Energy is often a facility's second or third largest operating cost, yet most businesses have only a superficial understanding of where and when they consume it. A utility bill tells you how much energy you used across the billing period — it tells you nothing about which equipment is responsible, whether your demand peak is inflating your capacity tariff, whether poor power quality is degrading equipment life, or whether a time-of-use tariff restructure could reduce your bill without reducing your operations. VoltCity Surge energy efficiency audits provide all of that insight, grounded in measured data rather than estimates.
Power Quality Logging and Analysis
Power quality problems — voltage sags, harmonic distortion, unbalanced phases, reactive power draw, and transients — cost Australian businesses billions of dollars annually in wasted energy, reduced equipment efficiency, and premature equipment failure. Our technicians install Class A power quality analysers (compliant with IEC 61000-4-30) at main switchboards, sub-distribution boards, and individual equipment points, logging continuously for a minimum of seven days to capture the full range of operating conditions including night-time standby loads. The resulting dataset is analysed for total harmonic distortion (THD), displacement power factor, voltage unbalance, and demand profile, providing an accurate foundation for corrective action recommendations.
Load Profiling and Demand Analysis
Demand charges on commercial and industrial electricity tariffs can represent 30 to 50 percent of the total electricity bill, yet many facilities have never analysed the load profile that drives their peak demand. VoltCity Surge load profiling identifies the coincident peak — the combination of loads that collectively create your maximum demand reading — and models the impact of load scheduling changes, demand response strategies, and battery storage on your demand charge exposure. For facilities on network tariffs with time-of-use demand windows, this analysis frequently identifies opportunities to shift non-critical loads outside peak windows and save significantly without any capital expenditure.
LED Retrofit Scoping and Lighting Audits
Lighting typically represents 20 to 40 percent of commercial building energy consumption. LED retrofits remain one of the highest-return efficiency investments available, with payback periods under three years common in industrial and warehouse environments. VoltCity Surge lighting audits are conducted against the requirements of AS/NZS 1680, which specifies maintained illuminance levels for different task environments, and identify retrofit opportunities that deliver the target lux levels at a fraction of the wattage consumed by the existing fluorescent or HID installation. We also identify opportunities for daylight harvesting controls, occupancy sensing, and DALI dimming integration that extend energy savings beyond the lamp efficiency improvement alone.
Sub-Metering and Ongoing Monitoring
A one-time audit captures a snapshot; sub-metering provides continuous visibility. VoltCity Surge installs revenue-grade sub-metering at circuit and equipment level, connected to cloud-based energy monitoring platforms that provide real-time consumption dashboards, automated anomaly alerts, and trend reporting. Sub-metering is increasingly required for compliance with the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) and Green Star performance ratings, and is the foundation for any ISO 50001 energy management system. We design sub-metering systems that align with your reporting boundaries and provide the data granularity your energy manager needs to act.
- Class A power quality logging to IEC 61000-4-30 at main and sub-distribution level
- Seven-day minimum logging periods to capture full operational cycle
- Demand profile analysis and coincident peak identification
- Load scheduling and demand response opportunity modelling
- Lighting audit against AS/NZS 1680 maintained illuminance requirements
- LED retrofit scoping with payback and CO2 reduction calculations
- Revenue-grade sub-metering installation and cloud monitoring platform setup
Reporting and Implementation Support
Every VoltCity Surge energy audit concludes with a written report structured around prioritised recommendations ranked by payback period and implementation complexity. Each recommendation includes measured baseline data, projected savings calculation with assumptions clearly stated, indicative capital cost, simple payback, and net present value over a ten-year horizon. We do not disappear after the report is issued — we are available to provide specifications for procurement, scope of works for installation, and verification metering after implementation to confirm that projected savings have been realised. For facilities pursuing NABERS ratings or government energy efficiency incentive programmes, our reports are structured to provide the evidentiary documentation those processes require.
Frequently Asked
How long does an energy efficiency audit take?
The on-site work for a small to medium commercial facility typically takes one day for equipment installation and a brief walkthrough, followed by a minimum seven-day logging period. Data analysis and report preparation generally takes five to ten business days after the logging period concludes. Larger or multi-site projects are scoped individually.
What level of disruption does power quality logging cause to our operations?
Minimal. Our technicians install power quality analysers by clamping current transformers (CTs) around existing cables — no disconnection of circuits is required in most cases. The logging hardware sits alongside existing switchboard equipment and is removed after the logging period. Operations can continue normally throughout.
Can your audit satisfy the requirements of a government energy efficiency grant or NABERS rating?
Our audit methodology is aligned with ISO 50001 and the Australian Government's Energy Efficiency Opportunities framework. For NABERS purposes, our sub-metering installations and monitoring reports provide the consumption data NABERS assessors require. We recommend discussing your specific programme requirements with us before commissioning the audit so we can ensure the data collection and reporting format matches what the programme requires.