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Whether you're building a new home or doing a home remodel, a home energy audit is a great way to develop an energy-efficient home. Save energy, cut back on carbon dioxide emissions, and create a more comfortable home with this relatively inexpensive procedure.

How to conduct a home energy audit

1. Do-it-yourself energy audits: Look into conducting your own in-house energy audit. Though energy audits aren't generally expensive (and often qualify for government subsidies or tax credits), doing it yourself will save some money. But be prepared for more legwork on your part. Start by checking the list below of Information commonly requested on audit questionnaires to get an idea of the kinds of data you’ll have to collect. Then, try one the following online do-it-yourself audit tools:
   • Energy Right – a detailed online survey that provides suggested improvements.
   • Home Energy Saver – a step-by-step questionnaire to get to the bottom of your energy inefficiencies.
   • DoItYourself.com’s Basic Home Energy Audit – a list of questions you can ask yourself to find energy improvement opportunities.
   • US Department of Energy’s Energy (DOE) Audits – how to walk through your home to find energy leaks and improvement areas.
   • ENERGY STAR’s Home Energy Yardstick – using your monthly energy bills, this calculator helps you compare your home energy use to others with homes of similar location and size.
   • Resurgence’s house Energy Audit Calculator – a simple energy calculator.
   • Try the Neutral Existence home energy audit, which includes tips on how to do your own pressurization test.
2. Professional energy audits: If you’re not feeling up to conducting your own energy audit, hire a professional to do the job. The good news is that you may qualify for a home energy audit rebate (see Tax breaks and subsidies below), that will help you recoup part or all of this expense. Here are some resources to help you find an energy auditor in your area:
   • Home Energy Tune-uP – their country-wide professional auditors do a detailed home inspection and provide an analysis, including the costs and savings of each recommended energy efficiency improvement.
   • Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) – provides a listing of professional auditors as well as standards and procedures for testing the credibility of auditors in general.
   • If you can’t find an energy auditor with the above links, try your local utility provider. Many provide audit services, both online and in person.
3. Hire a home energy efficiency contractor: Once you’ve completed your audit, you will likely want to start improving your home’s energy efficiency. If you don’t want to do it yourself, check out Home Performance with ENERGY STAR–a joint ENERGY STAR, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and US Department of Energy (DOE) program that provides a list of specially-trained contractors.

Information commonly requested on audit questionnaires

Don't be frightened by the long list below! The number of answers you'll need will depend on how in-depth your audit goes. Just take a look at the list below to get an idea of the kinds of questions you may be asked:

• Type of home (single-family detached, apartment/condo, townhouse, duplex, etc.) and number of people living in the residence (adults and children)
• Square footage and number of floors in home
• Year your home was built
• Average ceiling height
• Type of foundation (heated or cooled basement, crawlspace, cement slab)
• Whether floors and walls (including those in the basement, if applicable) are insulated
• Percentage of exposed walls, walls shared with other buildings, and walls with windows
• Size, type, and condition of windows and sealers (including whether windows are single-, double-, or triple-paned and if they have tints or reflective coatings)
• Amount of attic insulation
• The kind of energy used (natural gas, electricity, etc.) and the age, efficiency, and type of system used to cool and heat home (central air, window air conditioners, hot water, boiler, furnace, unit heaters, baseboard heaters, radiant heaters, etc.)
• Average setting on thermostats throughout while home and away and whether thermostats are programmable
• Type and condition of water heating units (including those in swimming pools and hot tubs)
• Number, length, and temperature of showers and baths taken each week and whether you have faucet aerators and low-flow showerheads installed
• Number, type, location, age, condition, efficiency, use-patterns, and size of refrigerators and freezers, laundry equipment, dishwashers, microwaves, and stoves/ovens
• Number, type, age, efficiency, use-patterns, and size of all electronic equipment (computers, printers, monitors, etc.)
• Number, type, wattage, and average operational time of indoor and exterior lights
• Information about any equipment used seasonally (dehumidifiers, irrigation systems, etc.)

Before you buy

The US DOE recommends that you look for a professional auditor that does the following tests: a blower door test, a thermographic scan, and a PFT air infiltration measurement.[1] For a more in depth examination of what to look for in a professional auditor, check out RESNET’s Standards.

Conducting a home energy audit helps you go green because…

• It pinpoints a home’s energy inefficiencies and offers recommendations for sealing the leaks, which saves energy and money.

A great deal of energy can leave a home through leaks in the building envelope. These can be found in attics, flooring, window and door frames, plumbing and lighting fixtures, ductwork, and electrical outlets and switches.[2] Performing a home energy audit will result in concrete information about energy leaks and constructive suggestions for how to reduce energy and water usage.[3]

Tax breaks and subsidies

In the US, your residential energy improvement projects may be eligible for state or federal tax breaks. For detailed information, see these resources:

• American Council for an Energy-Efficiency Economy Updates on potential energy legislation.
• Tax Incentives Assistance Project Explains federal tax credits for energy efficiency.
• Alliance to Save Energy Offers an index of energy efficiency programs by state.
• Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency Provides information on state and federal incentives.
• ENERGY STAR Summary of Tax Credits for Home Owners page A list of specific home improvements that may qualify for tax credits.
• Contact your utility provider for information on local offers.

Glossary

• blower door test: To determine a home’s airtightness, an auditor will mount a powerful fan into an exterior door frame to pull air out of the home.[4]
• PFT air infiltration measurement: To determine long-term air leakage and energy loss in a building, an auditor may employ this technique which emits a colorless, odorless, harmless gas known as perflurocarbon tracer gas (PFT). The concentration of the gas throughout the building over time is then measured.[5]
• thermographic scan: To determine air leakage and thermal defects in a home, an auditor may use infrared video and still cameras to measure the temperature of a building’s surface.[6]

External links

• US Department of Energy
• ENERGY STAR