Continuous auditing - Taking energy auditing to the next level

Building owners and managers are always looking for creative, cost effective ways to reduce their energy consumption, and thereby energy expenses. It is well known that the first step in an energy reduction strategy is a full assessment of the current operations of the building, typically accomplished by an energy audit. An energy audit involves a full walkthrough of the building by a professional auditor, typically certified as a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) or Professional Engineer (PE). As part of this walkthrough, the auditor identifies all areas of energy consumption, and develops a full list of energy saving strategies, also known as energy conservation measures, or ECMs. This article takes energy auditing to the next level, introducing the concept of Continuous Auditing, where an energy expert analyzes real time building data over several months, identifying energy waste and recommending additional ECMs as new opportunities identify themselves. The tool for this process is real time monitoring, and the result can be 15% to 30% more energy savings than an initial energy audit alone. © Copyright Association of Energy Engineers (AEE).