Building energy audits are becoming a necessity of urban life. The process is simple for residential complexes, where the energy requirements are limited to the domestic lifestyles of the residents. The building energy audit of non-residential facilities is a complex process mainly because these buildings are used for commercial purposes. The process involved in non-residential building energy audit has four main stages in it. The reports generated in each stage needs to be sanctioned by the government body, before the next stage of the inspection is undertaken. Ideally, a set of energy consumption rules have been set down by the government, which need to be strictly followed by the building owners. Here, is a quick look at the four main stages of the audits carried out by these professionals.
Level 0: Also referred to as the Benchmarking stage, this is the first stage of the audit wherein a thorough analysis of the energy usage of the whole building is required. Technically referred to as Whole Building Energy Use, this preliminary step decides whether further analysis will be required or not. The performance of the building, that is being studied, is compared with the performance of its counterparts elsewhere in the state. WBEU analysis also studies the historic utility use and costs of the energy consumption.
Level I: This stage is also referred to as Walk-through Audit and identifies simple improvements in the energy consumption structure of the different parts of the complex. A list of energy conservation measures is generated outlining these improvements and existing measures that have been followed. This list turns out to be of immense help during the next stages of the inspection. The officials undertake physical inspection of the various equipments. The benchmarking stage collects the data related to energy consumption, which is verified during the physical inspection undertaken in this stage.
Level II: This stage is also referred to as the detailed or general energy audit. The professionals undertake detailed study of the reports generated in the aforementioned pre-audit stages. The steps undertaken during this stage include quantitative evaluation of the energy use basing on a detailed analysis of the existing facility.
Level III: This stage is also called Investment-Grade audit wherein the expensive energy conservation opportunities are studied and analyzed. These capital intensive modifications are need to be considered in detail before asking the owner of the facility to introduce changes.
By going for building energy audit, Fairfield County residents, commercial and industrial complex owners can ensure that the complexes adhere to the energy usage requirements set up by the government.
