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Wanting to upgrade the schools’ lighting fixtures, Eden Prairie School District, which serves over 7,440 students located in the Twin Cities Metro area of MN, decided to have an energy assessment conducted to help select a more efficient lighting option. However, the assessment found much more – in addition to lighting, there was an opportunity to improve the plumbing systems and building envelope for additional savings.
These improvements will include converting existing fluorescent lighting to LED; retrofitting plumbing fixtures with high-efficiency, low-flow fixtures; and sealing the building envelope. Over the next 10 years, these measures are expected to improve the District’s energy efficiency and save an average of $270,000 annually on their utility and maintenance expenditures.
“We have been very pleased with SitelogIQ. Throughout the project their team has been effective communicators, responsive, and professional.”
Kyle Fisher, Eden Prairie School District’s Director of Facilities, Safety and Grounds
Defining Energy Assessments
An energy assessment is a thorough and in-depth look at the energy consumption of your facility. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has defined three levels of energy audits:
- Level 1: Identifies low-cost or no-cost opportunities for energy savings and areas of energy waste through interviews with facility managers and staff, reviewing utility bills, and inspecting the facility/facilities.
- Level 2: Provides a more detailed building characteristics survey as well as energy usage and cost analysis using available information, statistics, and diagnostic testing, including lighting levels, air flow and temperatures, solar shading, electrical, duct leakage, combustion, steady state efficiency, etc.
- Level 3: Focuses on the capital-intensive improvements identified during the Level 2 and includes comprehensive energy models and a detailed report with project costs, expected savings, and a thorough life cycle cost analysis.
While energy assessments can range from simple analyses to in-depth surveys and testing, they’re typically the first step to improving your organization’s energy consumption by identifying areas that are performing well and where there are opportunities for improvement.
Energy Assessment Benefits
1. Identify energy inefficiencies
Energy assessments can help you identify areas where your facility is consuming excessive amounts of energy or where energy is being wasted due to inefficient practices or outdated equipment. By identifying these areas, you can take steps to address them and potentially reduce your facility’s energy consumption and associated costs.
2. Optimize energy use
Energy assessments can also help you optimize your facility’s energy use by identifying areas where energy-saving practices can be implemented or where energy-efficient equipment can be installed. This can help you reduce your facility’s overall energy consumption and associated costs.
3. Improve sustainability
By reducing your facility’s energy consumption, you can also improve its sustainability and reduce its environmental impact. This can be an important consideration for colleges and universities that are committed to promoting sustainability and reducing their carbon footprint.
4. Enhance occupant comfort
Energy assessments can also help you identify areas where improvements can be made to enhance occupant comfort, such as improving the efficiency of heating and cooling systems or reducing drafts and air leaks.
5. Risk management
An energy assessment can assist facility leaders in identifying assets, materials, and systems which are near or past useful life – all of which can pose a potential risk for energy performance failure. By identifying these risks during an energy assessment, facility owners and managers can make improvements now before systems breakdown.
Overall, conducting regular energy assessments can help you reduce energy consumption, improve sustainability, enhance occupant comfort, and remain updated with regulatory compliance standards. This can ultimately lead to cost savings, improved efficiency, and a more environmentally responsible facility.
Optimize Your Energy Assessment with mySiteIQ
At SitelogIQ, we partner with you to conduct an energy assessment tailored to your needs and it can have a direct impact to your bottom line. With our technology-enabled solution platform, mySiteIQ, you’re able to easily store all the information collected through our energy assessment and monitor your usage following facility improvements to ensure you achieve your energy, operational, and sustainable goals. Just as important as it is to make improvements to your facility, it’s just as important to track those changes. Through mySiteIQ, you’re also able to closely track your energy consumption to ensure efficiency and maintain your system operations.
Don’t wait until your utility bills skyrocket or you have a serious issue with one of your systems to schedule your next energy assessment. Talk to our experts today to plan your assessment or to learn more about how mySiteIQ can help you optimize your facilities under one digital roof.