Energy Audit vs Energy Assessment: What's the Difference and What Does QuotePath Do?

When people search for help with their energy costs, they use the terms "energy audit" and "energy assessment" interchangeably. In some contexts they mean the same thing. In others, they describe very different processes with very different outputs. Here's a clear explanation of what each term typically means — and what QuotePath's process actually covers for Alberta farms and commercial operations.

The Residential EnerGuide Audit

In residential contexts, an energy audit almost always refers to a formal EnerGuide evaluation conducted by a Natural Resources Canada certified energy advisor. The advisor visits your home, measures insulation, air sealing, windows, mechanical systems, and calculates an EnerGuide rating — a standardized score for your home's energy performance.

This process is required to access the Canada Greener Homes Loan and some other residential incentive programs. It costs $300–$600 and takes 2–4 hours on-site. It's a legitimate, valuable process for homeowners.

It has almost no applicability to farm operations or commercial properties. The EnerGuide protocol is designed for residential buildings and doesn't address farm equipment loads, grain drying demand charges, commercial rate structures, or the kind of operational energy analysis that farm and commercial operators actually need.

What QuotePath Does — A Commercial and Farm Energy Assessment

QuotePath's energy assessment is a different process designed specifically for farm operations, acreages, and commercial properties. It doesn't involve a home visit to measure insulation. It starts with your utility bills.

Here's what a QuotePath assessment covers:

• Rate structure analysis: What rate class are you on? Are you on the right one? What proportion of your bill is energy charges vs. demand charges vs. distribution charges? For Fortis Alberta and ATCO Electric commercial accounts, this analysis often reveals surprising cost drivers that have nothing to do with how much electricity you use.
• Demand charge review: What is your peak demand history? Is a ratchet clause affecting your billing demand? What events are driving your demand peaks — and can they be reduced or shifted?
• 12-month billing history: We review full-year billing to understand seasonal patterns, identify anomalies, and build an accurate load profile for your operation.
• Lighting inventory: For operations with significant lighting loads — barns, shops, greenhouses, commercial facilities — we inventory existing fixtures and calculate the savings available from an LED upgrade.
• Solar assessment: Based on the billing analysis, we calculate what a properly sized solar system would actually deliver — not against a simplified estimate, but against the real rate structure including demand charges.
• Incentive identification: We identify every grant, incentive, and financing program your operation qualifies for — ASIP, OFEM, CCA, Greener Homes Loan, CEIP, and others.

What You Get From a QuotePath Assessment

At the end of a QuotePath energy assessment, you have a clear picture of:

• Where your electricity costs are actually coming from — broken down by charge type
• Which energy upgrades make financial sense for your specific operation, and in what order
• Realistic ROI projections based on your actual rate structure, not simplified estimates
• A complete list of incentives you qualify for and what you need to do to access them

This assessment is free. It takes approximately 45–60 minutes, usually over the phone combined with a review of the utility bills you send us. There's no obligation to purchase anything, and we're independent — we don't sell solar panels or LED fixtures directly, so our recommendations are driven by what actually makes sense for your operation.

If you're a farm operation or commercial property in central or southern Alberta wondering whether solar, LED, or any other energy investment makes sense, this is the right starting point. Book your free energy assessment here or call 403-608-3750.