How Do Home Energy Efficiency Audits Work?
Posted on: 19 June 2023
An energy efficiency audit helps you evaluate how well your home uses energy. This is a useful tool if you want to make your home more energy efficient.
While individual audit processes may work slightly differently, most follow a three-step process.
1. The Evaluation Stage
During the first stage of an audit, your auditor will walk around your home and make a general inspection. They assess how you use energy in your home. They look for possible areas that need further investigation.
Your auditor will assess energy systems such as your heating and air conditioning units. They will look at any insulation you have in your home and where you use it. They will note down the numbers and locations of your doors and windows. They might ask to see some recent energy bills so that they can check your usage.
At the end of this stage, your auditor has a clearer idea of how efficient or inefficient parts of your home might be. During the next stage, they will check out inefficient areas to see how much of a problem they are.
2. The Testing Stage
Once your auditor has identified possible weak spots in your energy efficiency, they can run tests to evaluate them. The main test they use assesses how airtight your home is.
Typically, your auditor will seal your main entrance door and set up a large fan in your home. They start up the fan and then check outside areas around your property to see if they can detect air leaks coming out from the inside of your home.
An energy-efficient building is airtight. You wouldn't feel any air leaks from this test.
However, a less efficient home will allow air to leak out. If air from a fan can do this, then air from your heating and cooling systems will also get outside. This is a sign that you are wasting and using too much energy because your home isn't airtight.
Depending on the auditing company you use, they might also run other tests. For example, some auditors use efficiency meters, thermometers, and thermal cameras to check for heat loss.
Once this stage is complete, your auditor can take test data and work out areas that need improvement.
3. The Solution Stage
At the end of the assessment and testing stages, your auditor has enough information to make recommendations on how to improve your energy efficiency. They give you tips and ideas to help you improve weak areas.
To book an audit, contact home energy audit providers in your area.
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