Energy Audit 101
Home Performance with Energy Star Audit
A Home Performance with Energy Star Audit is the only U.S. government-certified program of its kind, offering you a complete energy analysis of your home.
JCN starts the audit with a short interview with you at your kitchen table. We’ll discuss the areas of concern you have and the areas of the home that seem to be a problem. Then we’ll discuss your bills and the process JCN will employ during the audit. This give you comfort and understanding of the process. JCN also encourages you to ask questions during the audit and will show you the areas of energy loss we find.
Next, a blower door test is done to determine the air tightness of the home to include and duct leakage in the attic or crawl space. Then an infrared scan is performed to help pin point the exact locations of energy loss. It can also determine the presence of insulation in the walls and attic spaces.
If deemed necessary, a flow-hood analysis or duct leakage test can also be performed to further detect air leaks and measure for proper balancing, sealing, and capacity of your air ducts.
A health and safety check is also performed to detect any carbon monoxide in your home due to flaws in combustion appliance exhaust systems (your furnace, boiler, hot water tank, and stove).
Areas of crawlspaces and attics that are normally inaccessible to you are inspected and photographed to document any problems found. These areas are shown in the report and proposal.
Finally, your utility bills are reviewed and analyzed before you’re provided a prioritized list of recommendations. This final report is much more detailed than the one provided with the Basic Assessment, including measurement and recommendations regarding insulation levels as well as thermal performance information necessary to document greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage reduction. Data is also provided to the Home Performance with Energy Star program for analyzation and tracking.
Once this test is completed, you can rest assured knowing you’ve done everything you can to determine where your hard-earned cash is best spent.
Building a new home?
Our most detailed service is for those who are building a new home and would like that home to be an Energy Star certified home. Information is entered into our computer and a model of the home is rendered. The model is analyzed and the energy score is given to the home. A home that is Energy Star certified uses 30% less energy than a home built to local codes.
So we’ve figured out what’s wrong. Now how do we make it right?
Once we determine the best way to improve your systems, JCN can implement nearly all of the recommendations that can surface in our Home Performance Audit reports, which typically include the installation of additional insulation, proper air sealing, and sealing modifying or replacing ductwork. Work may be done all at once, or as your budget allows.
For the jobs we don’t handle (we don’t do window replacement, HVAC, and some specific types of insulation work), we’ll recommend other leading companies in your area. We don’t sub-contract this work—saving you even more)—but we will monitor the work to ensure it’s done correctly.
All work is tested at the beginning and end of the job to ensure all efficiency levels are optimized—and to make sure you and your family are saving the most energy possible in the years to come.