Energy & carbon

Commercial Energy Audits

Building-level energy audits with investment-grade financial appraisal — every measure carries capex, NPV, payback and carbon savings, so recommendations are decision-ready.

What it is

Detailed, building-level energy audits that identify cost-effective energy and carbon reduction measures across fabric, services and controls.

Every measure is presented with an investment-grade financial appraisal — capex, annual saving, simple payback, 15-year NPV and carbon impact — so recommendations are decision-ready rather than generic.

Audits are designed to be usable both as a technical work-list for facilities teams and as a board-grade business case for capital approval.

When you need it

  • You want to reduce energy cost and carbon across a building or estate and need to know where to spend first.
  • You need ESOS-grade audits that meet Lead Assessor expectations for evidence and rigour.
  • You are building a business case for capital spend on energy measures and need defensible payback and NPV figures.
  • You're planning major plant replacement (heating, cooling, lighting) and want a properly appraised options assessment.
  • You operate a multi-site estate and need a consistent audit approach to compare and prioritise across assets.

Our approach

  1. 1

    Consumption and tariff review

    Analyse 12+ months of energy consumption and tariff data by meter and fuel to baseline performance and identify anomalies.

  2. 2

    Site survey

    On-site survey covering building fabric, HVAC, controls, lighting, small power and any process loads — including BMS interrogation where available.

  3. 3

    Identification of measures

    Identify a full slate of measures across fabric (insulation, glazing), services (heat pumps, LED, VSDs, solar PV) and controls (BMS, sub-metering, remote monitoring).

  4. 4

    Investment-grade financial appraisal

    Appraise each measure using HM Treasury Green Book methodology — 3.5% discount rate, HMT energy price escalation, 15-year horizon — to produce defensible NPV and payback.

  5. 5

    Carbon savings quantification

    Quantify carbon savings using current DEFRA GHG conversion factors, so reported tCO2e align with your wider SECR, GHG Protocol and investor reporting.

  6. 6

    Prioritisation and reporting

    Rank measures by payback, NPV and carbon impact and produce a report written for both technical teams and board-level decision-makers.

What you receive

Prioritised schedule of measures

A ranked schedule of energy and carbon reduction measures, ready to feed straight into a capital plan.

Capital cost and annual saving

Indicative capex, annual energy saving (kWh) and annual cost saving (£) for every measure.

Payback and 15-year NPV

Simple payback plus 15-year NPV under HM Treasury Green Book assumptions, so finance teams can compare measures on a like-for-like basis.

Carbon savings

Annual and lifetime carbon savings (tCO2e) using current DEFRA factors — usable in SECR, GHG Protocol and investor reporting.

Decision-ready report

A single report written for both technical teams and board-level decision-makers — no separate "exec summary" needed.

Why NZC Consultants

  • Accredited ESOS Lead Assessor
  • Sterling Accreditation registered
  • Energy Institute member
  • Independent — no software resale, no kit sales

Frequently asked questions

Speak to an NZC Consultants assessor

Tell us about your building or estate and we'll scope an audit package that fits — we'll respond within one working day.

💬 Ask us about NZC services