For commercial and government facility managers or those assigned this task without the official title, sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know when it comes to building energy performance.
Every facility has challenges, and none are 100 percent efficient, so let’s start there: Your building energy performance can be improved, and you likely already sense this. Hiring an expert energy advisor is the first step to filling in these energy performance gaps.
So, how do you know when hiring outside help to solve these energy issues is the right move?
Let’s take a look at six signs that your organization’s bottom line could benefit from an energy audit. Because that’s really what energy audits are all about: Found money that can be reallocated to better support business goals or the organization mission.
Here are six signs it’s time to hire an energy expert to conduct an independent energy audit:
- You’re strapped for time. You have your finger on the pulse of how your facility is running, but other operational responsibilities prevent you from taking action in a meaningful way. You don’t have the staff to perform an effective audit and, even if you did, the audit performed would only scratch the surface.
Improving energy performance is always on your mind but never makes it to the top of your to-do list, as other more immediate and pressing fires need to be put out. Hiring an energy expert to conduct the audit pushes the ball forward and provides you with the framework and tools to finally get this important project done. - You have older equipment, or you’re in an older building. A simple and quick check of equipment purchase, installation, and maintenance dates tells you quite clearly when it’s time to conduct an audit. Older, outdated equipment, despite your best efforts to regularly perform preventative maintenance, is an indicator that it’s time to conduct an audit. Energy wasted is wasted money.
- Energy bills are rising. This is an obvious one, but only if you have access to historical energy use metrics. What’s more, it’s possible that you’ve identified an uptick in utility bill costs without understanding where the money is being lost. Knowing your building’s energy costs is a great first step but really doesn’t matter much unless you pinpoint where energy waste is happening specifically.
- You have a tight budget. You might be asking, “If I have a tight budget, why would I hire an outside energy audit service?”
This might seem counterintuitive, but it’s not. If you have a robust budget for energy efficiency projects, that’s wonderful. Conducting an energy audit is a no-brainer.
However, even if you don’t have a huge budget or if your available funds are tight, it makes more sense to spend your money wisely. Here’s why: An outside expert is able to better identify and prioritize energy fixes that yield the most bang for your buck. This allows you to use your limited time and money to fix what makes the most sense, maximizing your budget to get the best results for your bottom line. - You have regulatory compliance challenges. Depending on your industry, regulation compliance is an ongoing challenge, particularly for small facility management teams or those flying solo. Bringing in an outside energy-efficient expert creates a roadmap that guides you to consistent energy regulatory compliance. Knowing where your building is inefficient and how to prioritize fixes is a big benefit of an independent, objective assessment of your facility’s energy performance.
- Your organization has reputation challenges. Taking steps to improve your building’s environmental impact saves money, plain and simple. Additional benefits of taking this step are less obvious.
Taking proactive steps to reduce energy consumption is a step toward protecting the environment, improving the working conditions of your staff, and helping the community where your building is located. These are all strong public relations opportunities that improve your organization’s reputation or help repair a damaged reputation.
The RIFE International team can help you conduct the energy audit that you need.
Reach out to us today, as we’d love to hear more about your facility and vision for improving its performance. An energy audit is a strong investment that quickly pays for itself and yields immediate results for your bottom line, the environment, and your organization’s standing in the community.
