Do you need energy auditing for an apartment building or other multi-family property?
Apartment buildings provide convenient and affordable housing opportunities in urban areas. Unfortunately, maintaining efficient energy usage of the multiple different households living within one building can be difficult.
This is especially true if the apartment building is particularly old and relies on outdated infrastructure, such as heating and cooling systems, lighting, and electricity. That’s not even to mention the fixtures within each of the apartments, such as the fridges, stoves, laundry machines, and outlets. That’s a lot of energy to consider!
This is why apartment buildings are often culprits of expensive and inefficient energy consumption that is damaging to the environment.
To determine what improvements you need to make, you must begin with an energy audit. There are three levels of audits recognized by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE):
ASHRAE Level 1 Auditing for Multi-Family Apartment Buildings
The most basic type of energy audit is the ASHRAE Level 1, also known as the “walk-through analysis” stage. This audit includes:
- A walk-through of the site
- Interviews of key operations personnel
- Reviews of your facility’s utility bills
The goal of the step is to discover the areas of energy inefficiency that would be of little or no cost to fix. This establishes a general overview of the energy plan of the building, as well as the major overall problems.
ASHRAE Level 2 Auditing for Multi-Family Apartment Buildings
The second level, ASHRAE Level 2, offers more intensive data collection and reporting on the energy usage of the apartment building.
ASHRAE Level 2 audit includes:
- A breakdown of energy consumption by end-use to identify areas that present the greatest opportunities for improved efficiency
- An analysis of utility rates to find opportunities for a lower rate
- Interviews with important building personnel to gain insight in building operations, potential problem areas, and to define financial and non-financial goals
This data gives you the confidence to move forward with more costly energy-saving projects.
ASHRAE Level 3 Auditing for Multi-Family Apartment Buildings
A third ASHRAE level is available for those looking for more long-term data on their apartment building energy auditing.
At this stage, more detailed field data is collected and it is analyzed more intensely to determine areas of improvement. It can also help predict costs and compare the energy and operating savings post-implementation.
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Energy Audits Made Easy With EMAT Field Auditor
If you’re looking for an easy and affordable way to audit your multi-family apartment building, look no further than EMAT Field Auditor!
This cloud-based software can save you time, money, and frustration on your next energy renovation project. We also offer real-world technical support for every step of the way, including the option to have us conduct the entire audit for you. Schedule your demo today!