Home Energy Audit Guide
It’s time to take control of your energy bill and live more comfortably in your home! It all starts with a home energy audit conducted by our BPI Certified Energy Auditors - almost all NY Homeowners receive the energy audit at no-cost! The assessment, also referred to as an energy audit, provides you with a top-to-bottom look at where your home is wasting energy. You will learn the root cause of any drafts, inconsistent temperatures, heating and cooling system failures, potential health & safety concerns or other problems you may be experiencing such as lacking insulation or an inconsistent moisture boundary.
1. Exterior Inspection
Audits begin by assessing the home’s exterior or shell, as we call it in the industry. We inspect areas like water drainage, electrical penetrations, the condition of the moisture barrier as well as cracks at the foundation. Additionally, we look for any visible PACM or any other potential hazards. Cracks in the home's siding could potentially lead to moisture issues if not handled properly. Most of the time cracks in foundation can be patched and sealed to avoid any serious consequences.
2. Health and Safety Inspection
Gas leaks such as carbon monoxide* sometimes go unnoticed and can negatively impact your family’s health. Our certified technicians are geared with the latest technology to ensure accurate results. For example, improper ventilation can cause mold or mildew growth, which you may not discover until it becomes severe and costly repairs are required. These potential issues are addressed and we will work to fix and prevent further problems in order to maintain a healthy home for your family.
3. Attic Insulation Levels
Homes built prior to 2018 are typically not up to date with the minimum required r-value insulation. In other older homes, we typically find that the insulation has deteriorated over time due to poor air sealing at the time of the original construction. We recommend different insulation tactics but typically use cellulose. We document the levels using rulers and photos while present in the attic space. Typically, after installation, your attic will look similar to the photo shown.
4. Living Spaces
We work our way down to your living space, using thermal imagery we assess the wall insulation levels with a state-of-the-art infrared cameras. EMS conducts a thorough visual inspection to check for holes and cracks inside your wall space as well as any unnecessary penetrations. Windows may also lead to a significant amount of heat loss if they are not air sealed properly. Single-pane windows can struggle to retain heat, especially if the sill and molding is not insulated and sealed properly.
5. Basement
Basements are oftentimes one of the largest areas for air entering the home. Many times the rim joist is prone to exposing your home to the outside air. During our inspection of these areas, we will check for other factors such as mold, and airborne toxins. We will also inspect the moisture level at the wall surface for the potential to finish your basement, add value and square footage to your home while insulating and providing energy saving immediately.
6. Infrared Imaging
Infrared Imaging is a crucial step for finding issues with the air or thermal barrier within your home. Many times we find that certain areas of the home have diminished insulation levels. The color coded imaging helps determine what sections may be lacking insulation as well as how much of a temperature discrepancy there may be from room to room. This aids in finding where the temperature discrepancies are stemming from. These scans are also commonly used with a blower door test running.
7. HVAC Efficiency Testing
Many homeowners are unaware of the presence of gas leaks or boiler/furnace and HVAC inefficiencies. Using the latest testing equipment we are able to gauge the overall efficiency of the units in place. Our auditor’s search for these issues and notify you of any potential threats to your home’s safety and discover any issues with such systems. The testing of these systems goes beyond energy savings as they can impact the safety of your home.
8. Blower Door Test*
We like to call this test the Grand Finale. The blower door will pinpoint all the drafty areas and leaks in your home. It depressurizes the home (to a very safe level) and basically accelerates all of the drafts in the home to help identify what could be causing the inconsistency of comfort or high energy bills, or in most cases, both. This test will also direct us where we need to seal your home in order to maintain a thorough air sealed building shell. We like our customers to be aware of these problems, or in some cases, we like to compliment you on a nice tight home, so we like to bring you around and show you exactly what we find while the test is being conducted. Some of the findings may really surprise you!
EMS will compile a comprehensive energy report to review our findings with you. We list all of our test results and enter the findings into an energy model which will identify the biggest potential for energy improvements. EMS is fully staffed with BPI Certified Technicians to carry out the most comprehensive energy upgrades. With highly incentivized state programs it has never been a better time to do these upgrades and energy management services!
*Please note that as of 1/1/2020 NYSERDA’s Residential Energy Assessment no longer includes Diagnostic and Blower Door testing.
Testing can still be conducted for an additional fee, please inquire.