How a building audit can benefit your business
A SaveMoneyCutCarbon building audit should give your business a detailed understanding of energy and water usage, enabling you to create a plan of action that cuts cost and carbon footprint.
The full audit would investigate consumption, usage patterns, and efficiency across business operations, developing a full inventory of all buildings, equipment and operational practices to identify any areas where energy and water might be wasted or used inefficiently, allowing your company to develop more sustainable practices.
A first step would be a call with one of our AIEMA qualified Carbon Mentors to lay the groundwork for the building audit, collecting data on energy and water usage over a specific period from utility bills and other consumption records.
This process, conducted by phone and online with follow up email correspondence, might also be helpful in identifying patterns and anomalies, for example, periods when there is unusually high usage.
The next stage would be an onsite inspection, following the parameters set with the initial call. The goal would be to provide a complete savings blueprint showing what can be done and return on investment (ROI) schedules.
Minimising energy and water consumption can dramatically reduce costs, and the full audit should highlight where a business can save, with payback timings. A SaveMoneyCutCarbon energy and water audit would give you:
- A full report covering all areas of water and energy consumption
- Assessment of retrofit generation and renewables across the building(s)
- Identification of opportunities that offer the quickest paybacks
Indicative savings and costs for projects, driving a further detailed investigation
The efficiency inspections should deliver detailed consumption analysis of every aspect of your company’s operations, providing clear, actionable ways to cut costs and boost green credentials.
Lighting and water
Assessment of lighting systems would be an essential part of the audit, gathering information on bulb types, wattages, usage patterns, and occupancy sensors. External lighting would also be considered where appropriate.
Washroom and kitchen facilities would be surveyed to assess current types of taps, showers, urinals and toilets, and potential for water harvesting and recycling would be considered.
HVAC systems might also be a part of the audit process, with investigation of pumps, heaters, boilers and vents, along with overviews of potential energy losses like air leaks, poor insulation quality, lack of double glazing, and damp.
Data gathered during the initial period and the physical audit should be fully analysed by the sustainability specialist to identify opportunities to save money and cut carbon, with a detailed report that covers:
- Analysis of all energy and water consumption points
- Calculation of existing carbon footprint, energy and water costs per year for each area
- Calculation of revised annual carbon footprint and energy cost, based on agreed assumptions, for specific projects
- Costing table that clearly highlights energy savings and payback periods
- Calculation of ROI to demonstrate financial benefits of choosing energy and water efficiency solutions.
By understanding where energy and water is being wasted, your business can take steps to reduce consumption and reduce costs. An audit can also help to identify where systems are working against each other or where inefficient plant is in use. The audit should help provide solutions that save energy without affecting productivity or comfort.
Marketing and ESG asset
The audit and subsequent actions would demonstrate your company’s commitment to sustainability, which can be a marketing asset and help to set you ahead of competitors. And employees could be motivated to suggest new ideas and projects that help the business be more sustainable.
A building audit can also help your company to make the most of efficiency opportunities, support Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policies and secure the funding needed for implementation of a sustainability action plan.
The audit might also form the basis for educating employees on best practices, for example labelling on light switches and equipment to avoid unnecessary usage, with posters to help in shared spaces. Other behaviour changes might be only to boil the amount of water needed for hot drinks, and fully loading dishwashers.
Going green is not just about the environment – wasted energy is wasted money. Once thought to be opposing goals, sustainability and financial success now can go hand-in-hand.
Data from the building audit report should help to produce a robust business case, demonstrating the ways sustainable practices could pay off financially for your company. The audit should also help to guide any action needed around energy and carbon regulations that can affect many different aspects of a business.
Working with SaveMoneyCutCarbon, your company should identify any steps needed to comply with relevant regulations such as the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) and Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings.
Conclusion
A building audit can benefit your company by providing a full assessment of energy and water usage along with the associated carbon emissions, giving you a clear understanding of potential savings and CO2e reductions. As well as reducing costs, the audit would help to support actions that reinforce ESG strategies and ensure regulatory compliance.