An energy assessment starts with a decision: what does the facility team need to understand or improve? A useful preparation package gives the assessment team a consistent facility boundary, usable records, and an explanation of how the building operates. The checklist below is practical editorial guidance for preparing that package, rather than a prescribed audit method.

Define the decision and facility boundary

State whether the assessment is intended to support operational troubleshooting, project development, portfolio planning, or a specific evaluation requirement. List the buildings and systems included and identify shared services. A campus utility meter may serve more than the building being reviewed. Make that boundary visible before comparing consumption figures or assigning an apparent change to one system.

Collect records with their context

Assemble available utility bills, meter exports, equipment schedules, operating hours, and relevant system documentation. Record the source, time period, units, and known gaps for each dataset. Ask about occupancy changes, shutdowns, renovations, and unusual operating periods. These notes help reviewers distinguish a change in use from a potential performance issue; they do not, by themselves, prove the cause of either.

Keep data limitations visible

Create a simple register with the requested information, available period, owner, and remaining question. Mark estimates as estimates. Do not fill missing values with invented numbers to make a chart appear complete. If two records disagree, retain both and identify the reconciliation needed. The assessment scope should explain how limitations will affect the analysis and conclusions.

Select the appropriate assessment approach

FEMP describes energy and water audits as tools for evaluation requirements and broader planning goals. Its decision-tree resources help agencies consider facility conditions and select suitable assessment approaches. [^1] Use the current guidance together with the facility's actual obligations and the decision being made. A short desk review and a detailed on-site assessment should not be presented as interchangeable deliverables.

Agree on the output before collecting more data

Define how observations, assumptions, candidate measures, uncertainties, and recommended next steps will be recorded. Keep an initial screening estimate distinct from a developed project estimate. Identify what additional investigation would be needed before authorizing work. This makes the result usable for the next decision without implying a savings outcome that has not been established.

A prepared facility team does not need perfect data to begin. It needs a transparent account of what is available, what is missing, and what the assessment must answer. That is the foundation for a reviewable analysis and a realistic scope.

Related capability: energy systems assessment.