Energy Audits

An energy audit is a review of a building’s heating, cooling and lighting systems, water consumption, ventilation, control systems and the building envelope. “Process” energy used in manufacturing and production may also be evaluated in an energy audit, which is performed by an engineer with experience evaluating energy systems in commercial, residential, and industrial facilities.

Sieben Energy Associates (SEA) has deep and broad energy auditing experience. We are not affiliated with any energy supplier, utility or manufacturer, and therefore are completely unbiased as to the outcome of an energy audit. Nor do we perform an energy audit with the intention of selling the client more services at the end of the audit. Instead, we uncover operational improvements that can have an immediate impact on the bottom line. SEA has worked with clients having a single building in one location or dozens of buildings spread across the United States. SEA has the skills and experience necessary to handle portfolio-wide assignments.

Our energy audit reports provide a detailed description of the building’s energy consuming systems, a list of opportunities for energy reduction and cost savings, estimated implementation costs of energy cost reduction measures (ECRMs), and the financial metrics to aid the building owner with decision-making. An SEA energy audit typically identifies five percent to twenty percent in cost reduction opportunities from improvements with less than a five-year payback.

We perform several types of building-specific energy audits.

Commercial
Commercial buildings serve specific functions that differentiate their energy use from industrial and residential facilities. SEA engineers analyze a commercial building’s systems and develop reports based on an understanding of their occupants’ needs and comfort requirements. We have experience with a variety of commercial structures, including hospitals, museums, office buildings, retail buildings, educational facilities, warehouses, and more. Our team has developed particular expertise working with clients who maintain a portfolio of buildings across the country, such as big-box retailers with stores and distribution centers. Our reports are customized according to client needs, or may be standardized according to the ASHRAE reporting model. ASHRAE–type energy audits are often integrated with our green building services for LEED for existing buildings operations and maintenance.

ASHRAE Level I & Level II
SEA assists building owners in meeting LEED EB O & M requirements by performing both ASHRAE Level I and ASHRAE Level II energy audits. The United States Green Buildings Council recognizes ASHRAE as an energy audit standard for achieving LEED certification credits.

Industrial
SEA engineers also perform energy audits of industrial and manufacturing facilities. These audits review conventional building energy systems as well as energy use for process applications.

Multi-family Residential
We have conducted hundreds of energy audits of high-rise, garden, and low-rise multi-family buildings, and found excellent opportunities for energy and cost savings. These audits evaluate energy use in both common areas and resident areas, and are often integrated with our management services for company portfolio performance analysis.

System
System-level energy audits focus on one or more energy or water-consuming systems, such as lighting, cooling or ventilation systems. Such audits are valuable for facilities that are implementing energy efficiency improvements in a phased process. However, since many energy-consuming systems are interdependent, a system-level energy audit will also include an evaluation of impacts on other energy uses within a facility.

Single Family Residential
We perform home energy audits on a limited basis for particularly energy intensive properties. For most single-family residential energy efficiency inquiries, we recommend that home-owners first investigate programs or incentives offered from their local electric and/or natural gas utilities. It is common for a utility to provide free or low-cost energy efficiency services for homeowners. If however, the utility recommends a home energy audit by a third party, we can provide these services.