Why should your house or place of business seek an energy audit? We'll get into some frequently asked questions regarding this procedure that might help you save money.
One of the greatest methods for both home and business owners to cut their energy expenditures, reduce their energy usage, and save money on energy is via energy audits.
By the time we're done, you'll understand what an energy audit is, why conducting one is essential for both energy efficiency and energy savings, and how to go about conducting one on your own.
An Energy Audit: What Is It?
Although there are do-it-yourself (DIY) solutions available, an energy audit is an evaluation of a building's energy usage that is normally conducted by a professional.
The findings of an energy audit may be used to pinpoint trouble spots in a building, including air leaks, inadequate weatherization, and issues with the heating and cooling systems.
An energy audit produces a strategy on how to increase a building's energy efficiency, which will eventually save electricity costs.
What Justifies the Need for an Energy Audit?
Energy costs probably account for a sizable portion of your monthly budget, whether you're a homeowner or a business owner. While cutting those energy costs results in much-needed energy savings, it also increases energy efficiency, which is crucial as we continue the transition to cleaner energy sources.
Making a plan to increase the energy efficiency of your home or place of business should start with an energy audit. A list of potential upgrades and improvements to energy efficiency can be provided by an energy audit.
What Is Included in an Energy Audit?
Even though that wouldn't be a bad place to start, conducting an energy audit requires more than simply walking through your house and noticing draughty windows. Instead, to determine how energy-efficient your home or place of business really is, energy audits use specialised tools and methodologies.
In order to determine how much energy is being used in a home, energy auditors frequently use infrared cameras. By visually highlighting areas of noticeably high or low temperatures, these cameras are able to locate potential problem areas in a building.
Another specialised tool that energy auditors like to use is blower doors. A blower-door test is frequently performed by auditors, and it entails installing a special rig with pressure sensors and a two-way fan inside an exterior door.
After closing all of the house's windows, doors, flues, and exhaust fans, the auditor can use the blower door to blow air into or out of the otherwise sealed house. With the aid of these procedures, the auditor can learn how well-insulated the house is and get a clearer picture of how energy moves throughout the structure.
But an energy audit doesn't stop there. In order to gain a better understanding of a home's performance, a professional energy auditor will frequently review previous utility bills and compare those bills with weather records. In addition, the building's type of sunlight exposure and the local climate are considered.
An energy audit checklist: What Is It?
Energy auditors frequently use checklists to organise their suggestions to the owner of the home or business because there are so many potential areas for energy efficiency improvement in either a home or business.
These checklists can go room by room and identify the areas of the building that are effective and those that could use improvement.
Checklists are useful for a variety of people, not just professional energy auditors. If you choose the do-it-yourself route, tools like this checklist can assist you in determining where to begin and how to proceed with your home energy audit.
What Sorts of Energy Audits Are Available for Commercial Use?
Depending on the client's needs, energy audits can vary. An energy audit will be viewed from a very different angle by a manufacturing company that uses a lot of energy compared to, say, a small business.
Energy audits are divided into three categories by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), though in reality a fourth category is also applied. As you scan this succinct list, keep in mind that each category after the first is more in-depth and consequently more expensive.
Benchmark Testing at Level 0.
Comparing the energy use and consumption of the building in question to “benchmarks,” or typical levels of energy use and consumption in comparable buildings, is what is sometimes referred to as Level 0.
ASHRAE does not categorise level 0 energy audits, but in practise, businesses that are interested in determining whether to move forward with more serious energy audits use them.
Walk-Through Audit at Level 1
A walk-through energy audit's objective is to gain a general understanding of a building's energy flows and overall energy performance. The walk-through may involve brief employee interviews and a review of previous utility bills.
This level of commercial energy audit aims to pinpoint the simplest (and least expensive) ways to quickly enhance a building's energy efficiency. This energy audit will probably identify any obvious issues.
Detailed Energy Audit at Level 2
Everything mentioned in levels 0 and 1 is included in this type of energy audit, but its analysis is more thorough. Additional staff interviews on-site may be necessary, or problem areas may need to undergo more thorough testing.
If there are any available lower wholesale electricity rates, helping the business owner find them could also be a part of this level of energy audit.
Investment-Grade Audit at Level 3
As far as ASHRAE's categories go, a level 3 audit is the most demanding — and expensive — option a business owner has. Energy auditors produce, analyse, and provide data for this kind of commercial energy audit in order to recommend capital investments that are frequently quite pricey.
This level of commercial audit is typically only carried out if earlier levels have found issues that, if resolved, could result in significant energy savings for the company.
Exactly how do I obtain a home energy audit?
A home energy audit (or home energy assessment) is the best option for you if you are more concerned with your own home's energy usage than with that of a commercial building.
Consider performing an energy audit on your house as a form of home improvement. Like any home improvement project, you have the option of hiring a professional, in this case, a home energy auditor, or doing it yourself.
The blower-door test and infrared camera detection of temperature gradients are two common examples of how a professional energy audit employs high-tech equipment. The amount of energy you save at the end of the DIY project might be less than if you had hired a professional because it's unlikely that you'll have that equipment lying around.
In what ways should I get ready for my energy audit?
Most likely, if you're considering scheduling a home energy assessment, you already are aware of some of your home's potential trouble spots. Make a note of these areas—air leaks or draughty windows, for instance—and give your home auditor those notes.
As many of your energy bills as you can should be gathered. While doing this, keep an eye out for any patterns in your energy usage or the overall energy efficiency of your home.
What Savings Can I Expect from an Energy Audit?
Then what? You received an energy audit. You now have a list of both issues and solutions, regardless of whether it was a commercial energy audit or a home energy assessment.
Some of these solutions will probably be inexpensive, such as switching from incandescent light bulbs to ENERGY STAR LED lights or setting your thermostat to turn off your HVAC system when your home or place of business is unoccupied.
Additionally, it's conceivable that your energy auditor will make some more pricey recommendations for you, such as replacing or upgrading your insulation with a material with a higher R-value. Although improving your home's insulation does have an initial cost, the savings on energy costs over the course of your building's lifetime can more than offset that expense.
Additionally, some of your home's appliances may turn out to be energy wasters. If so, keep in mind that updating older energy-consuming appliances could end up saving you money in the long run. Homeowners can do that with the aid of rebate programmes offered by the U.S. Department of Energy and many states.
Can I benefit from an energy audit?
The answer to this is ultimately up to you, but if you've noticed a recent increase in your utility bills or find yourself frequently raising the thermostat to block a draught, an energy audit could be a great first step towards energy conservation in your home or place of business.
There are various types of energy audits, so there's no need to jump right to the most demanding one. Instead, you might consider benchmark testing for your office space or a do-it-yourself home energy audit.
You should seek the assistance of a qualified energy auditor if you notice that your energy consumption is significantly higher than you'd like it to be. They can provide a list of potential upgrades or improvements to increase the energy efficiency of your home or business and a more accurate assessment of the energy issues you are experiencing.
We should make an effort to cut back on our energy usage to help us save money each month since energy costs are an ongoing expense. Although an energy audit won't force you to make any decisions, it can provide you with all the knowledge you'll need to make the best choices for enhancing the energy efficiency of your home. That could be money very wisely allocated.
