Aug 10
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Home Energy Audit Training
How to Make your Own Home Energy Audit!
Energy audits for your home could be a very expensive task, specially considering that professional energy audits conducted by a contractor can cost between $200 and $1000, depending on the scale of the audit, and the equipment they will use. The good news is that you can do it yourself with the help of this guide (click here).
Home energy audits generally take a couple hours, especially when doing one for the first time.
It is important to block off this time and avoid distractions. The audit itself is not intense at all but it does require a keen eye for energy usage and identifying potential “problem areas.”
The audit itself is a multi step process, involving the following:
1. Walking through the home and identifying energy usage
2. Examining potential problem areas to discover “hidden” problems
3. Determining the approximate costs of usage
4. Identifying usage patterns and potential energy ‘problems’ based on the data collected
5. Developing an action plan to reduce energy costs
If a ‘professional’ auditor from a contracting or construction company were to visit your home, these are the steps they would take. However, their focus would be much different. Typically, they would only pay attention to potentially more expensive repair problems such as heating and cooling problems. And they would typically use expensive and elaborate equipment such as thermographic imaging devices and calibrated blower doors. They would almost always completely ignore electrical costs unless they directly related to heating and cooling.
The main reason for this is simple – it is how they really make their money. A contracting company that offers energy audits will find a problem and recommend one of their services new windows, doors, insulation, furnaces, or a whole host of other expensive repairs, but you can receive your own home energy audit training.
Let me set the record straight. I’m not faulting contracting companies, energy companies or anyone else that offers energy audits. But I do feel it is important for every homeowner or person who rents to get a real sense of the energy usage in their own home. It is one thing for someone to tell you where energy problems are and totally different (and worthwhile) to see and understand them for yourself! ?Download the step-by-step home energy audit training!
