Home Energy Audits – Denver Energy Efficiency
REenergizeCO is a full-service, Denver home energy efficiency auditing firm. Starting with a comprehensive energy audit, that brings a certified building performance analyst to your home for diagnostic testing that screens your home for the following:
- Under-performing or leaking windows and doors
- Air flow allocation to each room throughout the house
- Wall and attic insulation performance and depth
- Air sealing detection to ensure that the interior walls of the house are not a corridor for outside air to infiltrate the house
Once the house has been correctly diagnosed, the homeowner can choose REenergizeCO to perform the basic improvements to reduce the amount of energy lost, and increase the amount of comfort in the home.
What is a Home Energy Audit?
Home energy auditing is an assessment of how older residential houses perform compared to new house standards and codes. It is an analytical approach taking a year of utility data plus key behavior usage questions like how many occupants, what is the temperature setting on the thermostat and what type of heating and cooling systems are used. These data points are entered into a software and that software uncovers what can be done to improve comfort and utility savings in the most cost effective manors.
Video of a Home Energy Audit
Why would someone conduct an energy efficiency audit?
The benefit of a home energy audit is knowledge. An energy audit utilizes state of the art equipment and a BPI certified diagnostic analyst to completely map the house and call out any area that is underperforming. The audit is a road map for energy efficiency and it will tell you what projects are immediate, what can be put off, and what to plan for in the long term. An energy audit is the single most important entity in the world of efficiency. Without it, you’re just guessing at what is wrong in the home.
What to expect when REenergizeCO visits your home
An audit starts with the homeowner pulling their utility usage from their utility providers. (find your energy history on Xcelenergy.com) We talk at the kitchen table for 20 minutes about how the house is used, how many occupants reside there, and what rooms are the problem areas and in what season. The main factors for energy audits are comfort and utility savings.
After the intro we set up the blower door, we do a thermal imaging scan, we get into the attic space, we get into the crawlspace, we look at the foundation, exterior walls, and HVAC heating and cooling equipment. Once all of those data points are collected, we measure the house so we can bid any of the work you’ll want to be done. We look at each room with the AC or furnace running to determine if the duct system is balanced. Lastly, we do a full combustion appliance zone(CAZ) safety test to ensure the house doesn’t have leaking gas appliances.
What to expect when REenergizeCO visits your home
An audit starts with the homeowner pulling their utility usage from their utility providers. (find your energy history on Xcelenergy.com) We talk at the kitchen table for 20 minutes about how the house is used, how many occupants reside there, and what rooms are the problem areas and in what season. The main factors for energy audits are comfort and utility savings.
After the intro we set up the blower door, we do a thermal imaging scan, we get into the attic space, we get into the crawlspace, we look at the foundation, exterior walls, and HVAC heating and cooling equipment. Once all of those data points are collected, we measure the house so we can bid any of the work you’ll want to be done. We look at each room with the AC or furnace running to determine if the duct system is balanced. Lastly, we do a full combustion appliance zone(CAZ) safety test to ensure the house doesn’t have leaking gas appliances.
With Just A Few Pieces of Equipment We Conduct Several Tests
Blower Door
Blower door: This is a fan that is placed on an exterior door, we close all exterior doors and windows and open all interior doors. We suck air through the building structure to highlight air infiltration. The usual suspects are can lights, door jambs, window seals, interior top plates of walls, mechanical chases, fireplaces chases, electrical lines, plumbing penetrations, junction boxes, and speakers.
Thermal Imaging
The thermal gun is used in conjunction with the blower door. If we highlight all of the air leaks, we can measure at what rate they are hurting the house by seeing how cold/hot certain spots are. This tool allows us to see behind drywall, and into exterior wall spaces. We’ll know if you have insulation and if it is performing or not with this tool.
Types of Energy Efficiency Tests
Combustion Appliance Zone Test
CAZ testing is simple. If we tighten up your house by air sealing and insulating it. We don’t want a leaking gas appliance inside of the newly tightened home. We do a test during the audit, then again after any work has been done.
Attic Inspection
Attic spaces have a big effect on the house. We get into the attic space and take digital pictures of the interior and exterior wall top plates to show you how effectively or ineffectively they are sealed, plumbing and electrical wires that enter the house through chases or holes and the style/depth of the insulation currently in the space. We also look at the eave and peak ventilation to make sure we can baffle or not block the intake air then we do a measurement to see if you have enough intake and exhaust ventilation.
REenergizeCO will help facilitate all paperwork, guaranteeing that all eligible rebates are received from the local utilities and Energy programs.