CH-81-14-3 -- The Owner’s Side to an Energy Audit PDF

Individuals who own and operate commercial buildings generally have three ways of dealing with the increasing cost of energy. One way is to simply add it to the operating cost of the buildings. But this is really no solution at all because the lessees end up paying more when, in fact, they know that even a few simple mechanical adjustments could do something to reduce that cost. Another common solution is to pay the increased energy costs from funds allocated for building maintenance, upgrading, or equipment replacement. This may work in the short term, but the long-term results are extremely expensive at a time when heavy investment in an older structure may not seem wise. The third alternative is to go through an energy analysis program to determine where the energy "leaks" are and what is needed to reduce or eliminate their effects. From this study, an energy management plan can be developed for each building and, depending on the level of implementation, the real payoff in dollars per year will be known before any speculative investments are made. From a business point of view, the energy management plan makes sense and is not that difficult to develop, even for the small operator.