by your state’s Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). They should also provide references; you can check Residential Energy Services Network’s directory to locate certified professionals near you. Furthermore, licensed individuals typically carry at least $1 Million liability coverage policies.
Commercial
Commercial energy audits are designed to assist businesses and organizations save money through increased efficiency, lower energy costs, and an increase in building value. Businesses save both directly through reduced energy expenses as well as indirectly through lower operating expenses. For optimal savings results it’s essential that auditors have experience working with specific equipment or conditions of each business to deliver optimal savings results.
Based on the type of energy audit, professionals may conduct various tests to detect areas that are losing energy, such as walking around a property and inspecting windows, walls, roofs, concrete cracks and other areas for signs of leakage. They’ll also review energy bills to pinpoint where efforts should be focused to cut costs and increase efficiency.
Once professionals have conducted their initial analysis, they can offer suggestions of upgrades that would provide substantial benefits to a company or organization. Their recommendations usually provide details about potential costs, savings and expected return on investment as well as answer any other queries from customers concerning implementation of changes.
Energy audits can often be essential in securing third-party financing or incentives for energy upgrade projects, including Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing, utility incentives or investment-grade bonds. A quality audit may also form part of green building certification programs like USGBC LEED.
Upgrading to an energy-efficient system not only saves companies money by decreasing energy consumption and operating costs, but it can also address health, safety and environmental issues related to outdated or ineffective systems – like mold growth and mildew risk – while simultaneously raising employee morale and productivity by making employees feel good about where they’re working.
Staying current with energy efficiency measures will not only make a building more appealing to clients and customers, but will help create an image of “green/environmentally-friendly” that may increase customer base.
Industrial
Industrial facilities consume large amounts of energy, which makes it crucial for them to identify their most significant sources of consumption and take steps to reduce it. An energy audit performed by companies like Colt Home Services provides organizations with a tool to do this effectively while also helping identify trouble spots within their facilities, improve energy performance and lower carbon footprint. Doing this also saves money over time!
An industrial energy audit involves conducting an in-depth inspection of equipment and systems within a facility in order to assess their energy consumption and identify any opportunities for reduced electricity usage. The process usually includes reviewing operating procedures, energy bills and any relevant data related to its equipment and operation. Once this analysis has been completed, a detailed report outlining areas of energy utilization is prepared which includes recommendations for retrofit or non-retrofit measures that could be implemented within that facility.
These recommendations could involve installing new equipment or making modifications to existing systems in order to increase their energy efficiency, or making behavioral adjustments within your facility’s employees and management to increase efficiencies. Studies have revealed that such changes can provide many advantages, including increased energy efficiency and decreased operational costs.
Recent studies have demonstrated that conducting an industrial energy audit can save firms up to 26% in electricity usage costs – translating to millions in cost savings per firm and helping meet environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals set by their leadership.
Some companies have even adopted ESG targets that require them to reduce energy use and carbon emissions by a certain percentage each year, in order to become leaders within their industries and attract talent. Conducting an energy audit is the initial step to improving a business’s sustainability and competitiveness; there are numerous qualified energy auditors available who can assist them. Companies can easily locate them online search tools.
Government
An energy audit can be an invaluable asset to municipalities that use significant quantities of electricity, natural gas, or oil for utilities services. Savings derived from an assessment and implementation of its recommendations help offset the cost of these utility services paid for by taxpayers; moreover, an energy audit helps identify any potential problems and prevent costly system failures.
As with other buildings and businesses, government facilities can benefit from an in-depth energy assessment. An energy auditor can quickly pinpoint areas of inefficiency, suggesting solutions that reduce operating costs. Energy efficiency upgrades provide an alternative capital project solution at relatively lower cost that can yield substantial ROI within short periods.
Energy assessments range from free or walk-through visual examinations to professional evaluations with more in-depth diagnostic tools available, such as blower door testing and infrared scanning. Professionals usually utilize various diagnostic testing tools like these in order to detect problem areas; such as blower door tests and infrared scanning. Furthermore, insulation levels will likely be assessed and replacement recommendations provided as necessary; windows and doors could also be examined to ensure airtightness and for leaks or potential areas of leakage.
Low-cost home assessments typically last anywhere between 30-4 hours and include a room-by-room inspection of the house as well as an analysis of past utility bills. An energy auditor will identify energy-saving measures such as weather stripping and caulking as well as more costly ones like thermal imaging and blower door testing for air infiltration. They’ll also survey heating/cooling equipment, inspect ducts, measure incandescent lighting wattage/type and survey heating/cooling equipment usage patterns to come up with recommendations.
Finding a qualified professional you trust to conduct the assessment is key. Request references from previous customers and call them up directly for feedback about their experiences with the company. Some state, local and electric utility companies even provide rebates and credits to encourage homeowners to make energy efficiency improvements; also check with your state or local weatherization office if they know of a certified auditor near your area.