Energy Audits: A Business Owner’s Guide

What’s a Commercial Business Energy Audit?

The main purpose of energy audits is to help businesses determine the most effective and least expensive ways to reduce their energy use. Energy audits provide all of the information surrounding a facility’s energy use, including how, when, and where it’s used throughout the building. Energy audits also include details about the business’s current electric expenses and explains how the costs apply to the facility.

The audit comes with financial and engineering analyses along with a list of suggested alterations that can help improve energy savings. The energy audit applies a ranking to the designated modifications that will depend on the specific benefits that come with them.

Why Have a Business Energy Audit?

In many cases, businesses spend more than they need to on energy use, when those costs could go toward a different area of business and contribute to capital. An energy audit will enable you to see which areas of your business are spending more money on electric than they would with more efficient solutions. With the help of the knowledgeable energy consultants here at Verde, you’ll learn the specifics of how your facility uses energy and how much that energy costs.

Following a comprehensive energy audit, you can determine which steps to take to help you not only save money, but also make your business more sustainable and environmentally friendly in the long-term.

What’s Part of an Energy Audit?

There are several aspects of an energy audit to consider, all of which will depend on the type of business and facility that’s undergoing the audit. Some of the factors that go into an energy audit include:

Energy Audit Level

One of the most important aspects of an energy audit is the level chosen based on what’s best for the business. Depending on the project and the recommended level, additional steps may be required to address certain items found during the previous level.

There are three different energy audit levels, which the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE) defines:

Level 1: Walk-through Analysis

This level 1 ASHRAE audits culminates in the most unquantified and obvious assessment of certain small, quick changes that can reduce energy costs.  The analyst typically looks at your bill usage to look for trends, and does an audit that looks at lighting and shorter term measures, like weather-stripping, temperature settings, and other fast payback energy efficiency improvements.

Level 2: Energy Survey and Engineering Analysis

Level 2 ASHRAE audits provides organized, prioritized and quantified recommendations for modifications that can simplify the process of making business decisions and deciding on budgeting for each change. This level of audit goes deeper, looking at seasonality of the building, how it is used, and was to find deeper and longer term energy savings.

Level 2 ASHRAE audits take longer than a level 1 audit, and will look at building envelope and water impact. Level 2 ASHRAE audits really consider HVAC, your area weather impact, and how ventilation comes into the building for fresh air.

Level 3: Detailed Analysis of Capital-Intensive Modifications

The level 3 ASHRAE audit presents in-depth project cost and energy savings calculations that can significantly help businesses make capital investment decisions. Longer term capital projects from a Level 3 ASHRAE audit include deeper decarbonizing, heat pump installation, ERVs, humidity management and more.

Facility Size

Another factor will include the overall size of the facility. Larger buildings with more space and a higher number of floors will cost more to audit than smaller facilities.

Larger buildings will take longer for an audit, so scheduling should accommodate the number of sq. feet of a building. If there are more than one building, we recommend taking account of travel time between and how easily the same group of buildings can be audited in a single day. Our person best was 14 McDonalds audits in a single day, but typically no more than 3 can be accomplished in a single day by one audit team. Often, a good ASHRAE audit for our government buildings can take an entire day.

Business Type

Certain types of businesses will use and require more energy than others. For instance, a facility that requires sufficient lighting for a large space with a variety of machines and processes operating simultaneously will cost more to run. On the other hand, a smaller retail space won’t require as much energy, particularly when closed.

Overall Scope of the Assessment

The audit of a building’s interior will cost far less than that of an entire plaza or campus consisting of multiple buildings. In the case of larger properties with several buildings, assessments will be required for each building’s interior and exterior.

Interior aspects of an audit will include:

• Technology and equipment — The condition and overall age of equipment will have an impact on energy-efficiency
• Condition of the building — Insulation, wall, and ceiling conditions will all influence energy consumption
• Equipment layout — The organization of equipment in more isolated locations will lead to more concentrated energy

Exterior considerations include:

• Damage — Any damage that roofs, walls, or foundations have sustained
• Insulation — The amount, condition, and type of insulation found in foundation, walls, and the roof
• Roof access — The effect on stack effect, impact, and air infiltration
• Stains — Any trapped moisture, water infiltration, blockage, drain spout omission, or site drain paths
• Exterior lighting — Outdoor lighting for buildings, parking lots, landscapes, etc.
• Utility service — Gas or electric supplies, meter location, and number of meters
• HVAC equipment — The type, efficiency, condition, capacity, and location of equipment
• Backup power — Fuel source, capacity, and type of generators
• Building shading — Overhangs, trees, and other buildings, among other shading sources
• Window orientation — The size, quantity, and the directions that windows face

Available Documentation

Any readily available documentation will help move the audit along and require less research.

How Much Does an Energy Audit Cost?

While many consultants charge for energy audits based on all of the factors mentioned, along with readily available documentation, at Verde, you can benefit from a free comprehensive energy assessment. You won’t need to spend more than you need to on any assessment with the help of our experts. We’ll look at every aspect of your facility and provide detailed analyses of your energy usage.

Following our assessment, we’ll help you determine the best ways to maximize energy efficiency and reduce expenses.

Who Does Energy Audits?

Here at Verde, we can provide energy audits that cover every factor needed to determine how your facility uses gas and electric energy. We can then install a solution that helps ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness. If you would like an energy assessment for your facility, contact us today and we’ll provide expert advice and solutions.