What Happens During an ASHRAE Level 2 Site Visit

The most common question we get from Oregon facilities directors before we sign an engagement is some version of “what’s the actual on-site work look like, and what do we need to do to prepare?” Building owners want to know whether they’re going to lose three days to a guy with a clipboard and a flashlight, or whether the audit is something that happens mostly in the background. Whether the process will disrupt operations or tenants. The honest answer: it’s somewhere in the middle, and the better the prep, the smoother the visit.

This post walks through what actually happens during the on-site portion of an ASHRAE Level 2 audit for Oregon BPS compliance. No marketing, just the realistic version. You’ll understand what to expect, what to prepare, what access you need to provide, and what happens after the auditor leaves the building.

The Quick Definition

An ASHRAE Level 2 energy audit site visit is the on-site engineering portion of an Oregon BPS-compliant audit, typically running one to three days for a single commercial building depending on size and complexity. The auditor measures key building system performance, walks the envelope and mechanical systems with the facilities team, collects Building Automation System (BAS) data, and gathers the data needed for energy modeling and life-cycle cost analysis. The visit is one part of a larger four-to-eight-week audit process that also includes data review, energy modeling, analysis, and the Form Q compliance report.

For a typical 50,000-75,000 square foot building, expect the on-site visit to take 2-3 days. For smaller buildings (35,000-50,000 sq ft), one day may be sufficient. For larger or more complex buildings (100,000+ sq ft or mixed-use), 3-4 days may be needed.

Before the Visit: The Prep Sequence

We send a data request 7-14 days before the on-site visit. The faster the building team turns this around, the better the audit. The standard request includes:

1. Two to three years of utility billing data — Electric, gas, water if metered. PDF or CSV format is fine. Include both consumption (kWh, therms) and demand charges if applicable.
2. ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager benchmarking data — If you’ve already filed with ODOE, this is in your account. If not, we’ll help you set it up.
3. Building drawings — As-built floor plans if available, or current floor plans showing major systems locations
4. Mechanical and electrical systems inventory — Equipment lists, nameplate specifications, age of major equipment, O&M binders if available
5. Recent commissioning or retro-commissioning reports (if applicable)
6. Operating schedules — Hours of occupancy, setback strategies, weekend / holiday operation, seasonal adjustments
7. Recent capital project documentation — Anything done in the last 5 years on HVAC, lighting, controls, envelope, or hot water systems

Most teams have 60-80% of this readily available. The 20-40% they don’t have is fine — we work around gaps. But the closer to 100% the better, because data gaps drive longer site visit time, extended analysis, and delayed reporting.

Day One: The Walkthrough and Data Gathering

A typical Day 1 looks like this:

Morning: Kickoff and Building Walk (3-4 hours)

We start with a 30-45 minute kickoff meeting with the facilities lead and any relevant building engineering staff. We confirm scope, walk through the data we received, answer any questions the building team has, and ask about the building’s history, recent issues, complaints, operational changes, or known problems. We want to know what’s keeping the facilities team up at night, because those issues are usually a leading indicator of where the energy is going and what systems need closest attention during the audit.

After the kickoff we walk the building from envelope inward. Roof inspection (looking at condition of roof membrane, exposed HVAC equipment, insulation, skylights). Mechanical penthouse or rooftop equipment inspection (examining the age, condition, and operating state of RTUs, boilers, chiller, cooling towers, pumps). Major mechanical rooms and electrical rooms. A representative sample of occupied spaces (offices, retail, lobby, storage, etc.) selected to capture the range of space types and conditions.

We’re looking at envelope condition (visible cracks, water damage, window condition), equipment age and condition (equipment nameplates provide manufacturer and installation dates), control sequences and interlocks, operating patterns and anomalies, and visible problems (leaks, corrosion, undersized ductwork, missing insulation).

This walk typically takes 2-3 hours for a mid-size building.

Midday: Building Automation System Deep Dive (2-3 hours)

We sit down with the building automation system and begin pulling trend data. Most modern commercial buildings have a BAS that gives us trend data on temperatures, equipment runtimes, setpoints, and override frequencies. Pulling 30-90 days of trend data is one of the highest-value moves of the entire site visit. We’re looking for specific operating issues:

• HVAC equipment running outside scheduled hours (indicating poor occupancy control or manual overrides)
• Setpoint creep (occupants overriding the design intent, evidence of comfort issues or poor system response)
• Simultaneous heating and cooling (indicating poor control sequencing or stuck dampers)
• Outdoor air economizer issues (damper stuck partially open, outside air sensor malfunction)
• Pump and fan running when they shouldn’t be (indicating control problems or failed equipment)
• Controls programming that doesn’t match the stated operating intent
• Evidence of failed equipment or deferred maintenance

The BAS data often tells us more about real building performance than the on-site visual observations. Trend data is gold — it shows what the building actually does over a full operational period, not what it does while someone’s looking at it.

For buildings without a BAS, we’ll manually check thermostat settings and equipment operation, but this is less precise and less valuable than BAS trend data.

Afternoon: Targeted Measurement and Documentation (3-4 hours)

This is where we actually measure key building system performance with portable instruments. The specific measurements vary by building, but commonly include:

• Light meter readings in representative spaces (checking whether lighting levels match design or are significantly over-illuminated)
• Spot temperature and humidity readings in different zones (checking for unexpected conditions or control issues)
• Airflow measurements at key supply registers using a hot-wire anemometer (checking actual ventilation rates vs. design)
• Power readings on major mechanical equipment using a clamp meter (documenting equipment capacity and state)
• Combustion analysis on boilers and furnaces (if accessible, checking efficiency and flame quality)
• Infrared camera survey of envelope and equipment for thermal anomalies (detecting insulation gaps, wet insulation, equipment overheating)
• Domestic hot water temperature measurements throughout the building
• Damper and valve condition checks

The goal isn’t to measure every system. The goal is to ground-truth the data we already have and fill in the gaps. A focused 3-4 hour measurement session usually gives us what we need. We’re not invasive—no equipment shutdowns, no system modifications, no production disruption.

Day Two (If Needed): Detail and Documentation (2-3 hours or full day)

For buildings under about 75,000 square feet, Day 1 is often enough. For larger buildings, more complex mechanical systems, or buildings with multiple use types under one roof, Day 2 is where we finish. Day 2 typically covers:

• Detailed walkthrough of any mechanical systems we couldn’t fully cover on Day 1
• Photo documentation of equipment nameplates, model numbers, and condition (necessary for equipment cost estimating and specification research)
• Detailed interviews with operations staff about pain points, known issues, maintenance history, and operational workarounds
• Measurement of any systems that needed off-hours access (late-night measurement of night-setback performance, for example)
• Access to locked or restricted areas if earlier scheduling didn’t work
• Closeout meeting with the facilities lead to confirm next steps, answer questions, and preview the timeline for the final report

What the Building Team Has to Do

Realistic version: not much, and most of it can happen via email before the visit.

Task	Time Required	Timing
Pull 2-3 years of utility data	1-2 hours	Before site visit
Send drawings and equipment lists	1 hour	Before site visit
Confirm BAS access and trend data export	30 minutes	Before site visit
Day 1 facility staff availability for kickoff and walkthrough	4-5 hours	During site visit Day 1
Day 1 staff for BAS data access and operation questions	2-3 hours	During site visit Day 1
Day 2 facility staff availability (if needed)	2-4 hours	During site visit Day 2
Closeout meeting and feedback	1 hour	End of site visit

For a typical Oregon commercial building, the on-site time burden on the facilities team is 5-8 hours for a one-day visit, or 8-12 hours if a two-day visit is needed. Most of that is just being available to answer questions and provide access—not formal “meetings” requiring extensive preparation.

What Happens After the Visit

The on-site visit is the most visible part of the audit, but it’s a fraction of the total work. After the visit we:

1. Clean and validate the measurement and trend data (ensuring sensors were working correctly, removing erroneous readings)
2. Build a calibrated energy model of the building in specialized software (eQUEST, OpenStudio, or similar)
3. Calibrate the model to match actual consumption within 5-10% tolerance
4. Identify candidate energy conservation measures
5. Run life-cycle cost analysis on each measure (utility rates, equipment costs, equipment lifespans, maintenance impacts, financing assumptions)
6. Rank recommendations by payback period and return on investment
7. Draft the audit report with findings, recommendations, and Form Q documentation
8. Prepare the Form Q compliance package
9. Review draft with facilities team for accuracy and feasibility
10. Finalize and deliver

That post-visit work typically runs three to five weeks. The full timeline from kickoff to delivered report is usually six to eight weeks for most Oregon buildings.

Common Questions We Get During Visits

“Do we need to shut anything down for you to measure it?” Almost never. The measurements are non-invasive. Combustion analysis on a boiler may require a brief equipment access window, but no production-disrupting shutdowns or operational changes.

“Can we do this off hours?” Yes, and sometimes we recommend it for occupied office buildings or sensitive operations. Off-hours visits work especially well for retail and hospitality properties where occupied space can’t easily be disturbed. We can schedule evening or weekend visits if building operations require it.

“What if we have areas we don’t want documented in detail?” Tell us upfront. Tenant security areas, server rooms with restricted access, and confidential R&D spaces all get handled differently. We work around them and document that we did. Exclusions don’t prevent a compliant audit.

“Do you need building access to every space?” Not every space, but a representative sample of every space type and exposure. A building with 200 identical hotel rooms doesn’t need 200 room inspections — a sample of 5-10 across different floors and orientations is usually enough. Same with office buildings with dozens of similar offices.

“How much disruption for tenants in a multifamily building?” For common area measurements (corridors, mechanical rooms, lobby), zero. For accessing a representative sample of units, we coordinate with tenants and typically need 15-30 minutes per unit. Most tenants are happy to cooperate when they understand what we’re doing.

The Realistic Outcome

By the end of the on-site visit, the audit team has the information needed to model the building accurately, identify the highest-value energy conservation measures, run the life-cycle cost analysis, and prepare a Form Q compliance report that satisfies Oregon BPS requirements under ORS 330.135. The facilities team has given up a day or two of their time, gained useful insights about their building’s operating problems, and is on track for compliance.

For Tier 1 buildings with 2028 deadlines, completing the site visit in 2026 leaves time for improvement planning and implementation. For Tier 2 buildings with 2030 deadlines, a 2026-2027 site visit provides similar advantages.

About the Author

Mike VanVickle is a commercial building energy compliance specialist based in Oregon. He has guided dozens of property owners through Oregon’s Building Performance Standards process, from initial audit scoping through ASHRAE Level 2 completion and ODOE submission. He holds expertise in ORS 330-300 compliance timelines and has worked with Energy Trust of Oregon incentive programs to reduce compliance costs for building owners.

Sources & References

• Oregon Department of Energy — Building Performance Standards
• ORS 330.135 — Oregon Building Performance Standards Requirements
• ASHRAE Standard 211-2018 — Standard for Commercial Building Energy Audits
• Energy Trust of Oregon — Commercial Energy Incentives
• ODOE BPS Compliance Guidance Document (2023)