No matter the facility — new, old, large, or small — government agencies and commercial enterprises reap big rewards from conducting a comprehensive energy audit on their facility.
Opportunities always exist to improve energy efficiency. Small energy adjustments and improvements often yield great savings, and larger, more complex energy infrastructure capital improvements do the same and pay for themselves in a relatively short period of time.
Every government agency can use these predictable, sustainable energy savings to further their mission, and every private-sector organization can reinvest found energy savings to fund innovation and growth.
Hiring an energy efficiency expert to perform a thorough energy audit is a smart investment that yields long-term benefits to your bottom line, employees, and reputation. Here’s how a facility energy audit benefits government agencies and commercial enterprises:
Reducing Expenses
The most obvious benefit of conducting an energy audit and implementing its recommendations is saving money.
Up to 33 percent of a government building or commercial facility’s operating expenses are related to energy costs. Imagine what reducing this major operational expense can do for your organization’s bottom line and budget performance.
A strong energy audit examines your entire facility to understand where energy is being lost, what systems are operating inefficiently, and how your building’s energy use changed over time by examining your utility bill history. Your energy audit company develops a report that chronicles how your energy systems relate and creates a roadmap for implementing fixes that cut down your energy costs in half, in some cases.
Reinvesting Savings
An energy audit typically results in the predictable reduction of operational expenses, which translates into increased profitability for private-sector, for-profit entities, and stronger budget performance for government agencies.
In the case of the former, profits enabled by stronger energy efficiency can be reinvested into the company. In other words, what was once wasted money can now be used actively to improve a business and propel its growth.
For the latter, government agencies can more efficiently utilize their budget allocations to achieve their mission. More budget dollars are freed when not stolen by expenses created by energy inefficiency.
Predictability and Risk Mitigation
Investing in a professional energy audit is an investment in cost predictability and risk mitigation. The cost of energy fluctuates and is unpredictable due to a variety of factors beyond an organization’s control. Shortages, natural disasters, conflict, and economic instability are a few factors that cause energy prices to rise.
A skillful and comprehensive energy audit, and a thoughtful, phased implementation of its recommendations, insulate your agency or enterprise against energy cost volatility. If you’re maximizing energy efficiency, your organization’s losses will be far less than competitors that are out of touch with the blueprint of their facility’s energy consumption patterns.
Simply put, control what you can control. Understanding your energy use and implementing fixes puts you in charge of operating expenses and limits the potential damage caused by forces beyond your control.
Reduced Maintenance and Replacement Costs
When your energy systems operate more efficiently, they last longer and need less reactive maintenance, thereby further reducing operational costs. Proactive, preventative maintenance checks are always necessary, even post-energy audit.
However, reactive or emergency fixes or replacements are always more costly and error-prone.
Utilizing control systems for lighting, variable control systems for fans, and programmable thermostats (to name a few examples) increases the shelf lives of each underlying system. Energy efficiency is about saving money through lower utility bills and keeping your energy infrastructure healthy over the long term.
A Healthier, More Pleasant Work Environment
A less direct benefit of an energy audit is an improved work environment created by more efficient, environmentally friendly, and reliable energy systems. Staff members benefit from an energy audit that creates a better, healthier work environment in the following areas:
- Improved indoor air quality
- More consistent, improved climate control
- Increased productivity
- Stronger building safety
Environmental Impact and Rebates
Increasing your facility’s energy efficiency has myriad benefits for the environment. In the United States, 39 percent of carbon emissions are created by buildings. 18 percent of that total is created by larger commercial facilities, according to the EPA. Any reduction in energy waste and inefficiency in your building reduces its impact on the community in which you live and work.
What’s more, an energy audit puts you in the position to benefit from state and federal rebate and credit programs. Research available energy efficiency rebates or tax credits offered by federal, state, and local governments and utility companies. Start your research here.
While many energy efficiency initiatives pay for themselves rather quickly, applying and receiving rebates and tax credits also offsets some of the initial costs.
Stronger Public Relations
An ancillary benefit of implementing energy efficiency initiatives is strong public and community relations that benefit your agency or brand. Letting the community know about your energy efficiency projects and good faith efforts to protect the environment and surrounding community has many benefits for your organization.
The RIFE International team can help you conduct the energy audit you need.
Reach out to us today to speak with one of our facility energy experts. 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.