Audit offers a visual map for curbing energy waste

Todd Usher, owner of Addison Homes, demonstrates one of the methods he uses to determine the efficiency of a home’s heating and cooling systems.
KEN OSBURN/Staff

Energy bills are among a homeowner’s highest costs, and, no matter what the economy does, energy-related costs only seem to get higher.

So with the “green” movement, conservation-conscious homeowners not only have a chance to reduce their energy use, but also to save a little green.

Todd Usher, home energy auditor and president of Addison Homes, says a home-energy audit is a good starting point for curbing energy waste.

Q: What is a home-energy audit?
A: There are really different levels of details and depths with a home-energy audit. But in a nutshell, a home energy audit is basically taking a survey or an assessment of an existing house or building and analyzing where potential energy losses could be in terms of efficiency and how that building operates. It would include analyzing air leaks and duct leaks in the heating and cooling system. Those are really the two key areas in a home in terms of potential energy loss in a building or a home.

Those are two areas we can measure through testing. The audit may also include establishing an entire energy model of the house, which is done through computer simulation software. And that energy model would actually project energy costs of the house based on how it was constructed, orientation of the home and other factors.

It would all be very detailed. Measurements would be taken in terms of areas of the walls, windows and roof, as well as details of the efficiency of equipment such as the heating and cooling unit.

Q: How old is the concept of the home-energy audit?
A: They probably began back in the 1970s, but they really didn’t grow in popularity until about the mid-1990s. And that technology of how we measure and test homes really developed through the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Q: What is the latest technology in the home-energy audit?
A: Infrared technology definitely is some of the latest technology that’s used in home-energy audits. Instead of seeing visual light like the average camera does, the infrared camera, for instance, sees heat or cold and builds a picture based on temperature as opposed to light. For instance, it can show the temperature of a wall, which indicates what’s going on behind the wall. So in essence, we are kind of able to see through the wall.

When we couple this infrared camera with some of our other testing equipment, we are able to easily identify visually where we have sources of air leaks and duct leaks. Incidentally, the infrared camera could also detect water leaks and plumbing leaks in walls and termite infestation. The termite problem would have to be rectified by a licensed professional.

Q: How much does a home-energy audit cost and what are the benefits of having one?
A: The benefits are long-term, ranging from energy-bill savings to improved indoor air quality. Most people who are going to be interested in this probably have a reason. Depending on how detailed you want the process to be, the cost of hiring a professional home-energy auditor can run anywhere between $300 to $1,000. It’s going to depend on your budget and your personal needs as a homeowner. There are also do-it-yourself audits online (at www.energystar.gov).

Q: Once your audit is done, what’s next?
A: Generally, what we will come away with from the audit is a laundry list of ways to make a home more energy efficient. At an additional cost, we can help the homeowners with improvements ranging from adding insulation to air sealing around outlets, doors and windows; or they can make the improvements themselves.