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What to do after an Energy Audit

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Rising energy costs along with corporate and government commitments on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and greenhouse emissions are giving facilities the opportunity to investigate their energy productivity and performance. At Northmore Gordon we are committed to partnering with industrial and large commercial facilities to identify and implement solutions which have a long-lasting impact to reduce energy costs.

A Type 2 Energy Audit is a comprehensive review of a facility’s energy performance, providing a baseline picture of energy consumption and costs, how energy usage relates to production and other variables (such as weather), comparison against industry benchmarks, and identifying and quantifying a number of opportunities for energy efficiency, productivity improvements, and cost reduction.

Unfortunately, due to the breadth of the report and difficulty prioritising, it can be hard to know which direction to take after an energy audit, and often the initial enthusiasm generated by it can dissipate.

To make it easier we’ve set out the pathway you can follow after an energy audit to capitalise on the opportunity to reduce energy costs:

Prioritise: Use a value-ease matrix to identify the high value and easy projects (just do), high value and difficult projects (strategise), low value and easy projects (incorporate into planning), low value and difficult projects (shelve).

Plan and Assign: The energy audit sets a baseline and performance indicators you can track energy consumption against. It’s important to assign responsibility to one or more individuals in your team to monitor consumption and oversee implementation of energy saving opportunities

Implement: Begin the process of implementing high value easy to do projects by changing operational practices or integrating into procurement and capital plans.

Strategise: Establish an energy management strategy, to ensure management decisions include consideration of energy, that a coherent plan and targets are established to reduce energy costs and consumption, and stakeholder engagement is obtain at all levels.

Review: Once you’ve followed these steps you’ll have a plan of action to follow for a year or so and this will require periodic review (at least yearly). Schedule in this review now to ensure evaluation or project progress and benefits takes places.

If you need further help getting your energy projects headed in the right direction, get in touch with us. We can help with each of the above steps and talk through what support you need to continue the journey.

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What is a Type 2 Energy Audit?

A Type 2 Energy Audit is a comprehensive review of a facility's energy performance. It provides a baseline picture of energy consumption and costs, shows how energy usage relates to production and other variables like weather, compares performance against industry benchmarks, and identifies and quantifies opportunities for energy efficiency, productivity improvements, and cost reduction.

According to Northmore Gordon, what steps should facilities take after receiving an energy audit?

Northmore Gordon sets out five steps: Prioritise, Plan and Assign, Implement, Strategise, and Review.

How should opportunities identified in an energy audit be prioritised?

You should use a value-ease matrix to categorise opportunities: high value and easy projects should be 'just done', high value and difficult projects should be strategised, low value and easy projects should be incorporated into planning, and low value and difficult projects should be shelved.

Why is it important to assign responsibility after an energy audit?

The energy audit sets a baseline and performance indicators against which energy consumption can be tracked, so it's important to assign responsibility to one or more individuals on your team to monitor consumption and oversee the implementation of energy saving opportunities.

What does the 'Implement' step involve after an energy audit?

The Implement step involves beginning the process of carrying out high value, easy-to-do projects by changing operational practices or integrating them into procurement and capital plans.

What does establishing an energy management strategy involve, per the article?

Establishing an energy management strategy ensures that management decisions include consideration of energy, that a coherent plan and targets are established to reduce energy costs and consumption, and that stakeholder engagement is obtained at all levels.

How often should the energy action plan be reviewed after an audit?

The article recommends periodic review at least yearly, since following the outlined steps will give you a plan of action to follow for a year or so, and this should be scheduled in advance to ensure evaluation of project progress and benefits takes place.

Why can it be difficult to know what to do after an energy audit, according to the article?

Due to the breadth of the energy audit report and the difficulty of prioritising its findings, it can be hard to know which direction to take, and the initial enthusiasm generated by the audit can often dissipate.

What is the purpose of maintaining an opportunity register after an energy audit, based on the knowledge base context?

An opportunity register keeps a comprehensive record of all opportunities identified in the audit, documenting for each one a description and supporting evidence, expected benefits, assessment stage (identified, feasible, approved, or rejected), implementation dependencies, next action and accountable role, and reason for deferral or rejection—allowing you to revisit options when operating conditions change.

What performance measures should be defined after an energy audit, according to the knowledge base context?

Useful performance measures may include total energy consumption, energy costs, peak demand, energy per unit of production, and performance of major systems, with the boundary and reporting period documented for each measure.

Who wrote the article 'What to do after an Energy Audit' and what is their background?

The article is credited to Northmore Gordon, represented by Craig Morgan, a mechanical engineer with 30 years' experience, including more than fifteen years assisting organisations manage energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and the impacts of climate change, with seven years focused on energy management and greenhouse gas inventory development/mitigation, and six years on renewable energy generation systems.

When was the 'What to do after an Energy Audit' article published?

The article was published on December 13, 2018.

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