Book excerpt: The Intuitive Guide to Energy Efficiency and Building Improvements Energy Audits and Improvements for Commercial Buildings provides a comprehensive guide to delivering deep and measurable energy savings and carbon emission reductions in buildings. Author Ian M. Shapiro has prepared, supervised, and reviewed over 1,000 energy audits in all types of commercial facilities, and led energy improvement projects for many more. In this book, he merges real-world experience with the latest standards and practices to help energy managers and energy auditors transform energy use in the buildings they serve, and indeed to transform their buildings. Set and reach energy reduction goals, carbon reduction goals, and sustainability goals Dramatically improve efficiency of heating, cooling, lighting, ventilation, water and other building systems Include the building envelope as a major factor in energy use and improvements Use the latest tools for more thorough analysis and reporting, while avoiding common mistakes Get up to date on current improvements and best practices, including management of energy improvements, from single buildings to large building portfolios, as well as government and utility programs Photographs and drawings throughout illustrate essential procedures and improvement opportunities. For any professional interested in efficient commercial buildings large and small, Energy Audits and Improvements for Commercial Buildings provides an accessible, complete, improvement-focused reference.