The AZ Commercial Energy Audit Scorecard

Oct. 23, 2012 - PRLog -- The good news is that an Arizona commercial energy audit typically identifies opportunities to reduce energy bills by 20% to 40%. The not so good news is that Arizona commercial energy audits have turned into something of a gold rush. And, as is the case in any gold rush, the quality of energy auditor participants varies.

To aid Arizona businesses and commercial building owners in obtaining a quality energy audit, Big Green Zero® (http://www.biggreenzero.com) has developed, and offers, the following scorecard.

AZ Commercial Energy Audit Scorecard

To identify a good Arizona commercial energy auditor, compare several vendors on the basis of their answers to the following eight questions:

1.  Will the energy audit be conducted by an experienced engineer, or a licensed
     contractor?

2.  Will the energy audit be analyzed with specialized software that is designed
     for that purpose?

3.  Will the energy audit explore a range of alternative cost-reduction solutions
     and compare cost and financial benefits of each?

4.  Will the audit identify minimal and no-cost solutions?

6.  Will prospective auditors provide references from previous customers (who are
     raving fans)?

7.  Will the energy auditor have any "axes" to grind (e.g. do they sell any energy-
     related products that they may be compelled to recommend)?

8.  Will the cost of the audit make sense?

Questions 1 through 6

Questions 1 through 6 are pass/fail. If the answer is "yes" to all six questions, then the prospective auditor may be a good candidate. Beware of even one "no."

Questions 7 and 8

Questions 7 and 8 are more subjective.

For Question 7, product sales people are unlikely to be unbiased. They are not good candidates. On the other hand, many contractors are able to be objective despite some degree of self-interest. The decision to retain them comes down to making a judgement about their honesty, objectivity and transparency.

Finally, Question 8 will separate good energy auditors from the bad and ugly. Any would-be auditor who offers a "free" audit is clearly a poor choice. In Arizona, the cost of a professional commercial energy audit should start at about $900.

There is little doubt that Arizona commercial energy audits have become something of a gold rush. Use this scorecard to make sure that the energy audit you are buying is top quality.