What to Expect From a Home Energy Audit: Much More Than a Blower Door

Dec 3, 2010 by drenergysaver

For any homeowner who has decided to have a home energy audit, the blower door test is easily the most impressive part of this energy checkup. It’s fascinating to see a huge fan installed in the main entry doorway, to hear the powerful roar of the motor, and then to feel streams of blower-induced air infiltration coming through different leakage points throughout the house.

The Blower Door Test is Just One Facet of An Energy Audit

Learning where the leaks are is a valuable first step in improving a home’s energy performance. If the energy performance crew does some basic air-sealing to reduce air leakage, and then supplies the homeowner with a number of efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs, everyone can feel good about reducing energy use and increasing a home’s green value.

But hold on a minute. While sealing leaks and switching from inefficient incandescent lights to CFLs are sure ways to save energy, isn’t there more to be done in terms of optimizing home energy performance? You bet there is. That’s why it’s smart to find out exactly what kind of testing, analysis and evaluation will take place when you schedule an energy audit. A house uses and loses energy in many ways. To be truly effective, an energy audit must be as comprehensive as possible.

The home energy team at Dr. Energy Saver has really taken this multi-faceted approach to heart, and it’s evident in the way a Dr. Energy Saver crew conducts a home energy checkup. In addition to finding out about your home’s air leakage and lighting system efficiency, you’ll get a total energy profile that includes the following usage factors:

1. HVAC system efficiency. Want to have lower heating and cooling expenses? They can actually account for nearly half of your total energy bill, it makes sense to have the efficiency of your equipment evaluated. Upgrading to more efficient, state-of-the-art HVAC components can cut your energy expenses by hundreds of dollars a year.
2. Duct leakage. Even a super-efficient HVAC system can’t overcome the inefficiencies caused by leaky ducts. Since sealing ducts is such an affordable upgrade, it makes sense to have duct leakage evaluated.
3. Water heating. Since you could be spending as much as 15% of your annual energy bill just to produce hot water, it’s definitely worthwhile having your water heater checked out. This is especially true when you consider that alternative water heating options (like tankless and heat pump water heaters) can be much more efficient than old-fashioned tank-type heaters.
4. Insulation levels. Most homes don’t have adequate insulation in walls, floors and ceilings, based on current Department of Energy recommendations. A complete evaluation of your home’s insulation levels is essential in any home energy audit.
5. Appliances and home electronics. There’s huge savings potential in the energy efficient appliances category. Energy Star-rated dishwashers and washing machines not only use less electricity to operate through their cycles; they also use substantially less water, so you save in two ways. Phantom loads comprise another energy factor worth investigating. The electricity consumed when electronic devices (like TV monitors, printers, battery rechargers and DVD players) are in “sleep” mode rather than truly “off” can add 5% to your utility bill.

Related Posts

• Our Earth Day Message!

  Posted on Apr 23, 2012

• Your house is in the news! – Home Energy Conservation

  Posted on Feb 22, 2012

• 5 Steps to Home Energy Savings

  Posted on Dec 14, 2011

• 7 Home Energy Upgrade Myths

  Posted on Dec 6, 2011

Tags

• blower door test
• energy efficient lights
• home energy audit
• hot water heaters

Share This