Bright Alternatives LLC uses the whole building approach to evaluate energy use within the building. Large multi-family and commercial buildings operation is significantly influenced by internal factors including occupant behavior, interaction with the built environment, ventilation systems, lighting systems, etc. Our professional energy auditors assess the systems of your building individually and as a component of the entire building.

Bright Alternatives LLC offers the following services on multi-family and commercial audits and assessments:

• UTILITY BILL ANALYSIS – energy consumption analysis is used to estimate how much energy can be saved and where.

• INDOOR AND OUTDOOR LIGHTING ANALYSIS – lighting is a significant portion of the electricity usage; upgrading to high efficiency lights will reduce energy bills and maintenance costs. Lighting options are available that can use as little as 10% as existing lights.

• AIR LEAKAGE TESTING – using a blower door we quantify and locate leaks in individual units and duct systems (ie ventilation systems); air leaks to the outdoors mean that expensive heated and cooled air is lost; air leaks in ventilation systems lead to imbalances which cause indoor air quality problems.

• VENTILATION TESTING – ensuring proper ventilation in multi-family buildings is critical to maintain good indoor air quality and occupant health. Amount and functionality of your buildings ventilation systems is assessed with diagnostic testing.

• WATER FLOW TESTS – the flow of sinks, showers and toilets could be a huge opportunity to reduce water consumption and waste charges.

• HOT WATER ANALYSIS – water heating is typically 40% of the fuel consumption in a multi-family building; high efficiency models available can be more than 2 times more efficient than older models.

• HEATING AND COOLING EQUIPMENT ANALYSIS – both the unit itself and the distribution systems are assessed for safety and efficiency. If a system upgrade is appropriate, the new system will be appropriately sized using ACCA Manual J calculations, resulting in cost?effective, long?lasting equipment selection.

• WINDOW AND DOOR ASSESSMENT – windows and doors will be examined and cost?effective upgrades will be analyzed.

• APPLIANCE ASSESSMENT – energy?consuming appliances including washers, dryers and refrigerators may benefit from an energy star upgrade.

• OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES – building maintenance is a key element to building functionality, maintenance logs can help identify patterns in the dwelling units and common areas that may require further analysis. Well?trained maintenance staff and occupants will keep the building operating safely and efficiently.

• SOLAR ANALYSIS – determine viability of installing solar panels to generate electricity at the site.

The information gathered during the energy audit is used to benchmark the building and assess upgrade opportunities.

It is not uncommon for buildings to consume 2 times the required energy due to inefficiencies which means a huge unnecessary expense.

An energy audit is a useful tool to determine ways to save money and improve health, safety, comfort and durability.

The report generated as part of the energy audit will provide a detailed assessment on existing mechanical and building systems and opportunities for improvement. Our recommendations include detailed payback analysis to help you determine the best investment for your building.

An energy audit is the first step to determining what upgrades make the most sense for your building; it is a comprehensive method for benchmarking the current energy consumption in a building and determining the recommendations for reducing that usage.Energy auditors use a whole-building approach, which means we are not just looking at your windows or doors or HVAC system; we fully examine and test all systems in the building as they interact with each other. An energy audit is a fundamental tool in any energy-efficiency plan.

We provide energy audits for the following:

• Single-family homes
• Multifamily Buildings
• Large, Commercial, Industrial Buildings (offices, stores, factories, municipal, non-profit, etc.)

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Single-family homes are greatly affected by external factors weather, humidity, etc.  Therefore the building shell is very important to seal. Funding is available by the New Jersey Clean Energy Program and Home Performance with Energy Star. Currently the New Jersey Clean Energy Program (NJCEP) is offering funding for upgrades. The funding ranges from 10%-50% depending on the package.

A single family home energy audit includes the following services:

1. Interview with homeowner
2. Combustion Safety Tests
   • Gas Leak test
   • Combustion analysis (steady state efficiency, draft)
   • Spillage (backdraft) test
   • Carbon Monoxide test
3. Visual Inspection
4. Blower door (air leakage) test
5. Infrared Analysis
6. Duct Blaster (duct leakage test), if duct sealing is recommended
7. Lighting and appliance inspection

Post-site visit:

1. Energy analysis with energy modeling software
2. Detailed report with pictures
3. Cost-effective recommendations

Upon completion of the audit by a BPI certified contractor, like Bright Alternatives, you will become eligible for funding up to 50% of the installed recommendations.

Energy Audit Overview | Single-Family | Multi-Family | Commercial Building