Commercial Energy Assessments and Audits
SERVICES
Sain Engineering Associates, Inc. (SEA) offers the full array of energy evaluation services. These can range from utility bill reviews and basic on-site surveys to comprehensive, Level III energy audits, and quite a bit in between. A great deal of energy efficiency and resilience can be accomplished in the assessment range; however, a comprehensive energy audit is required when designing or retrofitting a building for major upgrades and energy cost reduction, LEED certification, or Net Zero energy usage.
Since every facility brings unique demands, the manner and extent of evaluating the energy factors of commercial buildings can and will vary. The term “assessment” is often used interchangeably with “audit”, however there are some key distinctions between an Energy Assessment and an Energy Audit that need to be understood. While both aim to identify energy inefficiencies and potential savings, an Energy Assessment provides a quicker overview of energy usage, often serving as a preliminary step to determine if a full audit is needed. By comparison, an Energy Audit refers to a more comprehensive inspection, analysis and modeling of a building's energy consumption, identifying specific areas for improvement, with detailed recommendations of actionable steps to achieve the necessary improvements.
Conducting an Energy Audit With Sain Engineering Associates
SEA offers the full range of assessment and audit services. Whether your facility needs a basic (Level I) on-site survey, a more thorough site inspection with detailed analysis (Level II), or a full audit (Level III), involving extensive data collection, detailed modeling, and analysis for significant capital investment, all our evaluations are done according to the appropriate ASHRAE standards.
Whether it is to identify no/low-cost changes or deeper capital investment and planning/ implementation,
SEA can assist in determining which process will best meet the energy evaluation needs. The following are typical outcomes that can result from our assessments and audits:
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Identifying ways to reduce energy usage
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Identifying adjustments to existing systems to optimize their performance
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Identifying and correcting building flaws contributing to overall inefficiency
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Examining potential energy-saving projects and the associated savings
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Pollutant emission reduction
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Enhancing energy security
Whether you choose a basic energy assessment or a comprehensive commercial energy audit, SEA will provide useful, recommended actions to help you as businesses, developers, and property owners to achieve cost savings and move forward on your paths toward energy resilience.
The Importance of a Commercial Energy Audit
Energy assessments and audits are versatile and responsive tools that provide building owners with information about “how,” “when,” and “why” energy is used. Energy audits and assessments are the foundation for identifying, comprehending, and prioritizing energy-saving solutions throughout a building’s utility system.
SEA Energy Assessments and Audits
There are generally four types of commercial energy evaluations that SEA will perform. These include:
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Preliminary Energy Consumption Analysis
Our certified energy analysts will gather historical utility usage, peak demand data, and cost index information to determine current energy use intensity, if possible, recommend no-cost, low-cost adjustments, and ultimately, identify whether further evaluation is necessary.
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ASHRAE Level I Assessment
Our certified energy analysts will interview select building operations staff, review utility bills and related data, and conduct an on-site survey of your facility. This process is designed to create energy optimization, help facility personnel understand how the building performs compared to its peers, establish a baseline for measuring improvements, and determine whether more in-depth evaluation is needed.
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ASHRAE Level II Assessment
Building on findings from the Level I Assessment, the Level II further examines building energy systems to define potential energy-efficiency improvements, including building envelope, lighting, HVAC, domestic hot water, plug loads, and compressed air and process uses. This is followed by a detailed analysis of energy consumption to quantify base loads, seasonal variation, and efficient energy costs. Next is an assessment of lighting, air quality, temperature, ventilation, humidity, and other conditions that could affect energy performance and occupant comfort. An overall performance simulation is usually included to help estimate energy use changes resulting from potential optimization projects and cost estimations for putting these tasks into action.
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ASHRAE Level III Audits (Investment Grade)
The most thorough energy audit is an ASHRAE Level III, investment-grade audit. It incorporates all aspects of a Level I and Level II assessment, then goes on to examine the monetary cost factors associated with the required energy savings measures, as well as the anticipated return on investment from potential changes or upgrades. When planning facility upgrades, facility owners can use the audit results as a budgeting tool.
SEA has assessed and audited hundreds of millions of square feet of commercial and federally owned space worldwide. Our energy assessment/audit services include identifying life cycle costs and compelling energy savings opportunities for developing project-level documentation for project implementation.
Energy Assessments and Audits Facts
Efficient energy systems are a vital part of any commercial facility, whether they are already established or in the early development phases. Energy assessments and audits offer keen insight into where energy is being used and how companies can improve or make necessary changes to be more energy efficient.
Each energy evaluation will come with detailed information on appropriate energy conservation measures. The reports are vital for operational teams to understand where they can make necessary changes to reduce waste and improve day-to-day operating costs. Energy-saving solutions can be as simple as switching lights or as complex as upgrading an HVAC system and installing insulation.
At SEA, we are proud to have completed numerous large-scale energy assessments and audits across a number of industries and developments. Our reports have delivered critical information and practical solutions to increase overall efficiency and resilience.
AT A GLANCE
Energy Assessments and Audits Facts
13.5+
Square Feet of
Commissioned Facilities
$100M
Potential Energy Savings Identified
245+
Buildings Commissioned
Commercial Energy Audit Project Activities
Each energy assessment has its lifecycle, and our engineers will talk you through the process each step. To form a thorough understanding of what is required, we will need to follow through several different stages of discovery. These include:
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Onsite assessment of all energy-using systems
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Benchmarking
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Identification of energy waste
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Identifying low and no-cost energy savings opportunities
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Identifying energy conservation measures and costing analysis
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In-depth energy rate structure analysis
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Building energy modeling portfolios
Energy assessments can be performed on a building-by-building basis, on a subset of representative buildings, or across the entire portfolio of the owner. The assessment’s depth and breadth can range from a simple low-cost/no-cost study to a detailed analysis of capital-intensive modifications.
Get in touch with a member of the SEA team to ascertain your needs and how to facilitate changes best. Each energy assessment and audit service is tailored to help you determine which model might be best for your goals and objectives.
Why is Energy Auditing Important?
Understanding your facility’s energy consumption rate and how to effectively manage it, is a vital component of any commercial enterprise. Energy Assessment provides clearer insight into how energy is used and how it affects operating costs. An Energy Audit can take things a step further by determining the best ways to substantively lower energy costs as well as improve the quality of the facility’s operating environment, thereby improving comfort and well-being for the occupying workforce.
ASHRAE Level Audits
Energy assessments and audits are versatile tools that provide building owners with information about “how,” “when,” and “why” energy is used. They offer a wide range of benefits – and each can be chosen based on the specificity and criticality of the facilities being measured. The following guide will assist you in determining which audit is the best fit for your organization.
What Exactly Is an ASHRAE Audit?
The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has created a system of commercial and multifamily energy audits. These audits can enable you to develop plans to improve overall energy efficiency in your projects as well as in wider towns and cities.
Energy audits are classified into three levels by ASHRAE based on their intensity, time commitment, and expected outcome. The audit levels run across three levels.
What Audit Level Does Your Project Need?
Being number one isn’t always the best option. ASHRAE defines three levels of building energy analysis or energy audit, with increasing levels of effort and reporting detail. Each level increases the initial costs but also the potential for cost savings.
It is important to note that when inquiring about an ASHRAE audit – Being a “1” and having a Level 1 audit may or may not suffice. Instead, you will need to ask – What, more importantly, do you intend to do with the data? That should guide your decision.
The four audit levels are as follows:
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Preliminary Energy-Use Analysis
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Level 1 – Walk Through Survey of the facility and energy systems
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Level 2 – Energy Survey and Analysis
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Level 3 – Detailed Analysis of Capital-Intensive Modifications
The Importance of an Experienced Auditor
It is vital to consider that a poorly conducted commercial energy assessment or audit could result in lost revenue and additional expense to re-evaluate and fix any measures taken that were based on the faulty report. For this reason, it is vital to work with a professional, experienced, and honest energy consultation service…one that will walk you through each step of the process.
For an energy audit that you can trust – speak to a member of the SEA team to establish your needs and set up an evaluation plan that is suited to your project.
Taking a Look at The Audit Levels
Each audit level plays a vital role in the resulting report and the recommendations your chosen energy audit firm will recommend implementing to improve your energy conservation measures.
Preliminary and Investment Grade Analysis
This is the most fundamental energy audit. The most basic energy audit is the preliminary and investment-grade energy use analysis, which involves analyzing historical energy use and cost.
Energy consumption is typically benchmarked or compared to similar buildings to determine whether additional engineering studies and analyses are likely to result in significant energy savings. It is also an essential step in determining the scope of any further audits and assessments. This analysis is not exactly considered one of the official three levels; however, it is regarded as the springboard stage that sets the president for all future investigations.
This energy audit serves as the foundation for building energy optimization. It entails interviews with facility personnel such as facility managers and various employees with a direct hand in the facility’s operations. The audit will include a review of utility bills or other operational data and a facility tour.
The goal is to identify areas of apparent energy inefficiency. The information is compiled to create a preliminary report outlining low-cost / no-cost measures and potential capital improvements for future audits. This is sufficient to prioritize energy efficiency projects.Building on the ASHRAE Level 1 analysis, this report’s proposed energy efficiency measures are subjected to detailed energy calculations and financial analysis. Energy consumption is broken down by end-use, identifying areas with the most significant potential for efficiency gains. Utility rates are examined to see if there are opportunities for rate changes, and critical building representatives are interviewed to gain insights into building operational characteristics, potential problem areas, and program goals.
While this report is a little more in-depth, it can serve as a reliable measure for getting started. At this stage, the energy auditor will be able to offer you a recommendation for further analysis or be able to tell you whether this level is sufficient enough to meet energy efficiency goals.
This more detailed approach collects field data in more rigorous analysis, focusing on engineering analysis of potential capital-intensive projects identified in previous ASHRAE audits. Existing utility data is supplemented with sub-metering and monitoring of major energy-consuming systems’ operating characteristics.
This provides a realistic baseline against which to compare energy and operating savings for proposed measures, as well as before and after energy project implementation. This ASHRAE Level audit is the most rigorous and intensive of commercial energy audits. It offers the most impressive and efficient ways in which to reduce energy wastage and consumption.
Is An Energy Audit Worth It?
Energy assessments and audits are a vital part of any engineering project. If you are concerned that they might not be worth it or need additional information on how your project could benefit – conduct a preliminary analysis before committing to a Level I Assessment. This introductory assessment can offer insights into whether your facility would benefit from further investigation. A skilled energy auditor will make recommendations that are tailored to your operational and cost needs not only in the immediate future but on a projected basis too.
Simply Put- YES!
To summarize, an energy audit is worth every cent spent. The projected cost savings on recommended systems from an energy audit mean it can save you the cost of the audits themselves. While you might be concerned that the upfront costing of an audit is steep – it truly pays for itself in the long run, as well as banking additional monthly savings by reducing operational costs and the costs of future systems breakdowns and repairs.
Energy Assessments
and Audits
Working with trusted energy auditors and engineers is vital for any project – at SEA, you are guaranteed to work with some of the best in the industry.
Our collective experience has allowed us to offer comprehensive energy consultation and assessment services that will generate both short- and long-term savings.
If you are ready to take the next step and invest in energy evaluation services – reach out and get in touch with us!
GET STARTED WITH SAIN
To learn more about post-assessment / post-audit services, explore SEA’s Commissioning and Building Optimization services.