When a facility is trying to understand energy usage, one of the first terms leaders may come across is ASHRAE energy audits. Not everyone is familiar with what ASHRAE energy audits are, but for commercial facility managers, ASHRAE energy audits are helpful because they create a structured way to look at how a building uses energy and what improvements may be worth considering.
If you are researching about ASHRAE energy audits, there’s a good chance that you want answers when it comes to your building’s energy use so you can make a plan to improve efficiency and lower energy costs. Understanding the ASHRAE system can help you make sense of your facility’s current energy state and make a plan for the next steps towards improvement.
What Is ASHRAE?
ASHRAE stands for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers. It is an organization that develops guidance, standards, and technical resources related to building systems, HVAC, refrigeration, and energy use.
Many facilities rely on ASHRAE guidance when they want a more consistent way to evaluate energy performance. Instead of guessing at how a building is performing, ASHRAE energy audit levels provide a framework for understanding current energy usage and identifying where more analysis may be needed.
ASHRAE Energy Audits Explained
The easiest way to understand ASHRAE energy audits is to think of them each as an inspection of your facility’s energy that gets more detailed with each level. The first level is a preliminary audit used to create a baseline understanding of current energy usage and identify obvious opportunities for improvement. The next level takes a more detailed look into your performance and also offers more detailed insights into what steps to take next. The third level of ASHRAE audits is the most in-depth, and they look at the sub-system level to provide a detailed analysis of costs, savings, and implementation needs. Each of these types of energy assessments gives your facility the amount of detail you need, depending on the energy goals you have for your facility.
Why ASHRAE Audits Matter For Commercial & Municipal Facilities
Facility managers typically want to learn more about ASHRAE when they are looking for clarity into why their facility systems are not working as efficiently as they should, often without any idea of what to actually do next. They know there’s an energy problem in their building, but they don’t know how big it is or what should happen first. ASHRAE energy audits can help facilitate that conversation. They can pinpoint areas where energy may be wasted and provide facility decision-makers a stronger basis for future planning.
How Quandel Helps Facilities Understand Their Energy Use
ASHRAE energy audits provide a structure to help understand how energy is being used at a facility. Quandel Energy Solutions provides energy audit services that help facilities determine that same kind of baseline and identify next steps. If your facility is seeking to understand current energy use, reduce utility costs, or determine if a deeper assessment is necessary, Quandel can help you move from energy uncertainty to a clearer plan for improvement.
To find out if an energy audit is for you, or if you are ready to move on to energy consulting or all the way to utility reduction services for your facility, contact Quandel Energy Solutions today.
