Lighting audits are an essential first step in any lighting project. And in the retrofit market, the audit process differs significantly from the steps you’d take in a new-construction design.
Below, SnapCount customer Frank Agraz, Director of Engineering at Facility Solutions Group, walks you through highlights of his noteworthy presentation given at the recent LEDucation conference in New York, featuring best practices honed over his long career in LED retrofit lighting. These proven techniques combined with digitization via SnapCount, led to unprecedented efficiencies and growth.
The retrofit lighting audit process includes three major steps:
The audit is arguably the most important part of the retrofit process. Its goal is to capture the current lighting systems and conditions accurately and efficiently in a space to help deliver a cost-effective lighting solution. The details you find in your audit can affect the specifications, pricing, savings, timing, and change orders associated with the project. Without it, you won’t know what you’re dealing with, or how to design, specify, and price the job.
Preparation is key to conducting effective lighting audits. The better you plan before stepping foot onto your audit site, the better the outcome.
Document essential project details, like the site list and facility point of contact, and make sure all logistical aspects of the audit — such as determining the audit team, the facility specifics, and the scope of the audit — are sorted beforehand.
To ensure your audit captures the necessary information, you need to have a solid plan. Before you start the audit, ask yourself these questions:
A thorough audit process can be broken down into five major steps:
Always request an interior evacuation floor plan or other facility map to ensure you understand the layout of all areas and all access points before stepping on-site. Although reflected ceiling plans may be available, existing conditions may have changed since the drawings were created. Always confirm details in person. For exterior audits, always use a recent satellite image for reference.
Ideally, the sales team will gather preliminary information relating to the facility, utility provider, audit check-in, escort, and PPE requirements. Once the audit team is on-site, they should meet with their main contact to better understand site conditions, design considerations, and even installation logistics should the project move forward.
This is your initial walkthrough of the audit space. You’ll use it to confirm the accuracy of preliminary maps and identify key areas, like electrical panels and emergency exits. This is also where you can meet area supervisors to ask them if any areas require your special attention. Maybe they’ve noticed low light levels in the back hallways that make it hard to read the safety signs posted there. For certain audits, schedule an exit meeting for about the time you anticipate finishing the audit. After you’ve talked to employees, plan the best place to start your audit.
This is the heart of the audit, where you’ll document all the existing conditions needed to develop a proposal. It’s also where all your planning comes in handy. You’ll know exactly how detailed you need to be, which data you need to collect, and how much time you’ll have to complete the audit. Although every audit will have potentially different parameters, every auditor should weigh the amount of time they have versus the accuracy required to complete the task.
If appropriate and with time permitting, ask your point of contact to review the data you’ve collected and discuss your preliminary findings to ensure nothing is overlooked. Don’t forget to address any areas of concern, existing LED areas, or areas that were inaccessible at the time of the audit. In addition to learning more about the facility, this face-to-face meeting offers another opportunity to impress the customer and differentiate yourself from the competition.
Successful audits often require choosing the proper data-collection platform for the job. They can affect your speed and efficiency — and the wrong tools can cost you time and money.
These days, you have a lot of choices, ranging from legal pads to third-party digital solutions like SnapCount. Whatever platform you choose, it should:
Lighting auditors use the following data collection techniques:
In the old days, auditors relied exclusively on paper and a pen. Though they don’t have some of the advantages of more modern methods of data collection, auditors still use these traditional methods for the following reasons:
However, using pen and paper to assess lighting retrofit projects carry disadvantages as well:
Many companies then rely on these paper audits to complete their spreadsheets back at the office, creating duplicate work and occasional costly data-entry errors.
Digital data collection platforms have evolved greatly in the last 20 years:
Old-school digital tools include spreadsheets and built-in-house web-based programs. While these might have some advantages over a pen and paper, they also have some downsides:
Tablet-based data collection platforms, like SnapCount, share the same benefits as first-generation tools but take the convenience even further:
SnapCount can help you:
You’ll need more than just paper, pen, and tablet software to successfully document existing conditions. The following audit tools are essential components in any auditor’s tool bag:
Every veteran auditor figures out a few smart strategies over time to make audits go even that much smoother. Here are some of our (sometimes hard-won) lessons:
Planning Audit Routes: Finalize your route within a facility before starting the audit. Review the layout of a facility, and identify the most logical place to start. On each floor, pick the same corner and proceed in the same direction every time. Your installation crew will thank you as they attempt to recreate your steps during construction.
Regular Check-ins: Conduct regular check-ins with your team during the audit. It will help ensure that everyone is on track and that no critical areas are overlooked.
Be Prepared for Anything: If there’s one consistency about audits, it’s that they never go exactly how you planned. Be prepared for surprises (like lack of access to certain spaces) and have a backup plan in place so you can roll with the punches and stay on track.
Streamline Your Process: We prefer digital platforms like SnapCount because they standardize output, maximize accuracy, and foster efficiency. Digital platforms also reduce errors associated with manual data entry and save time. Tagging photos and notes directly in the audit software, for example, can streamline the process and improve the quality of the final report.