Energy Efficiency Consultant – Complete Hiring Guide

An energy efficiency consultant is a specialist who helps assess your energy consumption.

They’re responsible for helping optimize your energy usage while taking your environmental impact into account. 

They share expert advice on how to implement different energy-saving measures in a more sustainable way.

As a result, your carbon footprint is reduced, and your costs are lowered.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to hire the right specialist.

First things first, let’s understand how hiring a professional can make a difference.

How can hiring an energy efficiency consultant help?

Integrating energy efficiency into your daily operations means using less energy, reducing waste, and meeting your sustainability goals with no change in the end result.

Read more about Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in our guide.

After assessing your current situation, a certified energy efficiency consultant will go beyond traditional energy savings.

They’ll come up with an approach tailored to your specific needs.

By setting up a plan to use another form of renewable energy or phase out greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency experts reduce your energy bills and save you money.

Additionally, simply checking if your operations are in line with state regulations can make a huge difference in the long term.

Example Projects for an Energy Efficiency Consultant

Here are ways an energy efficiency expert can help:

1. Energy Audits

Energy efficiency consulting includes an in-depth analysis.

The consultant first identifies inefficiencies - such as outdated HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) systems, inefficient lighting, or poor insulation.

They screen energy performance, find areas that need improvement, prioritize, and create energy savings plans.

This is the main project that they’re responsible for, as you'll be using their report to make all future energy efficiency improvements.

2. Implementing Renewable Energy Resources

Another key project is designing methods to switch from non-renewable to more cost-effective resources.

An energy efficiency consultant will help incorporate solar panels and utilize water or wind power in a way that makes sense for your company.

Implementing solar energy requires a higher upfront investment, but the expected ROI can be high. Solar panels-wise, the average ROI in the US is about 10%.

3. Integrating Green IT into Daily Operations

Green IT reduces energy use in a sustainable manner.

Here are a few examples of ideas an energy expert may have: 

• using cloud services
• designing apps with dark mode
• centralizing computing resources
• switching to ML models

This is how an energy efficiency expert could help IT companies reach their energy-related goals.

4. Building Design

New construction projects benefit the most if the energy goals are set right at the beginning.

If an energy expert steps in while the building design is in progress, their insight can be valuable. For example, they can utilize natural lighting to help with the building’s temperature.

Making sure that the insulation of your building is high-quality is also an effective way to minimize energy costs.

5. Optimizing HVAC Systems

Improving HVAC systems decreases energy consumption by a substantial amount.

As it usually directly aligns with sustainability targets, optimizing the HVAC systems may be the first thing your energy expert recommends.

Related roles with job descriptions: Certified eco consultant | Carbon accountant

Who should hire one?

Many engineering firms, government agencies, and companies in various fields - such as manufacturing, construction, hospitality, and healthcare - opt to hire a professional to help them assess their environmental impact.

Any organization looking to decrease its carbon footprint can get expert guidance to learn how to operate in a more sustainable way.

If you’re content with your current status, you can ask an expert to conduct a series of workshops to ensure everyone on the team is making environmentally conscious decisions.

Do energy efficiency consultants do home audits?

Yes, many homeowners consult experts to learn how to cut down on their utility bills.

To do this, a consultant will conduct a home energy assessment.

It includes carrying out a thermographic inspection, testing air leakage, or recommending the integration of new equipment, such as solar panels, heat pumps, or smart power strips. 

Additionally, the energy auditor will ask you for the bills from the past year, and they’ll determine how electricity and gas are being used.

Hiring a certified expert will help ensure eligibility for the 25C tax credit.

ROI and strategic benefits

Learning how to operate in a sustainable way while increasing energy efficiency requires some initial investments.

However, the long-term savings will justify the money spent upfront.

By taking the initiative to act in an environmentally friendly manner, you’re building your like-minded clients’ trust. In some sectors, there are essential verifications and certifications you must get to maintain your authority.

Strategic benefits for construction projects

With the help of an energy efficiency consultant, you can be on your way to obtaining a sustainability certificate, showing your potential investors that you’re cutting down on unwanted costs.

Here are a few examples of certification:

LEED certification

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certificate shows that all building phases have been done with the following in mind:

• minimizing contribution to climate change
• maintaining biodiversity
• protecting water resources

This certificate also places a lot of focus on the impact on individual human health.

BREEAM certification

Acquiring the BREAAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) certificate proves that your construction project has met high standards of sustainability. BREAAM believes in both environmental and economic sustainability.

Related roles with job descriptions: Climate consultant | Carbon neutral consultant

Example Job Description (simply copy it and paste)

1. Job Title: Energy Efficiency Consultant
   
2. Summary: The Energy Efficiency Consultant will play a crucial role in implementing and maintaining new energy-saving measures in our operations. The consultant will be responsible for developing a plan for meeting our organization’s sustainability goals while ensuring the most cost-effective measures are in place.
   
3. Key Responsibilities:
   - Conduct thorough energy efficiency audits.
   - Identify energy-related inefficiencies and find cost-effective solutions.
   - Stay up-to-date on innovative technologies and best practices to reduce costs.
   - Train team members and teach them how to maintain the implemented energy efficiency strategies.
   Qualifications and Skills:
   Required Qualifications:
   - Bachelor’s Degree in Energy Management, Engineering, Environmental Science, or related field.
   - Certification as an Energy Efficiency Consultant.
   - Excellent command of both spoken and written English.
   Skills:
   - Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
   - Strong written and verbal communication skills.
   - Ability to lead and work in a team.
   - Solid understanding of energy efficiency regulations.
   Qualifications:
   - Master's degree in a related field.
   - Proven experience in planning and executing energy efficiency projects.
   - Proficiency in using different energy monitoring tools.
4. Experience Requirements:
   - Minimum of 3-5 years in a related field.
   - Preferable experience in individually coming up with different strategies related to environmental impact, sustainability, and/or reducing waste.
   - Familiarity with implementing the right energy conservation technique depending on the nature of the project.
   - Solid understanding of the HVAC systems.
5. Company Overview and Culture: [Insert your details]‍
6. Application Process: [Insert your details]