The Benefits and Process of a Commercial Energy Audit

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Whether you manage an office building, school, hospital, or other type of facility, staying ahead of energy challenges and sustainability goals is critical.

These challenges can often be addressed through a commercial energy audit, which offers a comprehensive roadmap for achieving energy efficiency while tackling operational obstacles.

This post explores the benefits of energy audits, the process behind them, and how they can drive overall building performance.

Understanding a Commercial Energy Audit

A commercial energy audit is a professional assessment of a building's energy usage to uncover inefficiencies and recommend solutions to optimize energy consumption. These audits focus on components including but not limited to HVAC, lighting, electronics, and insulation.

This provides a tailored approach to reduce energy waste, which can account for up to 30% of total energy usage in commercial buildings​.

An HVAC technician performing tests on commercial HVAC equipment.

Why Commercial Energy Audits are Important

As a facility manager, you may encounter a range of obstacles when striving to maintain efficient, sustainable, and comfortable buildings that can be aided by an energy audit. This can include:

  • Balancing Operational Costs and Energy Efficiency Goals: Managing tight budgets while pursuing energy-saving initiatives can be a delicate balancing act, often requiring strategic planning to maximize return.
  • Navigating Regulatory Requirements and Sustainability Mandates: Keeping up with evolving energy regulations and meeting sustainability goals can be overwhelming without proper guidance or resources.
  • Dealing with Aging Equipment and Outdated Systems: Many facilities operate with older systems that are less efficient and prone to breakdowns, but upgrading them can be challenging without clear plans or allocated funding.
  • Managing Tenant and Occupant Comfort: Addressing complaints about inconsistent temperatures, poor air quality, or other comfort issues is essential to maintaining satisfaction and productivity, and these concerns can often stem from underlying energy inefficiencies.

Benefits of Energy Audits

We know balancing energy efficiency with operational costs can be difficult. Energy audits offer a solution to decreasing costs by helping address challenges like aging equipment, regulatory compliance, and occupant comfort.

Reduced Environmental Impact

By implementing recommendations from an energy audit, a facility can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote sustainable practices, and preserve non-renewable energy.

Improve Risk Management

Not only does an audit help improve efficiency, but it also gives facility managers an idea of what condition their equipment is in and how to best care for it to avoid unexpected problems.

Meet Regulatory Compliance

Audits may be necessary or aid a facility in aligning with local, state, and federal energy regulations.

Enhance Indoor Comfort

Optimizing airflow and addressing temperature inconsistencies can create a healthier and more comfortable environment for employees or building occupants.

Boost Corporate Social Responsibility

Energy-efficient practices demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, appealing to tenants, stakeholders, and customers.

The Energy Audit Process

There are five main steps to an energy audit. Steps may vary based on your industry, your building’s needs, and the company auditing your facility, but will typically include the following: 

1. Initial Consultation

The process begins with understanding your facility's unique goals—whether it's cost savings, compliance, or sustainability. This involves a discussion with facility managers and the auditors about the building’s history, operational challenges, and key areas of concern.

2. On-Site Assessment

The on-site assessment is a hands-on evaluation of all systems contributing to energy use. Key focus areas include HVAC systems, lighting, insulation, electronic devices, windows, and doors. Auditors assess the operational efficiency of these components, identifying air leaks, outdated equipment, or areas of excess energy consumption. This comprehensive evaluation highlights opportunities for improvements that will help your building’s long-term efficiency.

A technician using a heat tool to conduct an energy test.

3. Reporting and Recommendations

Following the assessment, auditors compile a customized report summarizing their findings. This report outlines detailed benchmarking comparisons, identifies inefficiencies, and prioritizes recommendations for improvements. To help facility managers make informed decisions, each recommendation is supported by a cost-benefit analysis. For example, the report might suggest replacing an outdated HVAC system with a high-efficiency unit, outlining the expected energy savings and return on investment.

Commissioning and Retro-Commissioning

Some recommendations may come in the form of commissioning or retro-commissioning.

  • Commissioning ensures that newly installed systems meet design specifications and function as intended. This step is critical for ensuring optimal performance from new equipment.
  • Retro-commissioning focuses on existing systems, seeking ways to restore or enhance their performance without the need for complete replacement. This can include recalibrating HVAC controls or optimizing ductwork for better airflow.

4. Implementation of Energy Efficiency Measures

RBI technicians installing a rooftop HVAC unit.

Once recommendations are approved, the focus shifts to implementing the energy-saving measures. The energy audit team often works closely with service technicians to manage these projects, ensuring they are completed on time and within budget. 

An implementation for an HVAC system may be installing advanced thermostats or replacing inefficient units with ENERGY STAR-rated equipment.

5. Ongoing Monitoring and Maintenance

To sustain the benefits of the energy audit, ongoing monitoring and maintenance are essential. Regular maintenance ensures systems remain efficient, while predictive diagnostics can identify problems before they escalate.

Building automation systems are often set up to provide real-time data on energy performance, enabling facility managers to track improvements and detect potential issues early. Additionally, annual re-evaluations and benchmarking are conducted to measure progress toward energy efficiency goals and identify new opportunities for improvement.

Improve the Energy Efficiency of Your Building with RBI

When you choose RBI to perform your facility’s energy audit, you get the added benefit of partnering with the same company to implement your audit recommendations and maintain your building for years to come. 

Aside from energy audits, our other energy services include:

  • Commissioning / Retro-Commissioning
  • Benchmarking
  • Factory Authorized Start-up and Warranty Service for Countless Manufacturers

We also offer full-service:

  • Boiler Service
  • Building Automation & Controls
  • Electrical Services
  • HVAC Maintenance Services
  • Plumbing Service
  • Predictive Maintenance

“Our long-standing relationship with RBI has been of significant benefit to VMRC. We consider RBI not just another vendor, but a partner. They are committed to quality workmanship, competitive pricing and are responsive to service needs. In addition, they have enabled us to improve energy efficiency and, like us, are dedicated to the overall well-being of our community.”

Judith Trumbo
President/CEO, VMRC, Inc.

As a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE), your building’s comfort and safety is our top priority.

We provide custom services tailored to meet your needs and requirements at each stage of your facility’s journey, from helping you find the right equipment to optimizing, installing, and maintaining your system.

RBI technicians analyzing a building structure on a construction site.