Auditing Organization

The client’s technical expertise and resources affect the organization of audits. They include meeting the Motiva authorization requirements, the special features of the facility of the energy audit and the degree of specialisation required. Energy audits are usually carried out as the joint work of the client and external auditors.

The requirement for receiving energy auditing support is that the application names two auditors whose competency for the work is qualified by Motiva. One of the people in charge must be an HVAC auditor (H) and the other an electricity auditor (E).

The auditors will be qualified after passing the auditor's training course arranged by Motiva. The auditors can either be from the client organization or external auditors. Motiva arranges these training courses twice per year.

For audits in process industry and power plants also energy professionals from the plant organization can be trained to act as responsible and qualified auditors.

The majority of energy audits are done with external auditors being in charge of carrying out the project.

In selecting external auditors and the following need to be worked out:

• the special characteristics and requirements of the facility being audited;
• the share of work and resources from one’s own organization;
• the specialisation and services offered by auditors. The MEAE’s requires experience with auditing work and qualification by Motiva, but the client may have special requirements depending on the facility to be audited (e.g. expertise in refrigeration appliances, compressed air, power plant); and
• references for external auditors and expertise in the facility or sector being audited.

The selection of collaborators or auditors can be made directly on the basis of the above, or for example by arranging tenders for 2-4 experienced candidates. The call for tenders can include requests for proposals on implementing details of the audits (organization, auditing model, energy measurements, etc).

The precisely the call for tenders describes the auditing facility and its operations, special requirements and demands, possible need for specialised knowledge and energy technological systems, the better the applicants can estimate the necessary amount of work and method of implementation in their offer.

Auditors must be given the opportunity, if they want, to familiarize themselves with the subjects to be audited, especially when the subjects are demanding and expansive. When you select an auditor it is good to emphasize the content plan of the offer, experience and the specialization needed in the facility to be audited.

The call for tenders should request information on actual the candidate for the auditing work and work performance, because in addition to the work of auditors, auditing work can be performed by others.

The client should check the possible working costs from the current general guidelines on energy auditing of the MEAE for which an auditing subsidy would be available. If the applicant offers to do the job significantly cheaper than others and clearly below the working costs for which a subsidy would be available, it may indicate inferior quality of auditing with no discernable remunerative savings. In this case the responsibility of the client, who is the recipient of the subsidy, for the auditing and to supervise the quality of the work becomes more pronounced. Before making a contract it is important to make sure of the auditors’ resources for carrying out the work within the planned schedule.