Due to rising energy costs, as well as homeowners’ desire to support both living green and national energy independence, there has been a surge of interest in home energy efficiency. You need to take action to control these costs but what do you do beyond lowering the thermostat to unbearable levels?

The first step to controlling energy use is a comprehensive NPI energy assessment. An energy assessment (sometimes called an energy audit, evaluation or inspection) primarily looks for ways that energy can escape a building and uncovers inefficient uses of energy.

Only with the benefit of an NPI energy audit using a calibrated blower door and infrared technology can we see the tremendous cold-air infiltration shown in blue. These are the tools recommended by the U.S. Department of Energy for a professional energy audit and used by NPI.

Joshua Oezer, Brandon Jacobson, and Andy Anderson of National Property Inspections have received their Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification as Professional Building Analysts. As BPI-certified Professional Building Analysts, Josh, Brandon, and Andy perform independent energy audits/assessments on existing homes and are trained to look at the home as a complete system.

Rather than focusing on a single component, such as single-pane windows or an old air conditioning system, NPI uses diagnostic tools to create recommendations for heating and cooling equipment, insulation, air infiltration, windows, doors and lighting. NPI prepares detailed summary reports, with photos and practical solutions that many homeowners can do themselves to save money.

How Does NPI Perform Energy Audits?

1. Prior to starting the audit, your NPI inspector will ask you basic questions about your concerns and goals for energy savings and comfort. You will provide some basic information about your energy “lifestyle” as well as recent energy bills. This allows your inspector to enter specific information into the report, relative to your needs.
2. NPI will begin by conducting a general review of your home’s existing building envelope, that part of your home that keeps the weather out and the heated and cooled air in. This includes levels of insulation, windows, basic ventilation, etc. From this information, NPI will make recommendations on how improvements can make a significant difference in your home's energy consumption.
3. NPI then goes further by incorporating sophisticated tools not used by many home energy auditors. Blower door technology and infrared themography are used together to give you a clearer picture of exactly where your energy loss is occurring. The infrared camera allows you to actually see this heat transfer by converting the otherwise invisible infrared heat to visible light, while the blower door sets up the conditions to simulate air loss commonly found during the slightest windy days. In the hands of trained inspectors, these tools can provide valuable, quantitative information about your home.

What will I learn from an Energy Audit?

NPI will provide a detailed report with both digital and infrared photos showing areas of excessive heat or cold entering your home or commercial building, directing you to the best places to stop these energy leaks.

• You will be given suggestions for practical repairs and upgrades, most of which are simple to correct, that will potentially save hundreds of dollars in future energy costs.
• Your report will also include specific data regarding the volume of air leaks noted in your home, which can serve as a base for comparison to other homes or to compare to a follow-up test to determine the amount of improvement.
• While NPI prides itself in having nothing else to sell, we will make general recommendations about the kinds of action to take on your home to make it more comfortable and affordable.

Your NPI Inspector will give you suggestions for practical repairs and upgrades, which will potentially save hundreds or thousands of dollars in future energy costs.

Your report also will include specific data regarding the volume of air leaks noted in your home or commercial building, which can serve as a base for comparison to other buildings or to compare to a future follow-up test to see the improvement.

The cost of an energy audit varies based on the square footage of the home. The energy audit or assessment takes about three hours and may be your first step to substantial energy savings.

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