Home Performance Testing and Evaluation can go by many names:
Home Performance Analysis
Energy Efficiency Audit
High Tech Energy Audit
Affordable Comfort
Green Home Energy Upgrade
No matter the name, the goals remain the same. Home Performance Testing and Evaluation will prioritize the steps necessary to achieve the safe, healthy, comfortable, resource efficient home you deserve. A more durable home that is also less costly to operate as well as maintain. A home you probably thought you were getting in the first place. A home for humans.
We achieve the majority of the goals outlined by implementing efficiency first. Resource efficient homes are built tighter, are better ventilated, are more evenly heated and cooled, produce fewer toxins, and use less water than less efficient homes. Resource efficient homes have a smaller carbon footprint and lower utility bills. Resource efficient homes reduce our nation's dependence on fossil fuels.
Resource efficient homes are homes, not just houses. The 120 million existing homes in the US are responsible for 21% of our nations carbon emissions. That provides a huge opportunity to create more resource efficient homes. As mentioned above, when homes are more resource efficient, they not only cost less to operate and maintain, but become safer, healthier, more comfortable, and more durable; the essence of green building.
When performance testing and evaluating a home, we apply basic building science to the "house as a system." To be successful, we consider all of the elements that impact the built environment, including:
Location and Terrain
Climate Conditions
Solar Orientation and Access
Building Design and Components
How the Built Environment Impacts the Occupants
How the Occupants Impact the Built Environment
Treating the home holistically requires more than just visual analysis. We also need to understand the home's energy usage over the past year, areas in the home that are too hot/too cold, health concerns, plans for expansion or changes in occupancy, etc. We then utilize sophisticated testing equipment to assess the building's conditions. This equipment allows us to quantify building envelope leakage, ventilation requirements, duct leakage, carbon monoxide infiltration, gas leakage, ambient humidity, and assess thermal bypass.
Our intent is to provide a snapshot of your home's performance at a given point in time. We then outline the prioritized steps that allow us to create the safe, comfortable, resource efficient home you deserve. Though you may need windows or insulation or a better HVAC system, only by treating the home holistically can we determine how to get the best return on your investment. We'll provide the methodology necessary to reach those goals.
A partial list of the equipment we may use includes: