How to prepare for a virtual business energy assessment
A virtual business energy assessment is just like our standard, on-site assessments where energy-saving opportunities are identified for your business or facility, but they’re conducted over video if you’re able to visit your building, or by phone if you’re unable to go on site.
By the end of the assessment, you’ll have insight into where your business is losing energy and options for increasing energy savings.
To get the most out of your visit, follow these tips.
Tips
An energy consultant will assess your business remotely.
If you’d like to use video for your assessment, we will use Microsoft Teams. Please download the Teams App here. A smart device, like a cellphone or a tablet, will be easier to use than a laptop when showing your energy consultant around the building.
Think about what you’d like to get out of your assessment. Make a list of existing problem areas and questions that you want to share with your consultant before your meeting. Your list may include questions or problems with high energy bills or general energy costs. If you aren’t sure where to start, we’ll still be able to identify energy saving opportunities no matter what.
If there are difficult-to-reach areas of the building or places with poor cell phone service or WIFI signal, we can discuss the area and equipment without being in that part of the building.
Take pictures of items or equipment that you want us to take a close look at, ideally including the serial number.
- Bring the following information:
- Age of the building
- Number of heating and cooling zones
- Heating sources and fuel-type(s)
It’s helpful to have a copy of your electric bill handy for the assessment so we can review and conduct a high-level rate review.
If you’d like your energy consultant to evaluate your energy usage, please prepare copies of your bills from the past 12 months. You may gather together electricity, heating, and cooling bills, or request copies from your electric utility or fuel dealer. Your energy professional will ask for the quantity (in gallons) of fuel used, not the amount you paid. If you used wood or another supplemental fuel, have those quantities available too.
After you’ve had your visit, we can help you review the results and prioritize next steps. We look forward to meeting you!