There are many things we can do at home to save energy, but a large and significant portion of energy consumption comes from businesses. If you are a business owner, you should consider conducting a business energy audit.
The purpose of a business energy audit is to determine where a company or a small business can become more energy efficient and cut unnecessary energy related expenses. The process of a commercial energy audit creates a profile of your business energy expenditure, and determines methods, adjustments and investments that your business can take in order to make energy improvements and reduce energy costs. Sometimes the cost of doing a business energy audit is subsidized by government programs focused on reducing energy waste, this is done by covering a percentage of the cost directly or offering specific tax credits or tax reductions, you will need to check locally if such programs exist within your own region or country.
For a small business, especially for a home based business, it is certainly possible to conduct a simple business energy audit. The process will involve using freely available resources and information to categorize energy usage and determine the changes that need to be made in order to reduce energy consumption and energy costs. You may need to buy a basic power watt meter device, to accurately determine energy usage for certain devices and then conduct testing to determine accurate energy consumption. All information should then be recorded and analyzed to determine how and where changes can be made.
For a business of any significant size, hiring a professional company to conduct an energy audit is usually a far better investment, as they can offer superior expertise and conduct proper inspection of your business facilities. Furthermore a certified inspection may be required to be considered a real business energy audit, a do it yourself energy audit may simply not cut it in order to be considered for any government certifications, programs or tax savings.
A professional business auditor will conduct various forms of inspections and should provide you with a detailed reported on the current conditions of your business, where investments and adjustments need to be made, outline the cost of implementation and a return on investment.
Fundamental areas of focus during a business energy audit should include, lighting systems, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), building envelope (separation of indoor and outdoor space, such as walls, roof, floors, doors), followed by inspection of all fundamental and specialized equipment utilized by a business. A business energy audit should also consider methods on obtaining better energy rates and switching utility providers if applicable.
A professional business energy audit may offer different levels and types of inspections, and you will need to determine which is appropriate for your business.
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