Energy Audit — Commercial Building Assessment
Run a full energy audit for commercial or industrial facilities. Identifies waste, models savings, and generates a prioritized retrofit roadmap with ROI timelines.
What It Does
- Collects utility data (electric, gas, water, steam) across 12+ months
- Benchmarks consumption against ASHRAE and ENERGY STAR baselines
- Identifies the top 10 energy conservation measures (ECMs) ranked by payback period
- Calculates simple payback, IRR, and lifecycle cost for each measure
- Generates an ASHRAE Level II audit report with executive summary
- Flags utility rate optimization opportunities (demand response, TOU shifting)
- Maps available rebates and incentive programs by state/region
How to Use
Tell your agent:
- "Run an energy audit for our 45,000 sq ft office building"
- "Analyze our utility bills and find savings opportunities"
- "Create a retrofit roadmap for our warehouse — budget is $200K"
Provide:
- Building type — office, retail, warehouse, manufacturing, healthcare, education
- Square footage and location (climate zone matters)
- 12 months of utility bills (or monthly kWh/therms if summarized)
- Operating hours — shifts, weekend usage, seasonal patterns
- Major equipment — HVAC age/type, lighting, compressed air, process loads
Audit Framework
Benchmarking
- EUI (Energy Use Intensity) = total kBtu ÷ sq ft
- Compare against CBECS median by building type
- ENERGY STAR score target: 75+ (top quartile)
Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs)
| Category | Typical Savings | Payback |
|---|---|---|
| LED retrofit | 40-60% lighting | 1-3 years |
| HVAC controls/BMS | 15-25% HVAC | 2-4 years |
| VFDs on motors/fans | 20-50% motor | 1-3 years |
| Envelope (insulation, air sealing) | 10-20% heating/cooling | 3-7 years |
| Demand response enrollment | 5-15% peak demand | Immediate |
| Solar PV | 30-70% electric | 5-8 years (with ITC) |
| Heat recovery | 10-30% thermal | 2-5 years |
Financial Analysis
For each ECM:
- Simple payback = cost ÷ annual savings
- IRR = internal rate of return over equipment life
- Lifecycle cost = install + maintenance - savings - rebates over useful life
- Avoided cost = include utility escalation rate (typically 2-4%/year)
Rebate & Incentive Check
- Federal: ITC (30% solar), 179D deduction ($0.50-$5.00/sq ft)
- State: DSIRE database lookup by ZIP code
- Utility: custom incentive programs ($/kWh saved, $/kW reduced)
Output Format
ENERGY AUDIT REPORT
Building: [name] | Type: [type] | Size: [sq ft] | Location: [city, state]
CURRENT PERFORMANCE
Annual Energy Cost: $XXX,XXX
EUI: XX.X kBtu/sq ft (benchmark: XX.X — [above/below] median)
ENERGY STAR Score: XX/100
TOP RECOMMENDATIONS (ranked by payback)
#1: [ECM] — $XX,XXX savings/yr | $XX,XXX cost | X.X yr payback | XX% IRR
#2: [ECM] — ...
TOTAL OPPORTUNITY
Combined Savings: $XXX,XXX/yr (XX% reduction)
Total Investment: $XXX,XXX
Blended Payback: X.X years
Available Rebates: $XX,XXX
IMPLEMENTATION ROADMAP
Phase 1 (0-6 mo): [quick wins — LED, controls, demand response]
Phase 2 (6-18 mo): [HVAC, VFDs, envelope]
Phase 3 (18-36 mo): [renewables, major retrofits]
Why This Matters
Commercial buildings waste 30% of the energy they consume (DOE). A $500K/year energy bill typically has $150K+ in recoverable savings. Most measures pay for themselves in 2-4 years, then it's pure margin.
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