Existing Homes
We offer a full range of residential energy evaluations or “audits” starting from $99 so every homeowner or tenant can afford to have a home energy evaluation. The Table below describes our tier level of home energy evaluations starting from the baseline energy evaluation (Aluminum level) to the very comprehensive and complete home energy evaluation (Gold level). The diagnostics testing and computer modeling is further described below the Table.
Based on the level of home energy evaluation, we provide the following energy, health and safety analyses:
Lighting Analysis – Determine the savings and savings-to-investment ratio (SIR) you will have by switching to high efficiency lighting. If you are still using incandescent light bulbs, switching to CFL or LED bulbs can save you $80-$120 annual in electricity bills, and the newer LED bulbs are brighter and last 15-20 years!
Appliance Analysis – Determine annual cost of major appliances savings-to-investment ratio (SIR) you will have by switching to high efficiency appliances. That old freezer in the garage may be costing you over $100/year just to keep plugged in!
Insulation Check – Check your attic, basement, and above grade walls for proper levels of insulation.
1) CAZ Testing – CAZ means (Combustion Appliance Zone), which is the room where your natural gas appliances, such as your furnace or hot water heater, are located. Often, this is in your basement. During different times of the year, the pressure in your CAZ becomes negative with respect to the outdoors. This can led to carbon monoxide being pulled back down the flue and into the CAZ room, leading to unhealthy or unsafe conditions. Therefore, we test and measure the CAZ pressure under “worst case condition” to make sure carbon monoxide is not entering the home under any condition. We also test the efficiency of your combustion appliances and air conditioner.
2) Ventilation Testing – We check your house for proper amount and type of ventilation for high indoor air quality. We test your bathroom and kitchen fans (if any) as well as your entire house for proper levels of ventilation to ensure a health home.
3) Door Blower Test – Using a calibrated diagnostic instrument (i.e. the door blower, we seal up your house, then depressurize the house to -50 Pa with respect to the outside. When this happens, outside air comes rushing into the house through any air gaps that exist in the home’s exterior (call “envelope’). The door blower system then measures and quantifies how “leaky” your house is and we can locate where the air gaps exist.
4) Duct Blaster Test – Similar to the door blower test, we seal and pressurize your duct work and determine how “leaky” the ducts are and where the ducts leak.
5) Utility Analysis – We analyze 12-24 months of utility bills to determine your baseload energy usage and heating and cooling loads. This helps you determine which system (cooling system, heating system, or insulation) you should focus your resources.
6) Energy Modeling & financial Analysis – By modeling your home, we can accurately predict energy and financial savings for almost any potential upgrade to the house.
7) Energy Roadmap – Recommendation of the top 5-10 items to fix that would be easiest, cheapest, and biggest “bang-for-the-buck” (i.e. am I better off adding more insulation in my walls or replacing my old furnace).
8) HERS Index – Rates how energy efficient your home is compared to a new home build to the 2006 building code (score of 100). The lower the score, the more energy efficient your home is. If you are putting your house up on the market, getting a HERS score can help you sell the house. Likewise, if you are buying a house or refinancing, a HERS score can help you qualify for a Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM).
9) Additional costs apply to homes with more than one HVAC system or homes with more than 3000 ft² of conditioned space.
Lighting Analysis – Determine the savings and savings-to-investment ratio (SIR) you will have by switching to high efficiency lighting. If you are still using incandescent light bulbs, switching to CFL or LED bulbs can save you $80-$120 annual in electricity bills, and the newer LED bulbs are brighter and last 15-20 years!
Appliance Analysis – Determine annual cost of major appliances savings-to-investment ratio (SIR) you will have by switching to high efficiency appliances. That old freezer in the garage may be costing you over $100/year just to keep plugged in!
Insulation Check – Check your attic, basement, and above grade walls for proper levels of insulation.
1) CAZ Testing – CAZ means (Combustion Appliance Zone), which is the room where your natural gas appliances, such as your furnace or hot water heater, are located. Often, this is in your basement. During different times of the year, the pressure in your CAZ becomes negative with respect to the outdoors. This can led to carbon monoxide being pulled back down the flue and into the CAZ room, leading to unhealthy or unsafe conditions. Therefore, we test and measure the CAZ pressure under “worst case condition” to make sure carbon monoxide is not entering the home under any condition. We also test the efficiency of your combustion appliances and air conditioner.
2) Ventilation Testing – We check your house for proper amount and type of ventilation for high indoor air quality. We test your bathroom and kitchen fans (if any) as well as your entire house for proper levels of ventilation to ensure a health home.
3) Door Blower Test – Using a calibrated diagnostic instrument (i.e. the door blower, we seal up your house, then depressurize the house to -50 Pa with respect to the outside. When this happens, outside air comes rushing into the house through any air gaps that exist in the home’s exterior (call “envelope’). The door blower system then measures and quantifies how “leaky” your house is and we can locate where the air gaps exist.
4) Duct Blaster Test – Similar to the door blower test, we seal and pressurize your duct work and determine how “leaky” the ducts are and where the ducts leak.
5) Utility Analysis – We analyze 12-24 months of utility bills to determine your baseload energy usage and heating and cooling loads. This helps you determine which system (cooling system, heating system, or insulation) you should focus your resources.
6) Energy Modeling & financial Analysis – By modeling your home, we can accurately predict energy and financial savings for almost any potential upgrade to the house.
7) Energy Roadmap – Recommendation of the top 5-10 items to fix that would be easiest, cheapest, and biggest “bang-for-the-buck” (i.e. am I better off adding more insulation in my walls or replacing my old furnace).
8) HERS Index – Rates how energy efficient your home is compared to a new home build to the 2006 building code (score of 100). The lower the score, the more energy efficient your home is. If you are putting your house up on the market, getting a HERS score can help you sell the house. Likewise, if you are buying a house or refinancing, a HERS score can help you qualify for a Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM).
9) Additional costs apply to homes with more than one HVAC system or homes with more than 3000 ft² of conditioned space.