Whether you want to cut energy costs or simply identify the biggest energy drains within your building or property, an energy audit can provide you with vital information that will allow you to become more energy-efficient. By hiring the right energy auditor, you will get an actionable report that can provide both short and long-term results: the perfect combination for improving your building’s energy usage.
What Will an Energy Auditor Do?
At REX, energy auditors are engineers: highly-trained individuals who are ready to come in and help determine how your building uses energy and how it can use energy more efficiently. An engineer specializing in energy audits will:
Inspect your property and determine where and how you are using energy. The engineer will look at occupancy rates and efficiency throughout your facility. They don’t just want to find energy drains; they want to see how the facility as a whole uses energy.
Present best practices that fit the needs of your business. A good energy auditor doesn’t simply issue generic recommendations. Instead, they’ll discuss the specifics of your building and your business, then offer best practice recommendations that will genuinely work for you.
Compile reports to discuss potential costs and savings. Implementing energy-saving plans may cost your business money up front, and a good energy auditor knows that you need to balance those costs with the potential savings. Not only will they discuss the potential cost of energy-saving changes with you up front, they’ll present you with a solid picture of what savings you can expect, both short-term and long-term.
Finding the Best Energy Auditor for Your Building
When you hire an energy auditor, you want the best: someone who will bring genuine value to your business. As you prepare to hire an auditor, take these key steps:
Contact the Engineering Firm
You may want to prepare a request for quotation to help you better understand the potential costs of an energy audit for your building. Before choosing an energy auditor, ask key questions like:
- How much experience do you have in the industry? How long have you been working as an energy auditor?
- Have you worked with businesses like mine in the past?
- Can I talk with past customers to learn more about your business?
- What will you charge for an energy audit of my business?
- What services are included in your audit?
- What certifications do you have? Each energy auditor may have different certifications. You want an energy auditor with professional certifications, like Professional Engineer, ASHRAE Building Energy Assessment Professional, AEE Existing/Certified Building Commissioning Professionals, or AEE Certified Energy Manager.
- Who will actually oversee the audit? When you look at resumes and other information, you want to be sure that you’re looking at the people who will work directly with your building, not just the people working behind the scenes.
Asking the right questions can help you build a better understanding of the energy auditors available in your area–including which one will be a better fit for your property.
How To Evaluate An Engineering Firm
By asking the right questions, you can narrow down the firms you’re considering and get a better idea of who you want to partner with. Take a look at the auditors who have offered you the best answers to your initial contact, then look for these key factors.
What characteristics does the auditor display? You want an auditor who is helpful, action oriented, and familiar with the latest technologies. You do not, however, want an auditor who will immediately jump in and start trying to sell you products that you don’t need or pushing you in a specific direction regardless of whether it will work for your business. You will probably prefer working with an auditor who will handle project implementation as well as performing the audit, but you don’t want them to push those services on you, either.
What characteristics do their references describe? If you were comfortable in your discussions with the auditor and felt that they displayed the characteristics you were looking for, talk with their references. How do their references describe them? Do past clients believe that they have the characteristics and resources you need? Be sure to ask about how long it took to complete projects, how easy it was to communicate with the auditor, and whether the auditor retained the professional persona you experienced in your initial communications throughout their interactions.
What do others say about them? Take a look at online reviews, especially if you’re unable to contact references directly. Online reviews can give you a solid look at how the engineer you’re considering will handle your energy audit. Make sure you don’t just look at the average stars; instead, take the time to read through what both satisfied and dissatisfied clients have to say to help give you a better picture of what the firm you’ve chosen can accomplish.
Energy Audit Services at REX Engineering
REX Engineering provides energy auditing services for a variety of markets. Our energy consulting team assist owners and architects through sustainable design to achieve energy conservation goals. Our objective is to design operationally-efficient facilities, with the least environmental impact, to achieve financial, sustainability, and LEED performance goals.
Our professional energy consulting team integrates a professional team of MEP consultants and licensed – LEED accredited engineers. Our energy auditors have extensive experience helping decision makers with insights about how to reach energy saving goals and plan capital investments before construction even begins.
