The importance of a home energy assessment

By Richard J. Lorenzotti

With current economic realities, everyone is looking for ways to save money. 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.

A home energy assessment or audit can determine how much energy your home consumes – which systems are operating efficiently and which systems should 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 like water, gas, oil, electricity and money while helping to reduce your carbon footprint. An audit will help you determine and prioritize which items, when implemented, can save the most resources.

A mechanical or energy engineer with experience in energy-efficient system design and proven, practical construction means and methods in the building environment can best assess and present audit results to the homeowner. Together they can formulate a cost savings course of action to best meet the homeowner’s energy-saving goals.

A comprehensive energy audit begins with an assessment of a home’s building envelope – the roof, the foundation and the four exterior walls. Materials used for roofing, flooring, insulation, windows and doors should be evaluated for energy efficiency. The auditor will also conduct a performance analysis of the mechanical and electrical systems and identify any potential renewable energy sites for the home.

Collectively, the envelope and major energy-consuming systems are known as the “whole house system.” A thorough auditor will use some of 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 measurement and verification.

Audit results are presented to the homeowner with a list of recommended Energy Conservation Measures. After identifying ECMs that meet the homeowner’s criteria for cost effectiveness, the auditor develops a performance specification. This includes identifying which electrical and mechanical systems need upgrading or replacing in order to meet the energy consumption limits. 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. The next step is to weigh the cost of upgrading a system versus replacing it. It may not be prudent to spend upwards of $10,000 to install a central air-conditioning system when the windows of the home are inefficient. Likewise, upgrading to a superefficient expensive furnace for heat and hot water may be under-valued and possibly oversized for a home that is not properly insulated or air sealed.

Incentives
Environmentally speaking, reducing energy consumption goes a long way toward reducing carbon footprint. Homeowners may benefit financially by researching incentive programs through the IRS, the U.S. Department of Energy, at the State level, and through the Energy Star program.

Energy Star program
The Energy Star program was established two decades ago as a cooperative endeavor, between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, to reduce energy costs and to protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.

The EPA and the DOE have strict energy efficient guidelines that must be met for a product to qualify for Energy Star. An Energy Star central air-conditioner is expected to save 24 percent in energy costs over a non-qualifying system, a furnace (gas) is expected to save 15 percent, and programmable thermostats will realize a 20 percent energy savings. If a home is fully equipped with Energy Star products, the homeowner can expect to operate on approximately 30 percent less energy than if it were equipped with standard products.

Some Energy Star 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 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 percent while saving money as well.”

Cape Light Compact
On Cape Cod, we have a partner in energy efficiency – Cape Light Compact, which was formed in 1997 in response to consumer interest in the newly restructured electricity industry. CLC serves 200,000 consumers from all 21 towns on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard.

CLC administers a variety of energy efficient programs for area residents and businesses:

• Enhanced incentives for income eligible residents
• Special programs for renters, landlords, multi-family homes and new construction
• Rebates on energy efficient products
• Zero/low-interest HEAT loan through Mass Save

Homeowners have resources available to help calculate energy costs, evaluate energy use, and determine if energy efficient products and/or renewable energy resources are 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 and offers incentives to homeowners who commit to energy efficiency. Energy-saving products, like those bearing the Energy Star label, are available nationwide and are becoming more affordable than in the past.

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, is the Energy Engineering Division Manager of Coastal Engineering Co. Inc. He can be reached at rlorenzotti@coastalengineeringcompany.com.


Published in Cape & Plymouth Business January 2012