Frequently Asked Questions

OptiMiser provides building energy professionals with residential, multifamily, and commercial energy analysis tools and related services. Our flagship energy audit software is OptiMiser Zeus, used by contractors, auditors, and weatherization technicians in all types of building energy programs around the country. To support contractors and programs using Zeus, we provide the Nexus program management platform, which combines CRM and project management specifically for building performance professionals. Nexus also supports weatherization agencies and is deployed for states to take them from applicant onboarding through qualification, audits, financial management, quality control, and reporting. We also offer a consumer-focused DIY Audit and related API tools. OptiMiser Focus is a separate portfolio analysis and tracking tool. Focus supports agencies, jurisdictions, and portfolio managers in analyzing, tracking, and roadmapping large collections of buildings.

OptiMiser builds the calculation engine behind the Franklin SnuggPro audit tool and the GoElectrified platform.

The OptiMiser team is available for custom building energy technology development and consulting.

You can sign up and try OptiMiser Zeus for free. If you are interested in a program-level deployment, the DIY Audit, Nexus, or OptiMiser Focus, please contact us.

OptiMiser makes auditors dramatically more productive. Users say it takes from 30 minutes to 2 hours to complete data entry and report production. OptiMiser speeds audit completion through smart defaults, effortless weather updates, automated utility bill calibration, and reliable custom reports. Most auditors can switch to OptiMiser and see an immediate improvement in efficiency. They can move from the audit to customer education and retrofit sales in a single visit.

Yes. OptiMiser Zeus works on any device and lets you collect audit data offline, including photo documentation. You only need an internet connection when you finalize the proposal or report. For fully offline work, the OptiMiser PC app runs on Windows.

No. OptiMiser lets you create custom reports with your own logo and information, include as many photos as you like, and choose from stock pages of dynamic content. You can build as many custom report templates as you want, selecting from more than 60 pages in OptiMiser. You can also edit the content of any page, so each report includes just the information you want.

No. OptiMiser automatically performs the calculations and regression analysis that make it more powerful than other auditing software. The auditor’s job is to enter the correct data.

We train OptiMiser users to use the software through online tutorials, classes at industry meetings, and optional on-site visits. Auditors can then do their work more accurately and efficiently. Training is available in person and on the web, including Training for Trainers, Introduction to OptiMiser (up to 2 hours), and full or multi-day curricula. Training videos are a good place to start.

OptiMiser does not train people to perform audits. Auditors still need the training and accreditation required where they do business.

After OptiMiser users get in the habit of bill calibration, they rely on it more and more and prefer not to design upgrades or make predictions without it. OptiMiser handles bills well: there are several ways to collect and integrate them, and they are applied automatically to the analysis you are doing. With bill data, you can explore building performance from a solid foundation, knowing that estimates of future measure performance are grounded in how the building actually uses energy.

Using bill data does not make audits harder. It makes them easier, improves consistency, and helps maintain trust with customers.

OptiMiser is a practical way to engage a state or region in energy efficiency and conservation, so it belongs in audit programs. It helps individual homeowners make informed decisions, and it produces the data-rich results that grant guidelines often require, including Better Buildings, Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, IRA HOMES, and other funding initiatives.

Reports include CO2 emissions avoided, which supports accountability and transparency requirements. OptiMiser can supply the data a program needs, and the consulting team can produce measurement and verification (M&V) analysis and compliance reporting.

Yes. OptiMiser metrics can be compiled and compared across cities and towns, and across investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, and co-ops. That makes it a strong fit for large energy-efficiency initiatives where transparency and accountability are key program values.

Yes. Deploying OptiMiser-enabled auditing in your service territory can reduce customer demand, which can delay or avoid the need to expand fossil-fuel generation. That is a practical conservation strategy while you improve efficiency and move toward clean, renewable energy. OptiMiser handles time-of-use and demand-based rates and can show customers and utilities how much demand savings building performance measures can deliver.

Municipalities and utilities that specify OptiMiser for the audits they sponsor can pursue larger emissions reductions while still giving homeowners clear choices among improvements. OptiMiser calculates emissions reductions and energy savings, and it models integrated electrification and on-site renewable packages. It can size those packages and give you the performance data you need.

We train OptiMiser customers to use the software through online tutorials, classes at industry meetings, and optional on-site visits. Step-by-step modules cover setup and day-to-day use. When a group needs more than the modules, the OptiMiser team can train on site. You can also look for training at industry events. Contact us if you want to schedule a session for your team.

Formats include Training for Trainers, Introduction to OptiMiser (up to 2 hours), and full or multi-day in-depth curricula. OptiMiser does not train people to perform audits. Auditors still need the training and accreditation required where they do business.

If you have a question or need how-to instructions, please contact us. You can also browse the knowledge base. If you hit an error, or a problem that shows up while you are working on a specific project, use the Issue Reporting function inside OptiMiser.