Energy auditors and experts: why use EASEE energy audit software?
EASEE is a web application that enables you to carry out energy assessments, build action plans, prioritize investments and monitor energy KPIs. All of this for your own organisation, or on your behalf of your clients!
By Antoine BAGUETTE
Business Developer
What is an energy audit?
An energy audit can be defined as a diagnosis highlighting the energy performance of a building, a factory, an industrial process, a site, etc. The objective of the energy audit is to optimize* energy consumption and the carbon footprint.
This is usually the first task to be carried out if one wants to begin an energy efficiency and transition process.
The audit has two distinct phases:
- Energy assessment: in this first phase, the energy consumed (electricity, natural gas, diesel oil, etc.) and the elements that consume this energy (boilers, air handling unit, compressors, etc.) are identified. The results of the energy assessment are then generally represented in the form of an “Energy Consumption Analysis” (ECA).
- Action plan: once the ECA has been established, the weak points are identified and suggestions for improvement made. The action plan summarizes these improvement pathways and characterizes them not only on the basis of their financial profitability (return on investment – ROI) but also on the basis of their technical and economic feasibility.
(*) Note that “optimize” does not necessarily mean “reduce”. It is a question of “doing more” with the same amount of resources OR “doing the same” with less.
What does the auditor or energy expert do? What is their role?
Whether the auditor is internal to an organisation or external (consultant), their task is to carry out a relevant energy diagnosis and to advise the organisation on the improvement options to be prioritized (technically and economically). Ultimately, the auditor’s objective is to optimize energy consumption.
What problems confront auditors in the carrying out of energy audits?
EASEE is the perfect answer to the problems encountered in the practice of the energy auditor’s profession because our software was developed by them!
Our experts have observed a major problem that prevents the effective and non-discriminatory deployment of energy strategies. The problem comes from the use of EXCEL to carry out energy audits. This is because:
- Before the audit: EXCEL does not enable healthy collaboration between the auditor and the client. A large number of documents need to be provided (energy bills, plans, site surveys, etc.) and this requires numerous email exchanges (which are sometimes unnecessary). Furthermore, these documents are often stored and archived in a somewhat chaotic manner. Lastly, it is difficult to work on the same document/file at the same time (due to synchronization issues and errors).
- During the audit :
- EXCEL makes the energy audit process opaque. Once the necessary documents have been sent to the energy auditor, the client loses transparency regarding the calculations and assumptions made by the auditor. This lack of transparency can work against the auditor, and is why the energy audit process can sometimes seem unnecessarily mysterious or complex.
- EXCEL makes it difficult to standardize a working method. Each auditor or design office adopts its own method and calculations. To such an extent that two audits carried out at the same site often present different results! Furthermore, with EXCEL, the auditor is exposed to a considerable risk of calculation errors.
- After the audit:
- EXCEL makes it very difficult to consolidate multi-site information (consumption, costs, energy balances, ECAs, KPIs, improvement pathways, etc.). This makes it difficult (if not impossible) to monitor energy use in the short, medium and long term on the scale of a large number of buildings/sites/plants/etc.
- EXCEL is not a deliverable in itself. Once the calculations, graphs and tables have been made in EXCEL, the auditor must then integrate them into a report (WORD or PPT) and comment on them.
- Ultimately, EXCEL does not make energy assessments easily accessible. In fact, only a few experts are able to carry out accurate energy audits, simulate complex improvement pathways and establish cost-effective action plans. This long learning curve can also hinder the recruitment of new staff.
As you can see, the crucial missing element here is a software tool to carry out accurate energy audits and enable the efficient and non-discriminatory deployment of energy strategies.
Why use our energy audit software?
“Easee is a robust solution to reliably monitor a site’s energy evolution. In addition, it facilitates collaboration and enables clear communication between the various parties involved in energy management (design offices, energy teams, operational and financial managers, end users, etc.).”
Fabien Galle – Project Engineer
Increase productivity and reduce costs with EASEE!
The integration of tools and working methods into a web platform allows auditors and energy service companies to standardize their calculation protocols. This improves the reproducibility and reliability of your results. Access to business expertise, through a digital tool, will give your employees - both junior and medior - better access to industry practices.