The greenest energy is the energy you don’t use.
The Important First Step
An energy audit is the first and most important step to saving energy in your residence or commercial building. Our certified staff can determine where energy can be saved and the steps to take to take to save it.
What Does an Energy Audit Consist Of?
We start by doing an onsite inspection and retrocommission of your building. This includes inspecting and reviewing conditioning systems, insulation, windows, lighting, and other factors that relate to your energy usage. During an energy audit we utilize the latest technologies in testing equipment to determine building and duct system air leakage as well as insulation deficiencies which typically constitute the majority of efficiency loss.
The thermographic image above showes infrared radiation in a rainbow gradiant of hot being red to white and cold being yellow to blue. The image corresponds to the area in the picture on the left. When this particular image was taken, the house was depressurized with a blower door drawing cool outside air through defects in the air barrier. The thermographic image shows leakage of cold air infiltrating from the attic along the ceiling at the wall. The insulation and air sealing in these areas can be feasibly addressed with short term paybacks. Air leakage is a common vulnerability we see in the thermal envelope (insulation and air barrier layer) of a building.
An Easy to Follow Plan
Once our testing is complete we analyze the data and create a customized energy plan for your needs. This report will make specific recommendations that that you can follow to increase the efficiency of your building.
Why Should SBS Perform My Energy Audit?
Many buildings have excessive air leakage, substandard insulation, and superfluous electrical and water usage. Other buildings are too tight to provide proper ventilation or have other serious indoor air quality issues that affect occupant safety. The energy audit process and reporting can identify these issues. Our professional certified staff have the training and experience necessary to make your residential or commercial building as energy efficient as possible. During an SBS energy audit we identify specific energy and comfort related issues with the owner, perform a thorough inspection of the building, gather dimensions, examine the building envelope with a thermal imager, perform mechanical systems diagnostics and safety testing, determine building air leakage, and inventory all major electrical and water loads. Our auditors at SBS are trained and certified Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) Home Energy Rating System (HERS) raters assuring a high level of knowledge and performance. Our team is also certified and accredited in LEED, National and Northwest Energy Star Homes verification, NABCEP, and we are a DOE Builder’s Challenge partner. Energy Audits are our specialty.
Areas of evaluation in our energy audits include:
- Thermal envelope insulation and air sealing issues
- Vapor barriers and rim joist
- Windows and doors (insulation value and condition)
- Square footage and volume of conditioned space
- Specific Homeowner issues
- Mechanical systems (type, efficiency estimate, duct system air leakage, and CAZ testing for safety issues)
- Utility bill analysis
- Water efficiency
- lighting and electrical load management
- Ideal programing of your thermostats
- Solar site assessment
- Obvious vulnerabilities in the envelope or heating systems.
- Easy areas of inefficiency to address with short paybacks
