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In short, an energy audit is an important step to assess how much energy your home uses and measures you can use to make it more efficient. During an energy audit with ProCraft Green, I will show you where energy and conditioned air are escaping your home. I will also point out processes or equipment in your home that is using too much energy. A blower door and duct blaster are used in the process to help me determine the energy efficiency of the home.
An energy audit usually takes between 2 and 3 hours and requires a full inspection of all spaces including the crawlspace and attic. A ProCraft Green energy audit will provide you with the information and tools that you need to move your home into the “green’ zone.
What is an energy rating?An energy rating and an energy audit are similar in that they both test the structure for energy efficiency. An energy rating takes the process a bit further with the use of an energy efficient software package that performs energy analysis of a homes design. The rating is usually done on a new construction home or an expansive remodel. The HERS index is used in the program, which is a number that defines the efficiency of the building. A low HERS score is good, while a HERS score of 100 is a home that meets the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). A HERS score is needed for an energy efficient mortgage or to determine if the home meets the requirements to be an Energy Star home.
What is an Energy Efficient Mortgage or and Energy Improvement Mortgage?An Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM) is a mortgage that credits a home’s energy efficiency in the mortgage itself. EEMs give borrowers the opportunity to finance cost-effective, energy-saving measures as part of a single mortgage and stretch debt-to-income qualifying ratios on loans thereby allowing borrowers to qualify for a larger loan amount and a better, more energy-efficient home.
To get an EEM a borrower typically has to have a home energy rater conduct a home energy rating before financing is approved. This rating verifies for the lender that the home is energy-efficient.
The federal government is allowing tax credits for energy improvements that are installed from Jan1, 2009 through Dec 31, 2010. The tax credit is up to $1500 maximum per household. Information about the most recent updates can be found on www.energystar.gov.
A blower door is designed to assist the auditor in determining the overall efficiency of the home. A blower door has a large fan that fits inside the frame of a door in your home. The fan generally pulls air from the home, which reduces the pressure in the home. This pressure reduction allows for higher pressure outside air to leak in through cracks and openings. This test determines the infiltration rate of the building. A ProCraft Green energy audit uses a calibrated blower door to perform this test.
A duct blaster is used only on the duct work in the home to determine the air tightness of forced air duct systems. The duct blaster is connected directly to the homes duct system, usually through a return. Duct air tightness measurements are used to diagnose and demonstrate leakage problems, estimate efficiency losses from duct leakage, and certify compliance with duct leakage standards such as California's Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards. To be an Energy Star home, the duct must not leak more than %6, most existing homes leak at %20-30%. A ProCraft Green energy audit will show you where your ducts are losing air.
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