What They are and How They Work
For homeowners and business owners looking to save energy and money, the first step is often an energy audit.
Ric Evans is the owner of Paradigm Energy Services. The Charlevoix-based business provides energy audits and green building verification to homeowners and businesses throughout Michigan. He employs his passion for environmental issues, a background in building, and some hi-tech tools to assess clients' energy needs and offer solutions.
The audit begins with an evaluation of the structure. Evans and his team survey the siding, roofing, insulation, appliances, and other elements, looking for places where heat can escape from the building.
Evans uses an infrared camera to detect where heat loss is occurring. A blower door is another tool that is used. Evans says, "A big fan forces the air out of the house to a known volume so we can compare that to the home size and find out exactly how leaky that home is."
An audit can consist of a simple walkthrough or it may be a more complicated process, depending on the building. "The full-blown energy audit is called a HERS rating, which stands for Home Energy Rating System," says Evans. "We look at basement type, insulation type, orientation of the sun, windows, doors, everything about the structure. We then put that into a computer model and that allows us to change things, like adding insulation for example, and gives us a printout of where improvements will have the biggest payoff."
From the results of the audit, Evans will recommend improvements to the homeowner or business owner. Adding insulation, replacing furnaces and other appliances, and sealing cracks and crevices are among the most common suggestions Evans makes.
Often small changes will yield big energy and money savings. Evans says a typical audit will pay for itself within the first season after the improvements are added. Many of his clients have seen energy savings of 20 to 50 percent.
Evans says a typical audit can take anywhere between an hour and a half and three hours, depending on the size and scope of the projects involved. The cost can be anywhere between $300 and $600, but there are a number of organizations now offering incentives to help pay for audits and, in some cases, the follow up work.
If you're interested in finding an energy auditor in your area, Evans recommends: www.bpi.org, www.natresnet.org, or www.energystar.gov.
