5 things to know about virtual energy audits as an energy professional

As we all know, COVID-19 has changed the landscape of in-home energy assessments and has generated instant interest in virtual audits. Like most in the energy efficiency industry, we’ve wondered whether this is simply a passing trend, or if virtual energy assessments are a game changer that’s here to stay. To shed some light on the matter, we’ve gathered a number of useful resources and are sharing some of our insights on everything we think you should know about virtual energy audits.

It’s probably worth noting that a lot of people in the industry, us included, have been using the terms virtual energy audits and remote energy audit interchangeably. Some like the Energy Futures Group have proposed defining a virtual energy audit as an audit done in automated fashion, such as algorithms that use smart meter data to assess energy savings opportunities or planes that collect thermal imagery of an entire town-- whereas a remote energy audit would be one where an energy professional plays an active role. While we appreciate the distinction, we’re not quite convinced-- and we will continue to use virtual energy audit to describe an audit conducted virtually using technology other than automobiles.  

That said, here are the top 5 things you should know about virtual home energy assessments as an energy professional:

1. We doubt in-home assessments will disappear, but they’ll likely have to share the stage with virtual energy audits for years to come.

Like with most things, virtual energy audits have their pros and cons. But before weighing these tradeoffs, it’s worth considering why energy efficiency programs relied so heavily on in-home energy audits in the first place. Four primary reasons come to mind: 

• Sales - The in-person audit is seen as a sales tool. Not only does it give the recommendations more credibility, but it’s simply harder to say no to someone who is not only sitting in front of you, but who also just spent three hours in your home. 

• Measurement - From counting light fixtures to measuring windows, auditors collect a lot of data. While much of this data can be gathered remotely or by the homeowners, there is some data, most notably blower door tests, that require a professional on site.

• Verification - If an energy professional screws in the lightbulb, you can rest assured the bulb was installed. If you just give the lightbulb to a homeowner, who knows what will happen. 

• Inertia - It’s the way things have always been done. 

There’s going to be a much longer and more technical debate about the merits of blower door tests and modeled savings in the post-COVID era, but the three other reasons don’t hold enough water to trump the benefits of virtual audits-- especially when you consider that the majority of home energy audits are less meticulous walk-through audits.  

The most obvious benefit of virtual energy audits is convenience; If I’m a homeowner, I don’t have to sit around all morning waiting for the energy professional to show up; if I’m a home energy auditor, I don’t have to spend half an hour or more in my truck, to potentially knock on a door where no one is home. The potential cost savings of these alone are huge. 

Some early market feedback suggests that homeowners receiving a virtual audit are more engaged because they’re actively participating in the audit-- one might posit that greater engagement leads to high conversion (i.e. I’ve already put in so much into this). 

One of current drawbacks of virtual audits right now is we don’t have the experience or the right tools to deliver the best customer experience. For instance, Ekotrope CEO, Ziv Rozenblum, recently participated in a virtual audit of his home and while he was “impressed with how quickly they got the program up and running, there were a number of shortcomings including an excessive amount of photos that homeowners had to collect beforehand.”

Even a year from now, homeowners are going to think differently about having someone in their home-- and the only way to get into their homes may be to do so virtually. Interested in more information on the potential pros and cons? Check out “Virtual Audits: The Promise and the Reality” by John Avina of Abraxas Energy Consulting.

2. While there has been some buzz around AI and the automation of home audits, we don’t think AI is taking your job anytime soon 

There are many companies taking a more macro, no-touch approach to home audits. By collecting and analyzing massive amounts of data (be it aerial thermal imaging or smart meter data), these companies are able to make energy savings recommendations without even stepping foot into a home. Many of these solutions were built with AI to make predictions and analyses from meter and appliance data.

While this push toward automation could shift the entire energy efficiency industry, we aren’t quite convinced that these touchless audits will be as influential or as effective at spurring customers to action-- moreover, many of them are depending on smart meter data, but smart meters have only been deployed in a small number of markets. 

However, we think this analysis could be a tremendously valuable tool for home energy professionals, whether they are performing a home energy audit on-site or remotely. This integration could be great for the industry and could mean an increase in available information, and streamlining to the initial stages of home audits. For instance, while some auditors are sending static remote surveys to homeowners, others are integrating AI and machine learning into their survey protocols which means targeted questions, and more accurate responses. Armed with a set of likely recommendations, professionals can focus in the right areas and have time to engage and educate homeowners. For more information on AI in home energy assessments, we recommend “How AI is Making Virtual Home Energy Audits a Reality” by Abhay Gupta for Power Magazine.

3. Although virtual energy assessments have a long way to go, they’re a cheaper and more consistent option than on-site audits for energy efficiency programs to consider

While it’s true that no virtual energy audit software could replace the years of experience and intuition that a home auditor brings to the table, remote audits will save a lot of time and money when it comes to removing redundancies in energy efficiency program participation. They mean less money spent sending trucks and staff out to homes that are actually ineligible for programs. In turn, this could save time and money to be reallocated to driving even deeper savings with highly eligible homes. With the prospects of “lighting savings going away” in many regions, these cost savings may be the key to feasibility of their programs going forward.

4. Remote audits could be a more compelling alternative for homeowners

It’s no secret that homeowners are wary of having strangers in their homes right now, but we don’t think this is an entirely new concept. Many homeowners postpone or abstain from traditional audits simply to avoid the added scheduling and small-talk associated with in-person audits, or because their home is a mess. Virtual audits could be an incentive for homeowners to participate in programs even if they’re adverse to having someone in their home. After seeing the initial savings garnered, homeowners could be enticed to continue to participate in programs that drive savings.

5.  No matter the medium, the focus should remain on homeowners, and the customer should have the right to choose between virtual or in-person assessments

Whether it’s in-person or a virtual energy audit, it’s important to remember a solution will only work if it works for homeowners. For energy audits to be successful in the long run, they must first motivate consumers to get an audit--and then convince them to undertake a meaningful improvement to their home. It’s easy to give away free light bulbs but hard to get them to spend real money. For a great case study on how homeowners can benefit from a user-friendly energy efficiency assessment, check out actor and environmentalist Ed Begley Jr.’s experience with Ekotrope.

It’s important to remember that some homeowners will still prefer the in-home assessment as it requires only passive participation on their end, while some homeowners will be enticed by the additional privacy provided by virtual energy audits. Regardless of whether virtual assessments continue to trend, it’s an additional option to offer homeowners which makes it a valuable investment. If you take the time to streamline your virtual process now, you’ll be in a position to offer both physical and remote audits in the future which would address a broader range of homeowners’ preferences. 

At the end of the day, we’ve always believed in innovation in energy efficiency, and we think virtual audits are a great addition to the energy efficiency professional’s toolkit. That said, it’s important to recognize the limitations of current software options and to continue to innovate in this space so that these tools are used effectively and consistently. There will still always be a need for in-home assessments on some level, so we’d encourage energy professionals to learn how to use these tools to their advantage, because we think virtual energy audits are here to stay.

Ekotrope is actively exploring how we might support virtual energy audits, if you’re interested in learning more please contact us at info@ekotrope.com.