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Commercial Energy Audits in Ohio: ASHRAE Levels 1–3

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The short answer

ASHRAE Standard 211 defines three levels of commercial energy audit. Level 1 is a walk-through with benchmarking and a prioritized, mostly qualitative list of opportunities. Level 2 quantifies savings, costs and paybacks for each measure — it's what most businesses mean by "an energy audit." Level 3 adds monitoring, detailed engineering and contractor pricing for major capital projects. Buy the lowest level that answers the decision in front of you, and hire an auditor with recognized credentials who doesn't sell the equipment being recommended. In Ohio, make sure the scope covers demand, the capacity tag and your supply contract — not just equipment — because there are no utility rebates to subsidize projects in 2026.

To do a first pass yourself, use the DIY energy walk-through checklist. For evaluating the recommendations, see energy efficiency ROI; for paying for them, see funding upgrades without utility rebates; and for comparing your building with peers, see benchmarking with Portfolio Manager.

The three ASHRAE audit levels

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Site work Brief walk-through Detailed survey of systems, plus staff interviews Level 2 survey plus measurement or logging over a period
Data analysis Utility bills and benchmarking Bills, interval data and an end-use breakdown Adds logged data and, where needed, energy modeling
Savings estimates Qualitative (high, medium, low) Quantified cost, savings and payback for each measure Engineering-grade estimates for major projects
Costs of measures Rough or none Rough implementation costs Detailed, often with vendor or contractor quotes
Relative cost of the audit Lowest Moderate Highest
Best for Screening a building or portfolio; deciding whether a deeper audit is worth it Building a project list and budget Financing or approving large capital projects

Level 1 identifies the rough potential. Level 2 is where most small and mid-size businesses get the most value per dollar. Level 3 is justified when a project is large enough that estimation error matters to the financing decision — a chiller plant, a central-plant conversion or a multi-building program.

What drives the cost of an audit

Audit fees vary widely, so get scoped proposals rather than relying on a per-square-foot rule. The main drivers:

  • Complexity, not just size. A 20,000 ft² restaurant or lab can take more effort than a 100,000 ft² warehouse. Some practitioners scope by energy cost or energy intensity rather than floor area for this reason.
  • Number of systems and process loads. Compressed air, refrigeration, kitchen equipment and production lines each need their own analysis.
  • Data logging. Deploying loggers and leaving them for weeks adds cost and accuracy.
  • Modeling. Whole-building energy models are rarely needed below Level 3.
  • Report depth. A measure-by-measure financial analysis costs more than a list of observations.

Manufacturers should check the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Training and Assessment Centers (ITACs), which provide free energy assessments to eligible small and medium-sized manufacturers through participating universities and training programs.

Ohio-specific items to put in the scope

Equipment is only part of an Ohio energy bill. Ask the auditor to cover:

  • Supply contract. Your current generation price against the utility's price to compare, the expiration date, and whether renewal notices under House Bill 15 are coming. For small commercial accounts (demand of 25 kW or less), suppliers must send notices 90–60 and 45–15 days before a fixed contract rolls to a variable price; larger accounts get no statutory notice.
  • Demand. Your rate schedule, whether it has a ratchet, and what sets your monthly peak, using 12 months of interval data.
  • Capacity tag. Your tag compared with your summer peak demand, and which loads run during PJM's summer peak hours. Each kW of tag costs about $120 a year at 2026/27 prices.
  • Power factor, where your rate schedule bills for it — see power factor correction.
  • Taxes and billing. Ohio charges a per-kWh excise tax on electricity, not sales tax; a sales-tax line on an electric bill is an error.
  • Funding assumptions. The financial analysis should assume no utility rebates — none of Ohio's investor-owned utilities offers business efficiency rebates in 2026 — and should note that the federal 179D deduction ended for projects beginning construction after June 30, 2026.

Choosing an auditor

  • Credentials. ASHRAE Standard 211 recognizes auditors holding certifications approved under the Department of Energy's Better Buildings Workforce Guidelines. The Association of Energy Engineers' Certified Energy Manager (CEM) and Certified Energy Auditor (CEA) meet that criterion; ASHRAE's Building Energy Assessment Professional (BEAP) is another common credential. A licensed professional engineer is needed if measures require engineering design.
  • Independence. An audit from a company that sells lighting, HVAC or solar isn't automatically biased, but the recommendations will need a second look. Ask whether the auditor is paid on equipment sales.
  • Sample report. Ask for a redacted report from a similar building. Look for measure-by-measure costs and savings, stated assumptions and interactive effects.
  • Written scope. The proposal should name the ASHRAE level, the systems covered, whether interval data will be analyzed, any logging, and the deliverables.
  • Relevant experience. Someone who has audited your building type will know where its waste usually hides.

Preparing for the audit

The auditor needs 24 months of electric and gas bills, 12 months of interval data, supplier contracts and invoices, an equipment list with ages, operating schedules and access to mechanical rooms and the roof. The DIY walk-through checklist doubles as a pre-audit preparation list.

Turning the report into projects

  1. Do the no-cost items first. Schedule, setpoint and maintenance fixes can start the week the report arrives.
  2. Build a project pipeline. Rank capital measures by payback and lifecycle value, and time equipment replacements to end of life.
  3. Line up funding. Cash, equipment financing, energy-as-a-service, C-PACE for property owners in participating communities, or USDA REAP guaranteed loans for rural small businesses (REAP grants have been paused since April 1, 2026).
  4. Tell your supplier about big changes. Large usage reductions can fall outside a fixed-price contract's bandwidth.
  5. Set the baseline. Use the audit data as the starting point for measuring results, and fold the project list into an energy management plan.

FAQ

What's the difference between Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 energy audits?

Level 1 is a walk-through with benchmarking and a qualitative list of opportunities. Level 2 quantifies costs, savings and paybacks for each measure. Level 3 adds monitoring, detailed engineering and contractor pricing for major capital projects.

How much does a commercial energy audit cost in Ohio?

It depends on the level, building complexity, process loads and any data logging. Get two or three scoped proposals for the same ASHRAE level rather than comparing per-square-foot prices.

Do Ohio utilities pay for audits or offer rebates afterward?

Ohio's investor-owned utilities don't offer business efficiency rebates in 2026, so projects need to pay back on savings. Eligible small and mid-size manufacturers can get free assessments through DOE's Industrial Training and Assessment Centers.

Who is qualified to perform an ASHRAE audit?

ASHRAE Standard 211 recognizes certifications approved under DOE's Better Buildings Workforce Guidelines, including AEE's CEM and CEA credentials.

Sources

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