Audits That Will SAVE You Money
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In the U.S. buildings account for 38 percent of all CO2 emissions, use 14 percent of all potable water, and consume 72 percent of all electrical power generated. Overall, building and maintaining our structures consumes over 50 percent of the energy used in this country. This presents an enormous environmental footprint for this industry, but also opportunities for investors, owners, and companies considering green buildings.
The current trend in green buildings is towards renovating existing buildings instead of breaking ground on new construction. This is due to lower up-front capital needs, increased demand for green buildings with lower operating expenses, and the fact that 85 percent of our current building stock will still be around in 20 years.
Former New York City deputy mayor, Dan Doctoroff, has said that if you’re building a class A office space in NYC today without doing it green, you’ll likely suffer the same fate as those in the 1940s who built without incorporating air conditioning technology. All of these buildings ended up having to retrofit their buildings 20 years later, at a much higher cost. Similarly, if new or renovated buildings are not constructed with energy efficiency, water savings, and use of environmentally-preferred materials in mind, a much costlier upgrade a decade or so down the line will be inevitable.
An energy audit, even when not accompanied by a large renovation, can still identify opportunities for cost savings, assess your site’s energy use, carbon footprint, and opportunities to minimize all forms of waste and maximize recycling efforts.
An energy audit will include an analysis of:
- Energy Efficiency – Evaluation of overall systems and energy performance, building envelope integrity, lighting needs and excesses, and the potential for renewable energy systems
- Water Conservation – Assessment of current usage, opportunities for utilizing wastewater, landscaping alternatives, and proper discharge management
- Indoor Air Quality – Appraisal of HVAC systems, air quality monitoring, identification of asbestos liabilities, and pollution controls
- Site Sustainability – How to minimize soil and site disturbance, optimize storm water management, minimize light pollution, manage heat islands, and provide for alternative transportation opportunities for employees and customers.
- Materials & Construction – Evaluates demolition and waste management, increase use of alternative building materials, and maximize materials recycling
Information from this audit can help to:
- Predict energy savings resulting from design alternatives
- Analyze potential energy upgrades
- Provide the documentation needed to qualify for rebates, incentives, and green building certification
Tim Woodall at FD Element