ASHRAE Outlines Three Levels of Energy Audits to Assist Building Owners and Managers with Achieving Effi ciency Goals WRITTEN BY | RICK HUNTER AND MARC LOPATA
ASHRAE LEVEL 1: WALK- THROUGH ANALYSIS/ PRELIMINARY AUDIT The Level 1 audit sometimes is called a “simple audit,” “screening audit” or “walk- through audit” and is the basic starting point for building energy optimization. It involves brief interviews with site operating personnel, a review of the facility’s utility bills and other data, and an abbreviated walk-through of the building. The ASHRAE Level 1 audit is geared toward identifi cation of the potential for energy improvements, understanding the general building con- fi guration, and defi ning the type and nature of energy systems. The audit should result in a preliminary
energy-use benchmark and a short report detailing the fi ndings, which may include identifying a variety of recognizable effi cien- cy opportunities. Usually this report does not provide detailed recommendations, except for very visible projects or operational faults. The ASHRAE Level 1 audit is intended to
PHOTO: MICROGRID SOLAR
n energy audit is a systematic ap- proach to prob- lem solving and decision-making. The primary goals of an energy audit
are to qualify and quantify how the build- ing energy systems are performing now, how that performance can be improved, and what will be the outcomes of those improvements for the owner in financial and non-financial terms. Energy audits vary in depth, depending
on the confi guration of the building energy systems, the project parameters set by the client, and the scope and capabilities offered
16 RETROFIT // March-April 2013
Marc Lopata (left), president of Microgrid Solar, performing an energy audit on Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
by the energy auditor. Because it usually is not possible to know where the audit process will lead and what level of effort will be most cost-effective, Atlanta-based ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) has defi ned three progressive levels, or types, of audits. These audits, and the upgrade that is
completed as a result, usually will qualify for utility and tax incentives to defray the cost. Not all energy audits are the same, and it is helpful to understand the various levels of audits that are performed.
help the energy team understand where the building performs relative to its peers; establish a baseline for measuring improve- ments; decide whether further evaluation is warranted; and, if so, where and how to focus that effort. This will help minimize the cost of the more intensive higher-level work involved in the Level 2 or 3 audits. Level 1 also will outline the range of potential fi nancial incentives available from federal, state, local and utility sources.
ASHRAE LEVEL 2: ENERGY SURVEY AND ANALYSIS The next step for most facilities is the ASHRAE Level 2 audit/assessment. A Level 2 project starts with the fi ndings of the Level 1 audit and evaluates the building energy systems in (continues on page 18)