What Happens After an Energy Audit? How To Select Building Upgrades

Introduction

An energy audit is a comprehensive evaluation of the energy systems in your home or building. It’s a way to determine how much energy you’re using and why you might be spending more than necessary on heating, cooling and lighting. An energy audit can also help you identify any areas where your home is being heated or cooled inefficiently because they’ve been poorly insulated or have too many windows facing the sun. If your home has an older system that doesn’t have high efficiency ratings, an audit will help identify ways to improve its performance by upgrading equipment and adjusting settings so that it runs more efficiently. Read this article shared by Local law 84 services experts. 

An energy audit will give you the information you need to make informed decisions.

An energy audit is a great first step towards energy efficiency. It will give you the information you need to make informed decisions about your building’s energy use and how much it costs. Energy audits can be done by professionals or DIY; either way, they provide details such as:

  • what you are currently using for heating and cooling, lighting, water heating and other utility bills
  • where there are leaks in your home (faucets, windows)
  • what upgrades might be possible in each area

There’s a lot of information that comes out of an energy audit.

An energy audit can give you a lot of information, but it’s not always easy to understand or act on. Here are some common issues with the data:

  • You might find that you need more information. This is especially likely if your building is old and has been modified over time, or if there are no existing records of its original construction details. If this happens, hiring an expert who specializes in the type of building you’re working with can help ensure that all possible sources of energy loss (such as air leaks) get identified.
  • The best way to act on the data may be unclear at first glance. Some measures will have immediate payback while others might take months or even years before they recoup their investment costs—so which ones make sense? An experienced contractor will have experience making these kinds of determinations so they can guide you through the process while keeping your long-term goals in mind

Energy audits use several techniques to assess the energy condition of a property.

The most common method of testing is a blower door test. This test uses a fan that circulates air through your home and measures how much pressure is exerted at each point, allowing you to see where air leaks into or out of your house. If you’re having trouble pinpointing the culprits and want a more precise assessment, another option is an infrared scan, which measures heat coming off of your home’s exterior walls for signs of inefficiency.

Another thing worth noting about energy audits is that they can be tailored to suit individual needs. For example, if someone suspects their home has been hit by mold or carbon monoxide poisoning from nearby construction sites, that should be taken into account by the auditor during their inspection process—but it won’t necessarily affect any recommendations made after completing their audit..

A whole house Level III audit may include some or all of these steps:

The first step of an energy audit is to take a complete inventory of all the systems in your building. This can include things like:

  • The number and type of heating and cooling systems in your home or building;
  • How many windows, doors and other openings are in each room;
  • The condition of the insulation on walls, floors, ceilings and attics (if applicable);

We use this information to create a blower door test that enables us to find air leaks while using less than 1/3rd the pressure needed for a full-scale test. In other words, we don’t need to blow out windows or doors! Our technicians will attach an air tight seal around your main entrance so that they can measure how much conditioned air leaks through each opening when it’s closed tight. Once we’ve found all your problems spots for incoming and outgoing airflow then we’ll go ahead with comfortable blower door testing as well as combustion gas leak testing throughout every room in which natural gas appliances such as water heaters exist within them.”

Section: Taking an inventory of all the systems in your home or building

The next step is to take an inventory of all the systems in your home or building. This includes:

  • Heating and cooling (including ventilation)
  • Furnaces and boilers
  • Water heaters
  • Air handling systems (fans, filters, ductwork)
  • Lighting fixtures (in bathrooms and kitchens)
  • Appliances (ovens, refrigerators, dishwashers)
  • Electrical panel(s)
  • Plumbing

Section: Testing for leaks in your ducts or structures (blower door test).

A blower door test is a way to measure the amount of air leakage into and out of the home. Air leakage can be caused by ducts that are not properly sealed or gaps in the walls and ceilings, as well as other structural problems. The test is performed by placing a fan in a doorway, then measuring pressure differences between inside and outside the home.

The results will help you determine whether there are leaks that need to be addressed before installing an energy-efficient heating system or other upgrades.

Section: Examining insulation levels in walls, floors and ceilings (combustible gas leak test).

Once you’ve completed your energy audit, the next step is to look at the insulation levels in your walls, floors and ceilings. If you have combustible gas leak test equipment (or a person trained to use this equipment) available to you during this process, it can help immensely.

Combustible gas is produced naturally when materials like wood or paper burn. It’s a flammable substance that can cause explosions if not properly vented or contained by proper building materials. Combustible gases are created by many different sources—including appliances (such as furnaces), fireplaces/wood burning stoves/space heaters and even cigarette smoke—and should be tested regularly for safety reasons.

Section: Inspecting installation quality and operation for heating, air conditioning, hot water and ventilation equipment (infrared scan).

Once you have an energy audit, it’s time to inspect the installation quality and operation of your heating, air conditioning, hot water and ventilation equipment (HVAC). An infrared scan can be used for this. This inspection process can help catch problems early so that they can be fixed before they become serious.

  • Check for mold or moisture in walls or ceilings
  • Look for proper installation and maintenance records
  • Check whether ducts are blocked with debris or dust

Conclusion

Energy audits are a great way to understand how your home or building is using energy. They can help you identify areas where you could make improvements in your home or building. If the cost of the upgrades is more than what it would take for you to pay off your mortgage, then it’s worth doing. . This Article is written by nycbuildingbenchmarking.

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