Home Energy Audits
ABOUT OUR AUDIT SERVICES:
For a thorough and accurate measurement of air leakage in your home, our qualified home energy technicians can conduct a complete comprehensive Home Energy Assessment, particularly a blower door test to help determine the building's air-tightness for the following reasons:
- Reducing energy consumption due to air leakage.
- Avoiding moisture condensation problems.
- Avoiding uncomfortable drafts caused by cold air leaking in from the outdoors.
- Making sure that the home's air quality is not too contaminated by outside and attic air leaking into the home.
Working through the New Jersey Home Performance with Energy Star program, our assessments are based on information we gather and enter into their computer software package that helps identify and determine the most cost-effective home improvement measures one can take to make a house more energy efficient and comfortable.
The audit report is based on the following criteria in relation to specific test results of each of the following areas: Blower Door Test & Air Leakage, Stopping Air Leaks, Attic Insulation, Attic Ventilation, Insulation of Walls & Floors, Insulation Benefits & Technical Characteristics, Heating & Cooling Systems, Forced Air Duct Distribution Systems, Hot Water Systems, Water Heaters, Combustion Appliance Testing & Performance, Client Summary, Comfort Health & Safety Information.
AUDITS IN GENERAL: The audit is used to identify cost effective ways to improve the comfort and efficiency of buildings, and aims to suggest the best ways to improve energy efficiency in heating and cooling the house. It involves recording characteristics of the building envelope, including the outside walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, and skylights. Although these areas contribute to air leakage, the biggest holes are usually hidden from view and connect the house to the attic, crawlspace, or basement. Dropped ceilings and kitchen soffits, ductwork and plumbing chases, attic accesses and pull-down stairs, recessed light fixtures, holes in mechanical room closets, and wiring penetrations through the top plates of walls represent major connections between the attic and conditional space. Many times unseen holes or pathways, called bypasses, occur at key junctions in the framing, (such as at attic-to-kneewall transitions), and permit large quantities of air to leak in and out of the house.
For each of these components the area and resistance to heat flow, (R-Value), is measured or estimated. The leakage rate or infiltration of air through the building envelope is of concern, and the goal is to quantify the building's overall energy performance.
The audit also assesses the efficiency, physical condition, and programming of mechanical systems such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning equipment, and thermostat. The accuracy of energy estimates are greatly improved when the homeowner's billing history is available showing the quantities of electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, or other energy sources consumed over a one or two year period. The energy billing history from the local utility company can be calibrated using heating degree day and cooling degree day data obtained from recent, local weather data in combination with the thermal energy model of the building.
In addition, homes may qualify for energy efficiency grants through the NJ Clean Energy Program. (Please see our NJCEP page, or go to www.njcleanenergy.com).
Call today to schedule a free estimate or to schedule a home energy audit!
(973) 361-3031