EcoAudit® CRE

Commercial Energy Audit Protocol For Existing Commercial Buildings

EcoAudit® CRE is a guided commercial energy audit and commercial building energy assessment for existing offices, retail properties, warehouses, industrial facilities, mixed-use buildings, and commercial portfolios.

Owners and facility teams answer guided questions, upload utility bills, photograph equipment and building conditions, document operating schedules and completed improvements, and submit supporting records from a smartphone, laptop, or desktop computer.

EcoPlatform™ applies Contract-First Architecture, building science, engineering expertise, and deterministic analysis to compare the documented property against its engineering baseline, determine where building performance has diverged, and prioritize the improvements that will reduce energy use, lower operating costs, improve occupant comfort, and strengthen long-term asset value.

Base Fee $599

+ ≤ $0.03/ft² for most properties

See What We Evaluate
How EcoAudit® CRE Works

A Guided Commercial Energy Audit Built Around Facility Operations

Commercial buildings combine tenant loads, operating schedules, central systems, controls, process loads, maintenance practices, capital plans, and business requirements. EcoAudit® CRE organizes that complexity into one consistent assessment process.

Answer Guided Questions

Document building use, occupancy, schedules, operations, maintenance, comfort concerns, completed work, and capital plans.

Upload Utility Information

Provide electricity, gas, water, demand, interval data, seasonal patterns, tariffs, and unusual operating-cost changes.

Photograph Buildings and Systems

Capture roofs, walls, windows, mechanical rooms, HVAC, controls, lighting, process equipment, ventilation, and meters.

Receive Prioritized Actions

EcoPlatform™ prioritizes improvements according to performance, cost, operational impact, incentives, dependencies, and readiness.

Contract-First Commercial Analysis

Start With What Is Already Known About the Building

Building age, location, use, construction, occupancy, schedules, systems, controls, climate, utility structure, and documented improvements establish an informed engineering baseline.

EcoAudit® documents current conditions so EcoPlatform™ can determine where performance has changed. Specialized testing is reserved for a defined technical question that requires a measurement—not for rediscovering information the facility team already knows.

Why EcoAudit® Is Different

EcoAudit® vs. Traditional Commercial Energy Audits

Most commercial energy audits begin by paying an engineer or technician to gather information the building team already knows. EcoAudit® reverses that process and embeds engineering knowledge in EcoPlatform™.

Traditional Commercial Energy Audit EcoAudit® CRE
An engineer or technician collects building information. Facility personnel provide information they already know through a guided assessment.
The process begins with a general site visit. The process begins on a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer.
The auditor decides where energy may be lost. EcoPlatform™ compares the documented building against its engineering baseline and determines where performance has diverged.
Results are delivered in a static report. Results become part of a Living Building Record that continues to grow.
A future audit starts over. Future commercial building energy assessments begin with documented systems, utility history, projects, and completed work.
Testing is often part of initial information gathering. Specialized testing is targeted only when a defined technical question requires a measurement.
Commercial Energy Audit Scope

What EcoAudit® CRE Evaluates

The protocol evaluates the building as an operating system—not as a collection of unrelated equipment.

Utility Use & Energy Benchmarking

Electricity, gas, water, demand, interval data, tariffs, energy use intensity, seasonal trends, and portfolio comparisons.

Occupancy & Operating Schedules

Tenant density, business hours, hybrid occupancy, after-hours loads, scheduling, setbacks, and operating practices.

Building Envelope

Roofs, walls, windows, doors, foundations, air leakage, insulation, penetrations, moisture, and solar exposure.

HVAC & Central Plants

Boilers, chillers, heat pumps, packaged systems, VAV systems, pumps, fans, distribution, ventilation, and replacement readiness.

Controls & Building Automation

BAS architecture, schedules, setpoints, alarms, overrides, static pressure, resets, sequencing, and simultaneous heating and cooling.

Lighting & Plug Loads

Interior, exterior, parking, controls, daylighting, equipment, tenant loads, computers, appliances, and scheduling.

Process & Specialized Loads

Refrigeration, laboratories, data centers, manufacturing, kitchens, compressed air, vertical transportation, and other process loads.

Comfort & Indoor Conditions

Temperature, humidity, ventilation, pressure relationships, odors, moisture, indoor air quality, and occupant complaints.

Resilience & Completed Work

Backup power, solar, storage, electrification, emergency systems, projects, warranties, incentives, inspections, and deferred work.

Commercial Building Energy Assessments

Designed for Existing Commercial Buildings

EcoAudit® CRE was developed for existing and occupied commercial buildings, where operating schedules, tenants, maintenance, deferred projects, capital plans, and completed improvements all influence building performance.

The commercial energy audit protocol can support offices, retail, warehouses, distribution centers, restaurants, grocery stores, manufacturing facilities, laboratories, data centers, schools, public buildings, mixed-use properties, and specialized facilities.

Because each building maintains its own Living Building Record, portfolio owners can compare assets using a consistent commercial energy assessment while preserving the operating history, equipment, projects, controls, and completed improvements unique to each property.

Commercial Building Tax-Deduction Analysis

Discover. Prioritize. Deliver.

From Commercial Energy Audit to Completed Improvements

EcoAudit® simplifies commercial energy audits. EcoPlatform™ applies Contract-First Architecture, building science, engineering expertise, and deterministic analysis to determine where performance has diverged from the building's engineering baseline and prioritize the improvements that will restore performance. RetroCore™ carries approved work from scope development through completion and documentation.

Discover with EcoAudit®

Capture building, utility, equipment, operations, controls, comfort, maintenance, and completed-work information.

Prioritize with EcoPlatform™

Compare operating costs, occupant concerns, capital needs, incentives, project dependencies, and implementation readiness.

Deliver with RetroCore™

Build implementation-ready scopes, coordinate qualified resources, document completed work, and update the building record.

Portfolio and Capital-Planning Value

EcoAudit® CRE can support one building, a campus, or an entire portfolio while maintaining a separate Living Building Record for each asset.

Section 179D and Incentive Planning

EcoAudit® can organize information relevant to Section 179D, utility incentives, and other efficiency programs. Qualification depends on the building, project, certification pathway, placed-in-service date, wage requirements, and current rules.

Beyond the Audit Report

A Living Building Record for Every Commercial Property

Assessments, utility history, systems, controls, recommendations, inspections, capital projects, and completed improvements remain connected to the building instead of disappearing into separate reports and files.

Completed Work Becomes New Asset Data

  • Installed equipment and efficiency ratings
  • Envelope, HVAC, controls, lighting, and process work
  • Dates, costs, photographs, warranties, and inspections
  • Tax deductions, rebates, and supporting documentation
  • Deferred projects and future opportunities

Portfolio Decisions Become Smarter

Future analysis begins with what is already known about each building instead of rediscovering completed systems and projects.

Every completed improvement makes the next commercial energy assessment smarter.

Proven Building-Performance Experience

Real-World Expertise Behind EcoAudit® CRE

EcoAudit® CRE was developed by Apollo Energies, a BPI Gold Star Contractor with an 18-year company history, and is informed by more than 60 years of combined real-world experience in building science, engineering, construction, commissioning, energy auditing, controls, and efficiency implementation.

18 YearsServing Building Owners
60+ YearsCombined Experience
ThousandsHelped
BPI Gold StarContractor
RetroCore™

Managed Commercial Energy Improvements

A commercial energy audit creates value only when approved improvements are completed correctly. RetroCore™ moves recommendations into implementation-ready scopes, qualified project resources, operating coordination, inspection, documentation, and completed-work records.

Operational Coordination

Sequence work around tenants, business hours, access, safety, and continuity requirements.

Asset Documentation

Track scopes, contractors, costs, incentives, inspections, completed work, and remaining opportunities.

From Recommendation to Completion
  1. 1. Define the scopeTranslate approved recommendations into clear, coordinated work requirements.
  2. 2. Plan around operationsCoordinate tenants, access, phasing, shutdowns, safety, and scheduling.
  3. 3. Inspect and documentRecord completed work, equipment, controls, costs, incentives, and verification.
  4. 4. Update the living recordMake completed improvements part of the building's permanent performance and capital-planning history.
Frequently Asked Questions

Commercial Energy Audit Questions

Learn how EcoAudit®, EcoPlatform™, and RetroCore™ work together to replace the traditional information-gathering visit, prioritize commercial building improvements, and create a Living Building Record that becomes more valuable over time.

What is a commercial energy audit?

A commercial energy audit is a systematic evaluation of how an office, retail property, warehouse, industrial facility, mixed-use building, or commercial portfolio uses energy and where improvements can reduce operating costs, improve occupant comfort, strengthen building performance, and support capital planning.

The assessment may include utility use, energy use intensity, occupancy, schedules, the building envelope, HVAC, central plants, controls, building automation, lighting, plug loads, process loads, domestic hot water, ventilation, resilience, and completed improvements.

How does EcoAudit® CRE work?

Owners, facility teams, property managers, engineers, maintenance personnel, and asset managers complete a guided assessment using a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer.

They answer structured questions, upload utility bills, photograph systems and conditions, document operating schedules and completed improvements, and identify maintenance, comfort, controls, and capital-planning concerns.

EcoPlatform™ applies Contract-First Architecture, building science, engineering expertise, and deterministic analysis to compare the documented building against its engineering baseline, determine where performance has diverged, and prioritize the improvements that will restore performance.

Which commercial buildings can use EcoAudit® CRE?

EcoAudit® CRE can support offices, retail properties, warehouses, distribution centers, restaurants, grocery stores, manufacturing facilities, laboratories, data centers, schools, public buildings, mixed-use properties, and commercial portfolios.

Because EcoAudit® is built on Contract-First Architecture, the protocol can also be customized for specialized facilities, corporate standards, utility programs, regional requirements, or enterprise-specific operating conditions.

Does EcoAudit® replace the traditional technician or engineer visit?

Yes. EcoAudit® CRE was specifically designed to replace the traditional information-gathering visit.

Instead of paying an engineer or technician to record equipment, collect utility bills, photograph building components, review schedules, document completed improvements, and interview facility personnel, EcoAudit® guides the people who know the building best through that process directly.

EcoPlatform™ then analyzes the submitted information using Contract-First Architecture, building science, engineering expertise, and deterministic analysis. Specialized testing or additional technical analysis is used only when a defined condition must be measured or verified.

What does a commercial building energy assessment evaluate?

A commercial building energy assessment can evaluate utility use, energy use intensity, occupancy, schedules, the building envelope, HVAC, central plants, controls, building automation systems, lighting, plug loads, process loads, domestic hot water, ventilation, refrigeration, resilience, renewable energy, electrification, and completed improvements.

Can EcoAudit® CRE support multiple buildings or portfolios?

Yes. EcoAudit® CRE can support one commercial property, a campus, or a regional or national portfolio. Each building maintains its own Living Building Record while owners and asset managers use a consistent commercial energy assessment methodology across the portfolio.

Can EcoAudit® identify Section 179D opportunities?

EcoAudit® can organize information relevant to potential Section 179D opportunities, utility incentives, and other commercial energy-efficiency programs. Eligibility depends on the building, project, placed-in-service date, certification pathway, wage requirements, and current program rules.

How long does a commercial energy audit take?

The time required depends on building size, complexity, systems, utility accounts, tenants, controls, process loads, and available records. EcoAudit® eliminates the traditional technician-led information-gathering visit and allows the facility team to complete the guided assessment in manageable stages.

What information is needed for a commercial energy audit?

The assessment may use building details, floor area, use type, occupancy, operating schedules, utility bills, interval data, equipment information, controls sequences, photographs, maintenance concerns, comfort complaints, capital plans, and records of completed improvements.

Can occupied commercial buildings be audited?

Yes. EcoAudit® CRE was designed for existing and occupied commercial buildings. The guided process allows facility teams to document systems, controls, operating concerns, and completed improvements while minimizing disruption to tenants and business operations.

What happens after the commercial energy audit?

The submitted information becomes part of EcoPlatform™, where improvements are prioritized according to performance, cost, operational impact, incentives, dependencies, and project readiness.

Approved work can move into RetroCore™ for scope development, implementation, inspection, documentation, and addition to the building's Living Building Record.

How are completed commercial improvements used later?

Completed projects become part of the building's permanent Living Building Record. Equipment replacements, controls work, envelope improvements, lighting upgrades, utility history, inspections, warranties, costs, incentive records, and verification remain connected to the building.

Future assessments, budgeting, capital planning, and retrofit decisions begin with an accurate history instead of starting over.

Start With What Your Team Already Knows

Ready to Evaluate Your Commercial Building?

Answer guided questions, upload utility information, take photographs, and give Apollo Energies the information needed to begin a professional commercial building energy assessment.