No one can deny that getting an ashrae energy audit may help you improve your industrial energy efficiency. The problem is finding a qualified assessor to do the work. While you’ll find a ton of people available ready to take your money, it can be tricky to find the correct mix of education and experience.
It Can Be Confusing
It can be difficult to judge an auditor’s capabilities, so a number of organizations have created standards and certifications. Despite the fact that this does help you choose an auditor, it also has created an alphabet soup of certifications: HERS, HESP, RESNET, BPI, AEE, CEM, EMIT, CEA, CSDP, CRM, CBCP, BEP, CMVP, CEP, CLEP, DGCP, GBE, CGD, CPQ, REP, EBCP, BESA, CRU, HPB, REA, NEASI, EEA, and EAI.
A further detail adding to the confusion is the fact we now have at the least six certifying organizations. Several provide overlapping coverage. Several are genuine and respected, while some are of questionable validity.
Everybody Claims They Are The Best
You can’t even look towards the organizations themselves for advice. Every certifying association claims they have the best certifications. While the majority are respectable and top quality, they can’t all be the best!
Take into account Your Needs
You also need to think about what kind of building or facility the certifications cover. Most cover residential, a few cover commercial, and just one even remotely handles industrial audits. Since residential, commercial, and industrial audits need different skills and knowledge, you will need to ensure your auditor’s certifications match your requirements.
For instance, BPI and RESNET certifications focus on residential audits. They cover energy conservation basics, but focus on weatherization and household appliances. This means they are perfect for residential and light commercial audits, but these certifications don’t do anything to confirm an auditor’s proficiency for anything else.
Compare this with AEE’s CEA/CEM certifications. They also cover energy conservation fundamentals, but their focus is on commercial gear, HVAC systems, and lighting. Weatherization is barely brought up as it is not used in commercial audits.
Industrial Audits Are A Unusual Breed
In case you are looking for an industrial energy assessment, your options are restricted. The only certifications that cover industrial assessments are by AEE. That being said, the AEE certification in truth qualifies an assessor to do commercial audits. For industrial assessments you also require someone with extensive industrial experience, someone who understands your process and industrial gear.
We Have Created A Guide To Help You Interpret Energy Assessment Certifications
You are not alone if energy saving audit certifications bewilder you. Over and overour customers ask us “what certification should I look for.” To help answer these questions we created a free guide to help sort out energy assessor certifications: Deciphering Energy Audit Certifications. Check out our web site at industrialenergyaudit.com and get it today.
Industrial Energy Audit Services are industry leaders in ashrae energy audits. Our decades of experience will make your energy efficient audit fast, effective, and inexpensive. We’re so confident that we’ll save you money, that we pledge that we are going to save you 15% or more on your energy bills.