An energy audit is a formal survey, analysis and inspection of a building or company’s energy flows, processes, systems and conservation efforts. The Department of Energy encourages home energy audits for the sake of money and efficiency. All organizations should get regular energy audits to uncover problems, fix issues and maximize sustainability.
Commercial Energy Audit Basics
Energy audits involve a professional inspector who assesses buildings, systems and programs for cost savings, waste reduction and sustainability opportunities. These formal audits result in an audit report that may contain accomplishments, recommendations and non-compliance findings. Energy audits will almost always identify redundancies, uncover managerial mistakes and reduce energy costs. Each building is different, so audits each come with unique risks and opportunities.
Energy Audit Inspections
During the energy audit, an energy auditor will visit the site. They will most likely start off the event with an introductory meeting that will review goals and intentions. A site inspection will include assessments of lighting, air conditioners, machine controls, refrigeration equipment, air compressors, heating and ventilation systems and anything else that is using energy. Remember, energy sometimes refers to power from either electronic or pneumatic systems. Production facilities often use air hoses to power machinery, so tiny leaks are equally wasteful and concerning.
Energy Audit Interviews
Energy auditors will want to interview team leaders, facility managers and upper administrators. Many companies that maintain international certification, such as the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) credential, use energy audits to help maintain compliance with their program. These companies may steer auditors to only talk with model employees, but energy auditors often want to randomly interact with regular employees in order to really understand operations.
The audit will conclude with the auditor analyzing their metrics, such as pressures, light levels and power draw, along with other information to produce a final report that establishes energy conservation goals, standards, measures and suggestions.
