![]() ![]() Before engaging in a Level 3 energy audit, it is good practice to fully vet the value of a Level 2 audit first. Level 3 energy audits are excellent solutions for complex, energy intensive facilities found in industries such as health care and manufacturing. These detailed calculations and analyses would be included on top of all of the aspects included in a Level 2 audit. The Level 2 audit will provide the crucial financial metrics your company needs to move forward without burying you in “too much detail”.Ī Level 3 energy audit, otherwise referred to as an “investment grade audit” includes a fully calibrated energy model (computer simulation) of the facility that predicts energy use and cost down to time increments of an hour or lower, and a risk assessment to demonstrate relative certainty of the impact of the projects recommended. The vast majority of companies need realistic business cases and cost/benefit analyses in order for a project to be seriously considered for implementation. If your company has not had an energy audit done in the last three years, the Level 2 audit (or a modified version of it) likely makes the most sense as a starting point. Level 2 audits include detailed descriptions of how each opportunity will affect your facility – this contains approximate capex budgets, potential utility incentive (rebate) opportunities, operational implications, and estimated energy savings for each individual project. Level 2 audits can often times require our staff to be on-site multiple times for extended periods of time. Additionally, a Level 2 audit will include life cycle analysis on specific HVAC units, which can be valuable from a maintenance and budget planning perspective. It include precise cost saving projections.Ī Level 2 energy audit is a more robust audit that provides detailed cost and benefit information on the energy efficiency projects that are identified. A Level 1 audit would typically not include capital investment estimates for the projects that are identified, nor would Depending on the size and nature of the facility, our team would only need to be on-site for a few hours to collect the basic information required. Consider the following audit levels a launching off point for how your company might begin a conversation with our team!Ī Level 1 energy audit is a low-level audit that typically identifies low cost/no cost energy efficiency opportunities. Since the goals and needs of each of our clients is different, not all of our energy audits fit exactly into the below levels. We desire for everyone to be educated and to have a clear understanding of what we will be doing and how it may or may not impact them.Īfter creating a project timeline in collaboration with our clients, the project will begin! Throughout each facility energy audit, we will have utility bill specialists, engineers, energy modelers, and other technical specialists engaged in your project to one degree or another.īelow are some brief descriptions of different levels of depth of energy audit and a few highlights associated with each. Engaging with as many associates at the company that will be affected by the audit as early as possible is key to a successful engagement. Upon establishing the appropriate level of energy audit, the next step is to meet with all the stakeholders at our client’s facility and map out the project timelines. Understanding vital pieces of information like what the financial ROI thresholds are at the company, learning what types of energy projects have been looked at in the past, and becoming aware of all the associates at the company who might be impacted by energy related projects are just a few of the key pieces of knowledge we need to learn in order to make a reasonable suggestion that meets our client’s goals and needs. ![]() Beyond ASHRAE’s official levels, there are a myriad of other ways to go about conducting an energy audit.Īt Foresight Management, our first step is to establish a deep understanding of our client’s goals and needs at a particular facility so we can make a customized recommendation as to how deep of an audit is appropriate. ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) has established three distinct levels of audit. Not all facility energy audits are created equally. With these timeframes, “past, present, and future” in mind, our team assesses three broad areas utility bill data, the technology (equipment) that consumes energy in your facility, and how your people behave with and operate said equipment. Facility energy audits are comprehensive, they should encompass where your company has been, where it is now, and where it plans to go.
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