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NOTE TO HOMEOWNERS:

Regrettably, Green Door Energy is not currently offering home energy audit services. We have left the following information on our website to give homeowners an idea as to what the home energy audit process looks like, though details, depth, and sequence will vary according to the individual auditor or company performing the assessment.

Feel free to check back from time to time, however, as we may bring the service back to our list of offerings in the future. In addition, we hope that you will find the information found in the “Useful Links” section helpful, which covers various building science and home performance resources.

HOME ENERGY AUDITS

Are you experiencing hot and/or cold spots in various parts of your home? Is anyone waking up with "the sniffles" on a regular basis? Are you noticing excessive amounts of dust in your home? Does the home feel moist and clammy in the summertime? Are musty odors present in that portion of the home that is above the crawl space? Has there been a spike in your electric or natural gas bill?

These are several examples of questions that might lead a homeowner to seek the help of a professional home energy auditor. With an estimated 90 per cent of our time being spent indoors (and possibly even more due to the coronavirus pandemic), a healthy home environment has never been more crucial to our well-being.

The home energy audit process begins with a homeowner interview, where the auditor seeks to identify specific "pain points," be they comfort, indoor environmental quality, of energy bill-related ones. Next, the auditor checks the home's exterior, paying particular attention to water management and draining, nearby foliage and shading, the foundation type and condition, chimneys (if present), roofing and exterior cladding, the garage (if present) and mechanical systems. Back inside the home, the basement can be inspected (if applicable), where notes are taken on any wall or floor insulation, along with the presence of any sources of moisture. In the conditioned space, an infrared camera can help to locate cold spots, which are frequent indicators of air leakage and/or moisture issues. Windows and doors are checked for weather strip, which can help curtail drafts and the communication of air between conditioned and unconditioned spaces. The attic is inspected to check insulation type, condition, and depth; this is notated by the energy auditor for the ensuing report.

The auditor checks for any combustion appliance zones within the heated and cooled space, along with dampers on any existing fireplaces before proceeding to the next step. Mechanical systems are turned off, and then the home's airtightness is measured (provided it is safe to do so, based on the presence of any asbestos or vermiculite insulation, or elevated carbon monoxide levels recorded during the interior walk-through) using a diagnostic tool called a blower door, which pressurizes or depressurizes the home and quantifies whole-house air leakage. When the blower door is used in tandem with an infrared camera, air leakage pathways can be located; these are recorded by the energy auditor for use in the home energy audit report. In some cases, duct leakage will be assessed, either with a separate duct testing fan, or with the use of a pressure pan while the blower door fan is running, which can give the auditor an idea of the relative leakiness of a particular duct run.

Air flow rates of exhaust fans (in the kitchen and bathrooms), as well as their respective duct runs, are often checked to see that they are functioning as intended and that they are exhausting warm, moist air to the exterior skin of the building. Once mechanical systems are turned back on, pressures between bedrooms and the main body of the house can be measured to assess possible drivers of air leakage or occupant comfort issues. The last step of the home energy audit is an inspection of the crawl space, where the auditor looks for air leakage (and pest) entry points, notes the presence and/or quality of a vapor retarder on the earth floor, checks mechanical system condition (if applicable), and evaluates the type and quality of any floor insulation.

Back at the office, the final step is for the energy auditor to create a concise, actionable report which gives the homeowner a list of (prioritized) improvements to improve the home's safety, comfort, and efficiency. This report can be used in some cases by the homeowner, but in most cases, is passed on to a qualified and experienced home performance contractor to make the recommended upgrades.

If you are hoping to improve the comfort levels, indoor air quality, health and safety, and energy efficiency of your home, look no further! Green Door Energy is RESNET- and BPI-certified, Better Business Bureau-accredited, and has performed dozens of home energy audits throughout the NC Piedmont Triad over the past decade.

USEFUL LINKS

Here are some great resources for homeowners:

  • Green Door Energy recommends RestoWorx for all things crawlspaces. For mold remediation, moisture management consultation, and crawlspace encapsulation, Rodney Hemric and Zach McMillan provide superlative service with solutions based on sound building science principles. Disclosure: Green Door Energy, LLC is not financially affiliated with RestoWorx; we are simply very satisfied customers.
  • Advanced Energy's "At Home" webpage offers excellent information on maintaining a healthy, safe, comfortable, and efficient home in a concise, easy-to-digest format. Also, Advanced Energy has a comprehensive guide to crawlspaces (and the benefits of crawlspace encapsulation) as well as details of a large study of North Carolina crawlspaces that can be found at www.crawlspaces.org. 
  • Though a $12 bucket of mastic (duct sealant) and a paintbrush will seal most leakage paths in an HVAC duct system, sometimes heating and cooling ducts cannot be accessed. Are you interested in AeroSeal for duct sealing in hard-to-reach places? Cool Breeze 1250 Heating and Cooling, Inc. in Kernersville is an affiliate for NC Piedmont Triad homeowners. 
  • For a deep dive into all things building science, take a look at the Energy Vanguard's blog, administered by residential energy guru Dr. Allison Bailes, or Building Science Corporation's website, featuring in-depth writings by renowned experts in the field such as Joseph Lstiburek, John Straube, Armin Rudd, and others.
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