Energy Assessments & Audits
Level 1
Building Energy Assessment
This is the basic starting point for building energy investigation. This stage begins with conducting an energy use analysis by reviewing past utility bills to determine how much energy the building uses, and how it compares to similar buildings in similar climates. After this is completed, a walk-through of the building is done, including brief interviews with site operating personnel. From this we are able to propose low/no cost energy conservation measures and a list of capital improvements that warrant a further level of analysis. Building Energy Assessments are most commonly selected when the goal is to identify that the potential for savings exists, or to help an owner with multiple buildings prioritize which should be assessed first.
Level 2/3
Detailed Energy Audit
The Detailed Energy Audit includes the completion of all aspects of the Building Energy Assessment, including a site walk-through. However, the Detailed Energy Audit includes more detailed energy calculations and financial analysis of identified Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs), and is considered an investment grade audit. This process undertakes a thorough evaluation of building envelope, lighting systems and controls, HVAC systems and controls, domestic hot water, plug loads, and process energy uses. A list of practical ECMs are developed and analyzed, including the presentation of operating cost reductions and capital expense requirements for each ECM. A Detailed Energy Audit may or may not include the use of energy modeling software, depending on the ECMs considered, and also may or may not include targeted systems logging and monitoring, depending on desired objective of the Audit.