Most business owners opt for SBEM calculations as these are required new build commercial buildings, extensions and refurbishments. Usually, these are undertaken both before and after project completion. Such requires expertise, so some of them acquire the service soft an SBEM consultant. This is because these experts know the ways of reducing energy demand and increasing supply through renewable energy sources on buildings.
However, choosing the right consultant is critical as this can either entail failure or success. Hence, to help you with your search, below are some things you should keep in mind.
When interviewing potential SBEM calculations consultants, try to figure out what their approach and style will be and whether it will work well within your company’s way of doing business. No matter how qualified an energy consultant is, you won’t accomplish much if you can’t work well together. Do you think the consultant will invest some time to properly get a hold of the calculations you need? Will the consultant offer you an individually tailored solution instead of one of his or her company’s standard solutions?
The SBEM calculations consultant’s experience working with similar companies within your sector may have a lot of bearing here. Discuss with them regarding their limitations and if it works with your needs. Remember the reason you are looking for outside help instead of internally in the first place. The consultant shouldn’t be expected to know everything about your business, but he or she should have the proper amount of general technical knowledge needed to properly assess the issues your business is having.
The SBEM resume must show how worthy the consultant is for an interview. Although it is easy to fall into the trap of finding the perfect candidate “on paper,” you should never base a hiring decision on a resume alone. Make sure to also seek for their experience, previous projects, reviews, and a lot more.
The consultants who will work on your SBEM calculation needs should have prior experience and the strong skill set you need. Experienced SBEM calculation consultants should be able to translate between business language and “SBEM speak” in such a way that everyone can easily understand. If they have difficultly doing this, you should be concerned and question their experience.
Doing a technical interview can often be a daunting task since the reason you are hiring a consultant is that you don’t have internal SBEM expertise in the specific area. The goal of the technical interview is to get a comfort level that the consultant has the necessary SBEM technical skills and business understanding to be a valuable team member.
Do a deep dive into their portfolio. If you skip this step, you have no idea what value you’re getting from an energy consultant. A reliable SBEM consultant will be able to show you the right energy efficiency solutions they have performed. They may even be able to provide client references, as well as point you to any promotional work they’ve done.
Make sure that you concentrate on the outcome when you work with an SBEM calculation consultant instead of thinking of the time needed to deliver it. Be clear with your consultant about the body of work and the business outcome you are expecting from it, and take time to discuss and define the results further with the consultant. While many consulting firms used to charge clients by the hour, this approach often is not effective. Energy consultants typically do not like to bill clients by the hour, nor do clients want to feel like every minute they spend talking to a consultant costs them money. By focusing on the business outcome rather than on the hours, you’re holding the consulting firm accountable for the results within the timeline and the budget that you have.
After reading the items above, it would be now faster for you to decide which SBEM expert to work with. Since these experts are someone who can make your property energy-efficient and law-abiding, then you surely don’t want to waste time and money working with the wrong one. This is why make sure that you invest enough time to properly assess your options and use the tips given above to do so. Don’t just hire the first one you stumbled upon. By not doing this, you can get all the good things from hiring such professionals.