Going Green is a popular want for many people these days. The idea of less impact on the environment makes people feel good about themselves. Recycling and reducing trash don't usually save or make you much money. Saving energy in your home does. Energy improvements not only pay themselves back once paid off they continue to save. Energy prices always go up so the payback could be quicker than projected.
When I perform an Energy Audit the client often has problems and even ideas of what is needs to be done to their house. I can often discover the cause to the problem with specialized equipment used during the audit. Often times the problem is not exactly what the client though. When money is spent to solve a problem without the proper diagnostics the money can be wasted and the problem not solved.
The audit process starts with a visual inspection of all areas of the home. Then the high tech equipment comes out. A Blower Door is a large fan that is installed in a frame usually at the front door. A measuring device called a Manometer or a laptop controls the fan and takes measurements. This fan depressurizes the home to simulate the house being hit on all sides by a 20MPH wind. The monometer tells how much leakage there is in the building. Homes with high levels of leakage will be more drafty and waste energy. A house that is too tight can have indoor moisture or air quality issues. While the fan is running the Auditor also looks for sources of leakage and areas that need sealing.
The other area for large amounts of energy loss is the duct system. The ducts usually run in 
attics and crawlspaces. Duct leaks waste air you have paid to condition. The fan in your furnace needs the same amount of air to return as it sent out. When ducts leak into the crawlspace or attic the air the fan needs is pulled from outside through every crack in the home because the house can be depressurized. Using a Duct Blaster the Auditor can tell how much leakage is present. Combining the Blower Door and the Duct Blaster allows the Auditor to tell how much is leaking to the outside. I recently discovered a house where a large section of duct was disconnected for the last 10 years.
The Energy Audit not only finds the problems but also prioritizes their importance of repair. A qualified BPI Building Analyst like me performs the audit using strict standards. We don’t steer customers to a specific product or fix. The best part is that when using a qualified contractor they know how to properly perform the retrofit. Once the repairs are done there is a test out process that confirms the results of the work. There is very rarely a home that can’t use improvements and it’s common to find a room for a 20% improvement on energy costs. Also FHA loans and refinances can have the Energy Audit and Energy Retrofit added in with no extra qualifying.
Contact me today to get on the path to being Green and Saving money. I can perform the Energy Audit and Home Inspection on the same day.
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