Add Home Energy Assessment to Your To-do List 

 

With current economic realities, everyone is looking for a place to save money.  For homeowners, a good place to identify cost savings is in your home's energy-consuming systems.  But, before investing in any expensive system upgrades, the smart thing to do is to have a home energy assessment done to determine which systems need the most attention.

 

A home energy assessment or home energy audit is the first step in determining how much energy your home consumes.  An assessment will show which systems are operating efficiently and which systems need to be addressed.  An energy audit can identify problematic mechanical and electrical systems, heating and cooling systems, household appliances, and building envelope systems. An assessment may uncover ways to conserve resources such as water, gas, oil, electricity, and money while helping to reduce carbon footprint.  An energy audit will also help you determine and prioritize which systems that, when upgraded or replaced, can save significant resource dollars.

 

A mechanical or energy engineer with experience in energy-efficient system design and proven, practical construction means and methods in the building environment is the most qualified professional to perform an energy audit.  An independent assessor can best evaluate and present the results of the audit to the homeowner and together they can formulate a cost savings course of action to best meet the owner's energy-saving goals.   

 

A comprehensive energy audit begins with an assessment of a home's building envelope, a.k.a. "the six (6) sides of a house" - the roof, the foundation, and the four exterior walls.  The envelope represents an area of significant potential energy savings.  Home building materials used for roofing, flooring, insulation, windows, and doors should be evaluated for energy efficiency.   

 

Next, the auditor will conduct a performance analysis of the mechanical and electrical systems and identify any potential  renewable energy sites in the home.   Additionally, other large home systems that should be assessed as they are known to consume significant energy dollars include:    

• exterior windows and doors          
• metal and asphalt roofing
• air conditioning systems                                          
• hot water heaters and furnaces
• insulation materials
• stoves
• solar power  

Collectively, the envelope and major energy-consuming systems are known as the "whole house system."  A thorough auditor will use the following criteria to pinpoint locations or systems that are losing energy: energy modeling, heat load calculations, efficient mechanical system designs, renewable energy feasibility studies, ENERGY STAR® benchmarking, and energy savings management and verification.

 

Once the audit is complete, the results are presented to the homeowner with a list of recommended Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs).  After identifying ECMs that meet the client's criteria for cost effectiveness, the auditor develops a performance specification for the homeowner.  This includes identifying which electrical and mechanical systems need to be upgraded or replaced in order to meet the energy consumption limits that are set.  The homeowner sets a budget, and the auditor makes recommendations to upgrade or replace equipment along with corresponding financial analysis.

 

The Cost of Upgrading vs. Replacing  

Armed with knowledge of their "whole house system", homeowners can identify which area of energy consumption they want to tackle first.  Once that decision is made, the next step is to weigh the cost of upgrading a system versus replacing a system.    

           _______________________________  

 

It may not be prudent to spend upwards of ten thousand

 

Upgrading to a super-efficient, expensive furnace for heat
and hot water may be undervalued and possibly oversized
for a home that has not yet been properly insulated and  

air sealed first.  _______________________________ 

       

Incentives

Environmentally speaking, reducing energy consumption goes a long way toward reducing carbon footprint.  Homeowners may also benefit financially if they are diligent in researching the incentive programs that  are available through the IRS, the U.S. Department of Energy, at the State level, and through programs between public and private organizations nationwide that have partnered with the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection through the ENERGY STAR® Program.

 

ENERGY STAR® Program

Product-specific incentives are available to homeowners through the ENERGY STAR® Program, which was established, two decades ago, as a cooperative endeavor between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), to help homeowners, commercial businesses, and industrial organizations save money on energy costs and to protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.

 

The EPA and the DOE have set strict energy efficient guidelines that must be met for a  product to qualify for the ENERGY STAR®.  An ENERGY STAR® central air conditioner is expected to save 24% in energy costs over a non-qualifying system.  An ENERGY STAR® furnace (gas) is expected to save 15% in energy costs over a traditional furnace and programmable thermostats will realize a 20% energy savings. If a home is fully equipped with ENERGY STAR® qualifying products, the homeowner can expect to operate on approximately 30% less energy than if it were equipped with standard products.  In dollars and cents, that would save a typical homeowner about $400/year.   

 

Some ENERGY STAR® qualifying products carry a higher up-front cost than basic appliances, however, the initial investment can deliver cost savings over the long term.   Information on more than 18,000 products, representing over 1,200 manufacturers, is available to consumers on the ENERGY STAR® website.   

 

The environmental benefits that are realized by installing ENERGY STAR® systems and appliances are proven.  According to EPA data, "the typical home causes more greenhouse gas emissions than the typical vehicle.  With ENERGY STAR® products, consumers can lower these emissions by 30% while saving money as well."

 

Cape Light Compact

On Cape Cod, we have a partner in pursuing energy efficiency - Cape Light Compact (CLC), which was formed in 1997 to advance the interests of consumers in the newly restructured electric industry.  CLC serves 200,000 consumers from all 21 towns on Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard.

 

Cape Light Compact administers a variety of Energy Efficiency Programs for Cape and Vineyard residents and businesses such as:

• Generous incentives and resources to make weatherizing your home and installing energy efficient upgrades affordable
• Enhanced incentives for income eligible residents
• Special programs for renters, landlords, multi-family homes and new construction
• Rebates on energy efficient products
• Innovative pilot programs that can substantially increase your money and energy savings
• Zero/low-interest HEAT Loan through Mass Save® to help install energy efficient home improvements

In Closing...

Homeowners have numerous resources available to help calculate energy costs, evaluate energy use, and determine whether energy efficient products or renewable energy is appropriate for them.

 

The DOE and the EPA offer tax credits and rebate programs for homeowners who take steps to reduce energy consumption.  CLC conducts educational programs in the community and offers incentives to homeowners who commit to making their home energy efficient.  Energy-saving products, like those bearing the ENERGY STAR® label, are available nationwide and are becoming more affordable than in the past. 

 

In today's economic climate, understanding your home's energy consumption versus energy needs is critical.  A home energy audit can glean valuable data to help identify the systems and appliances that need attention and to devise an action plan to upgrade or replace certain systems to meet a homeowner's energy-saving goals.

         _________________________ 

 

Richard J. Lorenzotti, P.E., C.E.M., LEED AP   

 

Mr. Lorenzotti is the Energy Engineering Division Manager of Coastal Engineering Co., Inc.  He is a registered professional engineer and with over 20 years of experience.

 

Send e-mail to Richard Lorenzotti