Author: Bob Spermo We are rapidly approaching the summer season where air conditioners and electric meters are running constantly! You realize that we are in a difficult economic time yet you are pouring money out the window and into the pockets of the electric company. The real blame for your high energy costs should be placed on the standard and energy inefficient building practices that have been utilized in south Texas for many years.
Examples of where we went wrong: Until recently we under insulated because it does not get cold here so we do not need to keep the cold air out of our house. We did and still do put in air conditioning units that are oversized thus reducing the ability of the unit to take the moisture out of our house. Oversized A/C units also require more electricity to start up and they are constantly starting and stopping. We put in inexpensive aluminum frame windows which form a direct conductor of air from outside to inside. We put our air handlers/cooling coils and the ducts in the attic the hottest part of the house.
So along comes a “certified energy auditor to solve your problems and drastically reduce your energy bills. Many of these auditors work for companies that will also be glad to fix the problem and/or sell you some products. While many of these companies may be honest I can assure you that many are not. While some of these auditors may be well trained I bet most are not. The audit given by one of these marginally trained auditors can be accomplished by the homeowner just by using checklists provided on numerous web sites to include the Department of Energy (www.doe.gov). An auditor that arrives without any high tech equipment will do nothing more than you can do!
What constitutes a well trained energy auditor? There are two organizations that provide excellent training and produce highly trained and knowledgeable professionals. They are RESNET (a non-profit organization) and BPI (Building Performance Institute they both train and certify energy raters . A well trained auditor should understand the science of how your house works how air flows how moisture works the science of air pressure, etc. The auditor should understand home construction techniques and products. The auditor should understand air conditioning and heating systems. Just for fun ask your auditor to explain to you the relationship between how your home functions and the second law of thermodynamics! If he/she cannot do it your chosen auditor does not understand the science of your home. The professional auditor will be trained in and utilize a blower door and an IR camera. If necessary for your home the professional auditor will also be trained in and use a duct blaster. These tools are essential if you really want an accurate appraisal of how your house is working. Go to the government's DOE website and see what the government's energy arm says.
What is a blower door? A blower door is a piece of equipment that measures how much your house leaks and what the air exchange rate is. The air exchange rate is very important for a healthy and energy efficient house. A good/typical air exchange rate is approximately .35 which computes to a whole house air exchange rate of every three hours. Every three hours your house will have fresh air. This is for the most part done through leakage. If your house exchanges air every hour it is leaking and your energy dollars are leaking with it. If you tighten up a house to an exchange rate of once every eight hours you now run the risk of mold and bad air unless other steps are taken. Over tightening a house without properly sizing the air conditioning unit and without properly exchanging air through mechanical means is a health hazard. If you do not know the base line air exchange rate it is difficult to measure the improvement (except waiting for the next electric bill). A blower door with the use of a pressure pan can also document leaks in your home’s duct system.
What is a duct blaster? A duct blaster measures the leaks within your home's duct system. Did you know that even with properly sealed ducts (because most are located in our hot attics) they can lose 30 40% of their efficiency? A duct blaster would only be used if after a comprehensive audit it cannot be ascertained why your bills are so high. You may have a large leak in a duct.
What is an IR camera? It is a thermal imaging device that works off of temperature differences. It CANNOT look through walls! It is not XRAY! Let's assume that it is 95 degrees outside and 75 degrees in your house. If I point my IR camera at your ceiling and it shows high temperature with a nice picture there is a distinct possibility that your insulation is either missing or misplaced. Pointed at a wall it can find spots where insulation is either missing or misaligned. I have seen entire walls where the insulation was omitted during original construction!
If a home energy audit is done correctly by a trained professional auditor who utilizes the proper tools/diagnostics and the recommendations are complied with you will save money on energy bills! Hire a trained and certified professional!
About the Author:Bob Spermo is a licensed home inspector and RESNET certified energy rater from the San Antontio, Texas area. He is owner of www.BullseyeHomeInspectionServices.com.
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