Professional energy audits can go into great detail, depending on the extent to which the homeowner wants information on their energy consumption. The Building Performance Group conducts Home Energy Audits using IR cameras, blower-door testing equipment to determine air-leakage, and specialized software to quantify certain energy-consumption characteristics.
At the beginning of an energy audit, the auditor will examine the characteristics of the house or building (i.e., wall area, number and size of windows, type of siding, type of construction, etc). The auditor will then ask questions about the occupants' behavior, including:
Are there rooms or areas that are warmer or colder than others?
What are your highest utility bills and in which months?
Is anyone home during working hours?
What is the average thermostat setting for summer and winter?
How many people live there?
The home energy audit will continue with a room-by-room examination of the residence, and can include any number of the following tasks to collect information:
Utility Bill Analysis — to determine usage patterns and look for ways to reduce looking at your electric and gas (or oil or propane) consumption
Blower Door Test — to measure and locate all the sources of air leaks in your home
Infrared Scan — to identify hidden defects including insulation gaps, air leakage, duct leakage, and moisture issues
Visual Inspection — to find evidence of problems affecting the durability of your house
Insulation Inspection — to determine insulation levels in various areas of your home’s shell
Attic and Roof Inspection — to identify evidence of maintenance problems, verify insulation, and determine appropriate remedies if needed
Furnace, Boiler, Air-Conditioner, Heat Pump, and Hot Water Equipment Inspection — to examine the overall condition of your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment. This includes several of the following tests:
Carbon Monoxide Tests — to measure carbon monoxide levels in the flue gases of your heating appliances and in the air of your house to ensure safety
Combustion Draft Tests — to ensure that your combustion appliances are venting properly and that combustion gases are not being dumped into or pulled back into your house
Combustion Efficiency Test — to measure the efficiency of your heating system
Flue Inspection — to examine your combustion equipment flue pipes for blockages, disconnects, or other unsafe conditions
Duct Air Flow Test — to determine the amount of air moving through your duct system
Duct Leakage Test — to measure the leakiness of your duct system (in some areas, as much as 30% of the conditioned air moving through ducts leaks directly outside!)
Visual Inspection for Mold and Moisture Sources — to look for areas where there is evidence of mold or high humidity.
Visual Inspection for Indoor Air Quality Indicators — to look for evidence of potential sources of indoor air pollution
Exhaust Fan Inspection — to measure whether fans are moving enough air to properly ventilate your home, and should include an inspection of the exhaust fan ductwork to ensure proper venting
Clothes Dryer Venting Inspection — to ensure dryers are vented properly to avoid moisture and combustion safety problems
Lighting Upgrade Inspection — to identify opportunities to replace incandescent lighting with more efficient fluorescent and LED bulbs and fixtures that use less energy and last longer
Appliance Inspection — to look for opportunities to save money and improve performance
Pool and Well Pump Analysis — to check pumps for sizing and efficiency and look for opportunities to reduce pumping costs
For most homes, the Home Performance Inspection should take about two to four hours and will be well-documented with pictures for better reference during repairs.
Finally, a report can be generated, as an optional service, that offers cost-effective improvements that can be done to improve the overall efficiency of the home or building, in order of importance, with illustrations and pictures of your home or building included.
There are many simple online websites that allow you to conduct a very basic home energy audit yourself, although without a professional auditor actually seeing your home and using diagnostic equipment, the results will be very general and many things can be missed.
