Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu HQ: ASHRAE Level III Investment Grade Audit, Riyadh
Project: Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJY), ASHRAE Level III Investment Grade Energy Audit
Service: Consulting
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Client: Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJY)
Status: Completed, early 2021
Government-sector facilities carry a unique combination of high occupancy, extended operating hours, and legacy building systems that, together, often present some of the largest energy-saving opportunities available to an energy consultant. ZOMCO x FREE energy was appointed as the designated energy expert to conduct an ASHRAE Level III Investment Grade Audit for the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu’s headquarters building in Riyadh, the firm’s second energy audit contract in Saudi Arabia and the most rigorous tier of ASHRAE energy audit, reserved for capital-intensive studies with a deep focus on return on investment and systemic operational risk.
Established in 1975 as an autonomous Saudi government organization, RCJY oversees development of the Jubail and Yanbu Industrial Cities, plus Ras Al Khair Industrial City and Jazan Economic City. The audit team conducted a full technical review of the headquarters building’s lighting systems, building management system, HVAC plant, and electrical infrastructure, benchmarking performance against ASHRAE and ISO 50001 energy management standards. Rather than a high-level walkthrough, the Level III methodology required detailed metering, load analysis, voltage imbalance and harmonic assessment, and financial modeling of each proposed energy conservation measure, ensuring every recommendation carried a defensible cost-benefit case suitable for government capital investment approval processes.
Delivered in early 2021, the results were exceptional even by Investment Grade Audit standards: a 47.32% projected reduction in overall energy consumption, SAR 1,445,287 in annual cost savings against a total recommended investment of SAR 800,452, and a payback period of just 0.667 years, roughly eight months. The Royal Commission issued a formal certificate of completion confirming successful delivery of the audit and its findings.
This engagement stands as one of the strongest financial outcomes in the team’s audit portfolio and demonstrates the value of ASHRAE Level III energy audits for government and institutional facilities in Saudi Arabia, giving public-sector asset managers a clear proof point of what a properly executed Investment Grade Audit can deliver: measurable, fast-payback energy efficiency improvements backed by rigorous engineering and financial analysis.
