Using Energy Audits to make new energy work

A lot is made of the big milestones in the energy transition - the technological breakthroughs, the legislative leaps, the large-scale projects – and rightly so. For net zero to work, we need governments and large organisations to make big changes. But there are also meaningful ways for organisations of any size to do their bit for the energy transition, and make savings in the process. 

Tens of thousands of public, commercial, and community buildings across the UK have not seen significant updates to their energy efficiency in years if not decades – a period in which we’ve seen new and improved approaches to insulation and lighting, heat pumps, solar PV, and other green measures. By updating sites with these technologies, or even through simple repairs and adjustments, businesses and other organisations can cut both emissions and costs. But to find out where these improvements can be made, they need an Energy Audit. 

What is an Energy Audit? 

An Energy Audit is carried out by a qualified team of energy managers to find out how efficient a site currently is and where potential improvements can be made. As part of the process, our teams would usually approach an audit from two angles: 

Existing Data 

• Examining past energy consumption through electricity, gas, or fuel for vehicles. 
• Assessing output from any previously installed generation equipment such as solar panels or combined heat and power. 
• Studying energy bills for the past 12 months. 

On-site Inspection 

• Evaluating the site’s buildings facilities, and equipment. 

• Liaising with maintenance teams, building operators, and those who use the building to get a fuller picture of the site’s energy use. 

• Testing whether existing systems and equipment are optimised for energy efficiency. 

Once this is done, we issue a comprehensive report with recommendations for energy-saving measures, costings, and estimates for potential savings and emission reductions. Our energy managers can then help set out an actionable and cost-effective plan for making these recommendations, and savings, a reality. 

Energy audits as part of the Greener Game 

For an example of just how effective energy audits can be, we can look to the Greener Game – a collaborative partnership between E.ON Next and The Football Association (The FA). As part of this four-year programme we are investing heavily in bringing energy audits and other support to England Football Accredited grassroots football clubs across England, helping them to keep costs down, cut their emissions, and bring an active role in the energy transition to the heart of their local communities. 

The project was launched in November last year but the work has begun, with audits and upgrades already delivered to several clubs across the country: 

Staveley Miners Welfare Football Club received recommendations for new LED lights, upgraded insulation, window replacements, a solar thermal system, and various small measures that could save on consumption, adding up to overall estimated energy savings of 34,281kWh. This in turn could lead to an estimated £8,913 annual reduction on the club’s bills, and a 7.03-ton cut in carbon emissions. 

Shefford Sports Club received recommendations for new LED floodlights, upgrades to wall, ceiling, and pipe insulation, and a new solar PV system. Together, we estimated this could save 50,175kWh a year, cutting 9.83 tonnes of CO2 emissions and £18,533 from their bills. 

Moulton Football Club received similar recommendations to Staveley and Shefford, but with the important addition of roof insulation, generating estimated possible savings of 40,119kWh, £5,881 a year, and 7.68 tonnes of CO2. 

How Energy Audits can make a difference 

The best way to solve a problem is to understand it, and the more energy audits we perform, the better we’ll know what needs to be done to get the UK to net zero. 

There are, of course, broad environmental benefits to making these improvements, but performing and acting on audits can also help businesses and other organisations save money, boost morale among personnel, improve their public image, and achieve greater energy security. For grassroots football clubs like Staveley Miners’ Welfare Football  Club, Shefford Sports Club, Moulton Football Club, and the hundreds more we hope to work with as part of the Greener Game, these savings mean even more investment in sport, health and fitness, social engagement, and all the other things that make our communities thrive. 

That’s why we’ll keep auditing up and down the country to build a full picture of what needs to be done at the local level. Because it’s on us to make new energy work.