Most commercial and industrial operators have a sense that their energy bills are higher than they should be, but without detailed data it is difficult to know where to focus improvement efforts. Lighting, HVAC, compressed air, process equipment, standby loads and demand charges all contribute to the total, and the relative weight of each varies considerably depending on the building type and operating profile. An energy efficiency audit from Aura Illumination gives you the data-backed clarity to make investment decisions with confidence.
How we conduct an energy efficiency audit
We begin with a review of twelve months of interval meter data and energy bills. Interval data reveals daily and weekly consumption patterns, peak demand events and anomalies that point to specific equipment or control failures. We identify demand charge drivers — often just a few pieces of equipment running simultaneously during a short peak window — and model the potential saving from simple scheduling or operational changes.
The site walk-through follows the data review. We inspect lighting systems, HVAC plant and controls, sub-metered circuits, motor drives, compressed air systems and the main switchboard. We use power quality analysers and clamp meters to measure actual operating loads rather than relying on nameplate ratings, which are frequently higher than real operating draw.
LED lighting upgrades and controls
Lighting is consistently one of the highest-return upgrade opportunities. Fluorescent and metal halide luminaires consume two to four times the energy of their modern LED equivalents, generate more heat that increases cooling loads, and require frequent lamp replacements that add maintenance cost. We provide detailed LED retrofit proposals that include payback period calculations based on your actual metered data, available government incentive calculations under applicable state schemes, and lighting design confirmation to ensure maintained illuminance levels meet Australian standards.
What an energy efficiency audit delivers
- Detailed interval data analysis identifying demand charge drivers
- LED lighting audit and retrofit specification with payback modelling
- HVAC electrical efficiency review and control system recommendations
- Power factor correction assessment and potential demand reduction estimate
- Prioritised improvement register ranked by return on investment
Power factor correction is a frequently missed opportunity in commercial and industrial facilities. Poor power factor means you are drawing more current from the grid than your real load requires, increasing conductor losses, limiting available capacity and, in many network tariff structures, incurring reactive power charges. A correctly sized power factor correction system can reduce demand charges and free up switchboard capacity for future loads.
Reporting and implementation support
The audit report we deliver is written for decision-makers, not engineers. Every recommendation includes a plain-language description of the issue, the estimated annual saving, the estimated implementation cost, the simple payback period and the applicable government incentive or rebate if one exists. The improvement register is ranked by payback period so you can see immediately which actions deliver the fastest return.
From audit to implementation
Where clients want to proceed with electrical upgrades identified in the audit — LED retrofits, power factor correction, switchboard capacity upgrades or sub-metering installation — we can manage those works directly. Having the same team who conducted the audit carry out the implementation removes the risk of scope ambiguity and ensures the work is executed exactly as modelled. We track actual post-implementation savings against the audit estimates and provide a final reconciliation report.