What's Involved in a Home Energy Assessment?

In recent years, it has become exceedingly more popular among homeowners to alter the way we utilize energy in our homes. Having an energy-efficient home is not only beneficial to the environment, and your finances but is also more comfortable for the homeowners.  Nonetheless, the overwhelming majority of households are not energy-efficient… yet. This is particularly true for those that were built decades ago.

But how exactly can you determine your home’s energy needs? A home energy assessment, sometimes called a home energy audit, will tell you everything you need to know. The Building Performance Institute is a certifying body for energy assessment contractors and provides standard and quality assurance for the energy retrofit industry.

Home energy assessments are a valuable tool to see where your home is losing valuable energy so that you can address the problem and make your home more efficient overall. A comprehensive assessment will usually involve lots of different facets.

Insulation inspection

Insulation inspection is crucial to a thorough home energy assessment. It involves an evaluation of insulation levels in different areas and recommendations for improvement tailored to the specific house.

Heating and cooling system inspection

This portion of the assessment will assess all of the heating and cooling equipment as well as the duct system(s).  Duct leakage is often one the greatest areas of energy loss in homes.  An assessment will include combustion safety testing for gas-fired equipment and result in recommendations for maintenance of existing equipment, as well as planning for eventual replacement.

Lighting inspection

Professional home energy assessments will take into consideration the energy spent on lighting your home. This will include examining the currently installed lighting, and recommendations for more energy efficient options such as compact fluorescent or LED light bulbs.

Air leaks

Most homes have a lot of gaps or cracks that can allow air from the outside to enter your house and conditioned air to leak out, especially if the house is older. Such leaks can contribute to high energy bills, discomfort and poor indoor air quality throughout the year. The right tools can detect these leaks so that they can be sealed appropriately, cutting down on expensive energy loss.

While there are a few things you can do around your house to get some energy savings, a comprehensive assessment will always be your best bet. It’ll save you time, money and the headaches that come along with taking care of repairs yourself. For an energy assessment of your home in Atlanta as well as all of the improvement services, contact Renewal System Solutions at 404-378-6962.