What to Expect From Commercial Energy Audits
Did you know that large companies can spend billions of dollars on electricity and energy costs every year? It takes serious planning and strategy to create an approach to managing energy use that won’t impact the operations of a business.
Are you concerned about your business and how much energy it consumes? Perhaps you have environmental concerns or you just want to make sure that you’re not wasting money in areas that don’t need it. A commercial energy audit may be the answer to your worries.
Keep reading to learn more about what commercial energy audits are, how they work, and what you might expect when you schedule one for your business.
The Benefits of Getting Commercial Energy Audits
A commercial energy audit will include a breakdown of how the electricity is being used within your location. It will help you figure out where the electricity is being used most and least, but it will also tell you more about when the electricity is utilized. As a result, you can determine what your electric costs are right now and how those rates apply to the building’s functions as a whole.
Once the audit is done, you can figure out what types of modifications could be implemented to reduce overall costs. Commercial audits are a great thing to do every few years to ensure that you’re saving as much money as possible on your electric costs.
Energy efficient commercial HVAC services exist to help business directors, engineers, and managers figure out how to reliability and efficiently control their energy costs. With the information from your audit, you can control the electricity use in the best way possible to cut downtime.
What Are the Three Levels of Energy Audits?
The three main types of audits include a walk-through, energy analysis, and recommendations. These are all going to be part of the audit process, but each includes a slightly different approach.
In Level 1, the professional will walk through the facility to check out what obvious changes exist that impact the electricity costs. This is when the professional will be able to tell simply by looking around what solutions would be helpful down the road. Sometimes the professional won’t find anything at all during this level of the audit.
In Level 2, the professional will go more in-depth with the search. They will start to focus on prioritizing different areas with quantifiable recommendations. These recommendations will focus on business decisions and budgeting that will impact your bottom line.
In Level 3, the professional will then present your business with a project cost and savings calculation. This can help you decide what is best for your capital investment. At this point, the professional will have done a deep dive into every aspect of your company that uses energy.
Are All Three Levels Used in Each Business Audit?
Each level builds upon the last one to create a more holistic approach to the audit and provide more verifiable results.
Your business doesn’t need to get an audit with each level. Instead, you can choose one, two, or three levels depending on how in-depth you want your audit to be.
How Can You Anticipate What the Outcome Will Be?
The outcome of your audit is going to vary depending on the condition of your operations and what solutions are possible for your business. For instance, even if two businesses are dealing with the same type of energy management concern, the recommended modifications may change based on the type of business operations being conducted.
If you’re concerned about needing multiple changes or modifications following the audit, remember that you’re still in control!
Even though your audit may recommend different modifications and solutions to your current energy setup, you still get to decide which changes you want to actually implement. While it is always recommended to make as many changes as possible, every business is a little different and has various budget or personnel needs.
How Much Does This Process Cost?
The cost of the audit is going to depend on the type of business being audited and the reason for the audit. Some of the factors that go into the overall price include:
- The size of the facility
- The type of business
- How much energy is typically used
- Whether multiple buildings will be assessed
- How many levels are utilized in the audit
- How much documentation is already available
Each of these factors will be slightly different from business to business, so the cost is impossible to tell or estimate before the professional can learn more about your business operation. You can anticipate spending at least $1,000 (if not more) on the audit.
Your local government energy office can help you figure out which local organizations will perform these audits. Once you have your audit completed, Industrial Mechanical Contractors, Inc. can help you make the necessary modifications to your energy systems.
Commercial Energy Audits Help You Save Money
Getting commercial energy audits may not be the first thing on every business’s agenda, but it should be. Wasting energy in areas that don’t need it can cost your company a fortune over time.
Now that you know why these audits are so important, it’s time to schedule yours today to increase your overall savings. If you’re in the southeastern PA, southern NJ, or New Castle County, DE areas, we are here to serve you. Request a quote online today to figure out what we can help you with to create a more efficient business.
