What is a Home Energy Audit?
A home energy audit is a look at how much energy your own dwelling uses and to evaluate what you can execute to produce a more energy efficient home. A house energy audit will emphasize places within your home where major amounts of energy and money can be saved. You will determine ways to save water and electricity plus discover your homes cooling and heating effectiveness. The home energy audit does not need to be convoluted and complex. It is possible to have a specialized energy auditor do the audit of your house or you can even do a simple audit yourself. When hiring a professional, a few tips are to establish that they operate a calibrated blower door and undertake thermographic inspection. If you decide to use the services of a professional auditor you can locate one by looking in your local telephone directory under energy; another source might be your local government energy or weatherization agency. The professional auditor will use a range of audit techniques and specialized
There are many varieties of Home Energy Audits. They can include an analysis of utility bills, testing of a home with air infiltration (air leakage) measurement equipment like a Blower Door, InfraRed Thermography and can have a variety of report formats. Energy Effiiciency Associates offer comprehensive energy audits.
The Home Energy Audit is the first step in improving a home’s energy efficiency and reducing energy bills. During the assessment, the BPI certified contractor tests and evaluates the home (including but not limited to the heating and cooling equipment, insulation levels, infiltration, appliances, and lighting) using advanced diagnostic equipment and building science principles to determine which areas of the home can benefit from energy efficiency and health and safety-related improvements. Specifically, the contractor tests for air leakage using a blower door, duct leakage testing, conducts a series of combustion-related tests, and will look for opportunities to improve the home’s insulation, heating and cooling system, windows, appliances, and lighting. The contractor will then explain to the homeowner what improvements can be made, as well as the cost of improvements. The Energy Audit and the comprehensive presentation of recommendations to the homeowner is a comprehensive process t
Conserving energy in the home is important from both an environmental and a budgetary standpoint. To help minimize energy loss and maximize energy efficiency, a home energy audit can be a helpful tool. A home energy audit involves evaluating energy use in the home and determining areas where efficiency can be improved, thus minimizing or eliminating waste. Many utility companies provide either a home energy audit service or resources for homeowners to conduct their own home energy audit. Typical evaluations include checking windows and doors for drafts, checking the efficiency of heating units, and checking the insulation in the home. Recommendations are made based on the findings of a home energy audit that can improve the home’s overall energy efficiency. Some of the most common steps taken to improve the energy efficiency of a home are to seal drafty windows and doors. Whether by replacing weather stripping, covering windows with plastic, or replacing drafty doors and windows, minim
What it is not is a guy trying to sell you window, doors, siding or even more attic insulation. None of these components of your home will solve you ice dam, mold, drafts. They might not even solve the high utility bills. They might lower it a couple of dollars but that is about it. Just because windows represent 60% of the homes wall doesnt mean you will save any where near that in heating and cooling costs. Sure most contactors will tell you they did an energy assessment of your home but what they really did is walk around your home and sell you the product their company is offering. So what is an energy audit and what can an energy auditor do then that is some much better and different? An Auditor will through the use a variety of techniques and diagnostic equipment to determine the energy efficiency of your home. They will use equipment such as blower doors and duct blowers and infrared cameras. With this equipment they can find the hard to detect areas where air is leaking in and
