Are high energy costs cutting into your profits?
Struggling to meet sustainability targets?
Are you looking to have an energy audit of your facility (or facilities) undertaken in order to identify ways to reduce energy consumption through energy efficiency? Great!
Energy efficiency is the “first fuel” and many businesses and organizations can benefit from it.
However you need to take care in selecting your energy audit service provider, as the selection of the wrong provider risks unnecessary expenses, inefficient operations, and missed opportunities for cost-saving improvements. Don’t under-estimate these risks!
If you’re ready to invest in a professional energy audit, choosing the right energy audit service provider is crucial. The right provider will help you get the most from energy efficiency. In this article we give you guidance on selecting an energy audit service provider, so that you get the most from energy efficiency:
- Make sure you know what is involved in undertaking an energy audit.
- Be clear about what exactly you want from the energy audit
- Evaluate the experience and competency of the energy audit service provider
- If you have any doubts, get a third party review undertaken.
1. Make sure you know what is involved in undertaking an energy audit.
It’s surprising how often commercial and industrial energy users don’t understand what they are getting from an energy audit. Whilst the cost of an energy audit is not low – varying anywhere from the cost of a used car with high mileage all the way up to the cost of a new electric car for a comprehensive assessment of a large facility, often the energy user has no idea about what is involved, what inputs they need to provide, or even if an energy audit will be that useful.
To get a comprehensive understanding of what is involved, and to ensure that you get the most from the audit, take the course Commissioning, Managing and Reviewing an Energy audit. For the cost of a cup of coffee you’ll learn what you need to do to get the most from the energy audit, and the energy audit service provider.
2. Be clear about what exactly you want from the energy audit.
When you ask a good energy audit service provider to provide a quotation, you’ll be asked a lot of questions. One of the questions will be “why are you doing an energy audit?”
Make sure that you are really clear about this. If you aren’t clear on this, the chances are that you’ll be paying for advice that actually isn’t that useful.
Some examples of reasons could be “We want to reduce our energy costs and/or carbon emissions by X% or $ over the next three years” or “we are replacing our air conditioning system and want the new system to cost less to operate” or “we want to understand how much we would need to invest to reduce energy usage by 20%?”.
When the auditor is clear on your needs the scope of the audit can be aligned to best meet those needs.
3. Evaluate the experience and competency of the energy auditor.
Not all energy audit service providers offer the same level of expertise. To ensure you get the highest return on investment, choose a provider with:
- Experience in facilities similar to yours, and ideally references to client’s in those facilities.
- Energy auditors with full Investment Grade Energy Auditor (IGEA) certification. An IGEA certified auditor (fully certified, not just with provisional certification) has passed a rigorous training and certification process. Auditors who follow the process taught in the IGEA will be focused on maximizing the value that you get from the energy audit.
- Knowledge of national and local standards relating to energy usage in facilities like yours.
A characteristic that I think is useful in all energy auditors is curiosity. So if you are unsure which auditor to choose, I suggest going with the one who has asked the most questions.
Every facility is different, and auditors who don’t ask questions and have a “know all attitude” may not be curious enough about how your facility uses energy to be able to provide quality advice tailored to your circumstances.
4. If you have any doubts, use a third party Energy Audit Review Service
A third party Energy Audit Review can help you from making expensive mistakes that cost both time and money. Energy efficiency is a pretty niche area of knowledge, and most energy users don’t have the knowledge or experience to assess if the advice they are getting is good or bad, or even if they have been provided the right type of advice.
When you commission a third party energy audit review, you get access to an expert who represents your interests, and who has the ability to scrutinize the quality of the advice provided to you.
An energy audit review service can help you:
- Properly scope the energy efficiency advice you are requesting.
- Validate the energy-saving estimates.
- Identify any overlooked inefficiencies or cost-saving opportunities.
- Identify risks that may be associated with the opportunities presented.
- Maximize the value you get from the Energy Audit Services Provider.
Conclusion: Choose an Energy Audit Service Provider That Maximizes the Value to you
Finding the right energy audit service provider ensures your business achieves real cost savings, regulatory compliance, and long-term energy efficiency. By taking care to know what’s involved in an energy audit, being crystal clear on what exactly is the advice you really need, evaluating energy auditor experience and competence, and using a third party energy audit review service if you have any doubts, you are well on the way to maximizing the value you get from an energy audit.
If you are interested to an Energy Audit Review Service, contact us today
