The built environment, which includes the energy used for constructing, heating, cooling and lighting buildings, accounts for over one third of global energy consumption and carbon emissions. Because of the long lives of buildings, design and operations decisions made in the past have ongoing impacts today. New construction strives to meet future challenges and targets, but what about buildings that are already standing? How can existing facilities and infrastructure contribute to global decarbonization efforts?
An energy audit is one way to learn more about the energy a building or portfolio consumes—and how it can be improved. But what exactly is it and why is it important?
It’s an answer to your energy question.
Energy auditing assesses a building through the lens of energy conservation. It answers the question, “How much energy is my building using?” Then, it dives deeper on, “What can my building be doing better?” Clients seeking an audit usually want to save energy costs, deliver on ESG goals or respond to sustainable design criteria.
Energy use — now and later.
By studying the facility or portfolio and how it’s used, energy auditors generate data around Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC), lighting, water and more — not just usage as it is today, but also factoring in future changes. These sophisticated simulations quantify and predict outcomes while providing a list of conservation measures and possible improvements. Deliverables include energy reports, associated cost information and future actions to take toward energy conservation.
Some audits are required.
For U.S. government agencies, energy auditing of existing facilities is required every four years. As we race closer to 2030 and 2050 climate targets around the world, private companies are also increasingly seeking energy consumption reports and improvement strategies, including around decarbonization and greenhouse gas reduction.
Certifications aren’t one and done.
Certifications such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or Energy Star are useful design targets that need careful monitoring to ensure ongoing compliance. Energy auditors can assess current performance while predicting future outcomes, all of which is useful for energy and cost reduction strategies for both public and private clients.
Pro tip: Never underestimate the power of a Life Cycle Cost Assessment (LCCA).
The LCCA is a powerful tool to determine the long-term costs of running your building or portfolio. No one loves upfront costs, but often higher costs at the outset mean significant savings later. Trusted consultant partners can have honest conversations about how to apply LCCA data to your unique situation.
Energy auditors are specialists that use building data to study, report, recommend and implement green design. In a way, they can predict the future state of a building, and make yours more energy efficient. WSP’s energy auditing team helps clients strategize and prioritize the actions a company can take to achieve its energy goals. They bring an understanding of the need to balance sustainable goals with realistic operations over time. They also know that an audit doesn’t save a client money; actions do.
