Energy Audit

Making your small business greener

By Marcia Studley

With increased awareness of expenditures and the move towards being green, energy audits are recommended for small businesses. Simply put, an energy audit is an evaluation of how much energy a building consumes. Its ultimate goal is to provide methods for becoming more efficient through energy conservation, thereby reducing costs. This can be accomplished in several ways:

  • Basic energy usage
  • Retrofits
  • Building repairs
  • Prioritization of energy uses

What an Energy Audit Accomplishes

Though an energy audit focuses on how a business can reduce energy consumption, it gives equal attention to maintaining or improving human comfort, health and safety. An audit reveals the places where a business is losing energy and suggests ways that insulation, heating, and cooling systems could be made more efficient. In addition to identifying the sources of energy use, an energy audit prioritizes that usage and provides ways to achieve energy savings.

Types of Energy Audits

Small businesses can take advantage of two types of energy audits. A preliminary audit is basically a walk-through of a facility, interviews with operational employees, and a review of the company's utility bills and other data. Though only major problem areas will be uncovered, this process will still help prioritize projects to help reduce energy intake as well as to determine if a more detailed audit is necessary.

A general audit is a more thorough survey of energy conservation measures, reviewing up to three years worth of data. The interviews are more in-depth and a detailed financial analysis is done for each energy conservation measure.

How To Obtain an Energy Audit

A small business can usually obtain a free or low-cost energy audit from their local utility company. Do-it-yourself audits are easily available and can be done online, with a CD-ROM, through the mail or over the phone.

While it varies from state to state, utility companies often offer assistance to small businesses in the following ways:

  • Discounts and / or special low-interest financing on energy-efficient equipment
  • Special incentives for improvements, such as duct sealing
  • Rebates for changing to energy-efficient equipment

How Your Business Can Conserve Energy

Converting to solar power not only reduces your business' energy cost, but it's good for the environment. With consumers paying more attention to green companies, this is one way to attract positive press. Incentives being offered by many utilities nationwide make this a good time to install solar power.

There are also many simple things a small business can do to conserve energy. An energy audit will easily point out the following suggestions and much more:

  • Turn off all office equipment every night
  • When purchasing office equipment, choose Energy Star models
  • Use email instead of paper memos or faxes
  • Use compact fluorescent lamps
  • Install motion detectors to control lighting in areas that are normally unoccupied
  • Install ceiling fans and solar screen shades

Water conservation is also important and can be done, in part, by installing low-water facilities in the restrooms.

An energy audit can help small businesses learn how to better conserve energy usage by taking advantage of solar power, water conservation and other energy conservation methods. This will not only increase energy efficiency, but will reduce operating cost and provide the company with some positive 'We've gone green' publicity.

Contact your local utility company today and begin reducing your costs and protecting the environment!