As energy efficiency becomes a more and more important subject for many business owners, these individuals and their employees are always looking for better ways to capture and understand the energy usage and efficiency of their facilities. One such method that only improves in scope and quality with each passing year: The energy audit.

At Onsite Utility Services Capital, we’re proud to offer a huge range of energy efficiency and energy management services that benefit numerous industries, from healthcare facilities to schools, municipalities and many others. One of these is the energy audit, which involves inspecting and analyzing the energy usage of a facility in order to identify ways to improve overall efficiency while cutting expenses. Here are some of the specific ways your business stands to benefit from an energy audit, especially if one has not been performed in some time.

IDing Issues Early On

Perhaps the single greatest benefit of an energy audit to your business is the way it allows for the identification of issues early on. Many times, businesses will only become aware of energy inefficiencies when they’ve begun to impact the bottom line, but by then it can be difficult and expensive to correct them. An energy audit allows for a comprehensive view of your facility’s energy usage and can help identify issues such as:

• Inefficient or malfunctioning equipment, such as HVAC systems, lighting or refrigeration
• Oversized or aging equipment that wastes energy
• Poor insulation or airtightness in buildings
• Leaky windows and doors
• Incorrectly set thermostats
• Facility layout that wastes energy through needless motion
• Improper use of energy by personnel

All of these issues can lead to a facility using more energy than necessary, costing your business money. The earlier they’re identified, the easier and less expensive they are to correct.

A Blueprint for Efficiency Improvements

Once all of the energy inefficiencies have been identified, your business can then work with our team of experts to create a roadmap for efficiency improvements. This plan will focus on the most cost-effective measures that can be taken to improve your facility’s energy efficiency, and will take into account factors such as the age of your equipment, the layout of your building and even the climate in which it’s located.

Having a plan in place is essential for making sure that any efficiency improvements made are done so in a deliberate and organized way, rather than in a piecemeal fashion. This can save your business time and money in the long run.

Reducing Expenses

Another key reason many business owners carry out regular energy audits, and one we’ve already touched on above, is the potential for reducing expenses. In many cases, making small changes to how a facility uses energy can lead to major savings. And, as we mentioned before, these savings are often most noticeable in the long term rather than the short term.

Some of the ways your business can save money through energy efficiency improvements include:

• Replacing aging or inefficient equipment
• Upgrading lighting to more energy-efficient options
• Improving insulation or airtightness
• Installing occupancy sensors
• Purchasing ENERGY STAR® appliances
• Switching to renewable energy sources

All of these changes can lead to a significant reduction in your facility’s overall energy usage, and the accompanying expenses.

Improving Employee Comfort

While most of the benefits we’re going over here speak to your broader business infrastructure and improvements to it, it’s important not to overlook the ways in which energy audits can also benefit your employees. In many cases, the employees of a business are the ones who are most directly impacted by energy inefficiencies. This can be due to issues such as working in an uncomfortable environment or having to walk long distances between workstations.

An energy audit can help identify ways to improve the comfort of your employees, through things like upgrading the HVAC system, installing window film or providing better lighting. These small changes can go a long way in improving employee satisfaction and productivity.

Learning About New Energy Efficiency Themes

The world of energy efficiency sees new technologies and methods emerge all the time. By conducting an energy audit, your business can stay ahead of the curve by learning about these new developments and how they might be able to help improve your facility’s efficiency.

If you never carry out such audits or similar programs, and therefore never have industry-leading professionals like ours on-hand to speak with about such matters, you’re far more likely to fall behind and miss out on potential savings.

Improved Equipment Lifespan

Another huge variable here, especially for larger businesses that maintain lots of high-value equipment, is the increased lifespan of said equipment when it’s used in an energy-efficient manner. There are countless case studies and reports out there highlighting how improved efficiency can mean extended equipment life.

In some cases, this increase in lifespan can be quite dramatic – sometimes up to 50% or even more. This means less downtime for your business, as well as less money spent on replacements and repairs.

Improved Property Value and Reputation

Finally, others are sure to notice if your business is doing its part to save the environment. In many cases, this improved reputation can lead to increased property values and more opportunities for contracting work. Many clients today say they absolutely will not work with a company unless it’s making efforts toward sustainability and energy efficiency.

All in all, there are many good reasons to conduct regular energy audits for your business. Not only can they lead to significant savings and a more comfortable work environment, but they can also help improve your reputation and increase the value of your property.

So what are you waiting for? Contact the team at Onsite Utility Services Capital today to get started on your business’ very own energy audit.