zumBrunnen follows American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Level 1 Energy Audit guidelines and consists of assessing a building’s energy cost and efficiency by analyzing energy bills and a brief survey of the building. The Level 1 Energy Audit Report will discuss energy conservation measures, including estimated capital costs, anticipated annual energy cost savings, and the simple payback or return on investment.
A Level 1 audit may be called a “simple audit”, “screening audit”, or “walk-through audit”. It is the entry level for building energy optimization. It involves interviews with site operating personnel, a review of the facility’s utility bills and other operating data, and a walk-through of the building. The ASHRAE Level 1 audit is geared toward the identification of the potential for energy improvements, understanding the general building design, and defining the type and nature of energy systems. The audit should result in a preliminary, high-level, energy-use analysis for the entire facility, and a report detailing the findings, which includes identifying a variety of recognizable efficiency opportunities. A Level 1 report does not provide detailed recommendations, except for very visible projects or operational faults.
The ASHRAE Level 1 audit is intended to help the energy team understand where the building performs relative to its peers; to establish a baseline for measuring improvements; and to decide whether further evaluation is warranted, and, if so, where and how to focus that effort. The Level 1 also will outline the range of potential financial incentives available from Federal, State, Local, and Utility sources.
We believe a Level 1 audit is a good value for those buildings constructed prior to the most recent energy codes!
