DENVER, CO · ENERGY
Commercial energy audits in Denver.
Flux runs commercial energy audits for Denver commercial buildings: utility data review, field testing, a written report, and measures matched to Energize Denver and Xcel Energy rules.
Find the waste before you buy the upgrade.
Most commercial buildings are paying for energy they never use. A proper commercial energy audit puts numbers on it: where the waste is, what the fix costs, and what it returns. From there, efficiency consultants sequence the upgrades so the cheap wins pay for the big ones.
The audit also tells you when the answer is bigger than efficiency. High demand charges point at battery storage; aging equipment points at a mechanical replacement that pays back in utility savings. Either way, you decide with real numbers on the table.
START HERE
Why do Denver commercial buildings get an energy audit?
A commercial energy audit shows where a Denver commercial building loses energy and which fixes are worth buying. We start with utility bills and meter data. Then we walk the systems, test the building, and hand you a written report with infrared images and a roadmap for improvement.
We also plan the audit around Denver paperwork. Energize Denver compliance runs on benchmarking data, and Xcel Energy program enrollment happens before equipment bidding. We build the measure list around both, then mark which items need permitted drawings.
Does a Denver energy audit fit Energize Denver compliance?
Energize Denver is the city's benchmarking and performance ordinance. The compliance path runs from annual benchmarking to a Data Verification report, then to energy audits and a full compliance plan. We time audit field work so the findings feed that plan instead of arriving after it. We pull meter and utility data during the audit and check it against the numbers you benchmarked. We also write the measure list in the order the compliance plan uses it. Ask us whether your building falls under the ordinance and we will confirm before we scope.
Audit scope
What does a commercial energy audit check in a Denver building?
Utility bills and phantom loads
BILLS
We pull the billing history first. Bill analysis can expose phantom loads, meaning power the building draws when it should be in sleep mode. We turn those into control schedule changes before anyone prices equipment.
Heating, cooling, and duct leakage
HVAC
Heating and cooling equipment typically accounts for 40 to 50 percent of total energy use in commercial buildings, and duct leakage alone can cause 20 to 30 percent of heating and cooling energy loss. We check duct runs and equipment condition so the report separates a leak problem from an equipment problem.
Field testing and thermal images
FIELD
We use an infrared thermal imaging camera, which shows heat loss as a picture, and a blower door, a fan that measures how much air leaks through the building shell. Large sites can take more than one blower door. Both feed the written report.
Audit level, 1 through 3
LEVELS
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) sets audit practice in Standard 211. A Level 3 audit, also called investment grade, targets a few high-cost measures and can use computer simulation of the building or its systems. We pick the level with you before field work starts.
PROJECT PLANNING
What do Denver owners get after a commercial energy audit?
A written report you can act on
REPORT
The report carries infrared images and a roadmap for improvement. We split the list into schedule and maintenance fixes you can do now and capital items that need budget and bidding.
Which measures need permitted drawings
CODE
Denver adopted the 2025 Denver Building and Fire Codes on June 13, 2025, effective December 31, 2025, and construction drawings for new projects submitted after that date use them. The Denver Energy Code in that set incorporates the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code. We name the measures that need drawings under it.
Estimates versus actual results
NUMBERS
Xcel Energy states that energy savings calculations are estimates and may vary from actual results, and it adjusts rebate amounts for deviations between the installed work and the preapproved project. We keep the model inputs with your report so you can compare later.
WHAT WE HANDLE
Everything under the energy door.
MANAGEMENT
Rebate timing
How do Denver energy audits line up with Xcel Energy rebates?
- Xcel Energy asks buildings to enroll in its Energy Efficient Buildings program as early as possible in design, and before equipment bidding. We set the audit date ahead of your bid package.
- Energy Efficient Buildings projects need savings from at least two building systems. We group measures across systems, such as lighting plus heating and cooling, while we build the list.
- Eligibility for that program is based mainly on the ASHRAE 90.1-2016 standard and the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code. We compare your equipment specs against that bar during the audit.
- Xcel Energy's Custom Efficiency program requires preapproval before the project starts and before equipment is purchased. We flag custom measures before anything gets ordered.
- Xcel Energy rebate programs carry 60 days notice of cancellation, and the customer and contractor are responsible for checking that a program is still in effect. We confirm current terms before we quote scope.
BEFORE YOU BUY
What information does a Denver commercial energy audit need from you?
- Xcel Energy rebate applications ask for your electric premises number and whether the site is electric only, gas only, or both. We collect those at kickoff.
- Xcel Energy calculates lighting rebates using lighting power density for the space type, a measure of lighting power for that kind of space. We map lighting by space type in the field.
- The Energy Efficient Buildings application asks which efficiency measures you are already considering. Send that list and we test those measures during the audit.
- Xcel Energy requires a refrigeration retrofit to be complete and operational before the rebate is submitted. We schedule the verification visit after the install, not before.
ASKED IN DENVER
Common questions about commercial energy audits in Denver
How much do energy audits cost?
COST
We price by audit level and by the systems in scope. A Level 3 audit adds computer simulation of the building or its systems. We quote after we see your equipment list.
What are the different energy rebate programs available in Colorado?
REBATES
Xcel Energy runs Energy Efficient Buildings for design-stage work, Custom Efficiency for measures that need preapproval, and set rebates for items such as commercial refrigeration equipment.
How to find an energy auditor?
FLUX FIT
Flux handles the Denver audit end to end: utility data, field testing, the written report, and the Xcel Energy paperwork that follows. Send us your building type and system list.
Project in Denver?
Tell us the building, exact scope, and target date. Flux will review the request and send the next step.
QUESTIONS
Straight answers.
Do you audit walk-in coolers and display cases in Denver?
Xcel Energy pays $60 per door for anti-sweat heater controls, which cut door and frame heater power when the air around the case is dry. The rebate covers retrofits on standard energy doors only, and low-heat or no-heat doors may qualify for a custom incentive instead. We count doors and record door type during the audit.
Can Flux audit a Denver manufacturing plant or warehouse?
We scope process equipment separately from building systems. Audits at manufacturing sites take in production equipment and how it interacts with facility systems, which runs deeper than a standard commercial building audit. Tell us the process loads and shift hours and we size the field work to match.
Our building sits outside Denver city limits. What changes?
Energize Denver is the city's benchmarking and performance ordinance, so it tracks the address. In Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, or Estes Park, Efficiency Works incentives can cover up to 100% of a required compliance study. We confirm which rules apply to your address before we quote.
How and when does Xcel Energy pay a rebate?
Rebates arrive as checks, not as utility bill credits. Payment usually comes six to eight weeks after the completed paperwork is submitted, and Xcel Energy pays after it verifies installation and operation. We assemble the application with your invoices and equipment specs.
GET STARTED
Find the waste in your building.
The audit is free to scope, and most audits find their fee several times over. Tell us about the building and we'll price yours.
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