Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I need an energy audit?
What can I expect from an energy audit?
What do you mean by “green”?
How do I know if I need an energy
audit?
Your home is
uncomfortable.
- Some rooms—or floors—are too hot or cold.
- Your walls are chilly in winter or your top floor is an oven in summer.
- There are drafts or cold spots around windows and doors.
- There is a noticeable difference in temperature between floors.
- Particular rooms are stuffy or smell moldy.
You want to lower your
utility bills.
Energy conservation upgrades can
reduce your energy bills somewhat, significantly, or dramatically, depending
on the condition of your home. But how do you know which ones to choose? An
energy audit will tell you definitively which upgrades are most
cost-effective.
You’re thinking
about upgrading your furnace, replacing your windows, or investing in other
high-cost energy solutions.
If you had a sore throat, your family physician would probably conduct a strep
test and prescribe a course of antibiotics before referring you to a surgeon. It
only makes sense to try the least invasive and least costly solutions before
spending time and money on drastic measures.
It should be like that for your home. Before spending money
on high-cost projects, invest in diagnostic testing that determines how to
improve the underlying performance of your home. Although today’s
advanced technologies can improve comfort and lower your energy bills, they
won’t help much if your home leaks air like a sieve.
You’re considering a major
remodel or addition.
If you’re building an addition or remodeling a room, how will you heat and
cool these spaces? What kind of demands will they place on the rest of the home?
Will they cause new problems in the existing space? An energy audit will help you balance the energy needs of these rooms with the energy
needs of the existing structure, ensuring that the whole house is comfortable
and efficient. Through proper air sealing and insulation, there’s a good chance
that you can reduce your heating and cooling requirements enough that you won’t
need new equipment. If you do need new equipment, Energy Penguin can also help
you determine the correct size for the system, which can save a lot of money on
the purchase price.
You’re buying or
selling a home.
A home is a system, and ideally, all the parts work together flawlessly for
the best performance. But yesterday’s builders weren’t aware of these home
performance principles, and many of today’s builders and architects aren’t
trained to minimize energy use. Poor air sealing and lack of insulation are not
usually identified in a home inspection. How can you know if your potential new
home is an energy hog?
Home performance upgrades can also make your existing home
more attractive to a prospective buyer. Not only will your home cost less to
operate than the majority of homes on the market, buyers will know you
took the extra step to ensure the value, comfort, and safety of your home.
You’re
concerned about indoor air quality.
Energy Penguin will determine if your home’s heating equipment is leaking carbon
monoxide, an odorless, colorless gas that can be deadly in high concentrations
and can make you chronically ill in low concentrations. The Penguin will also
alert you to other safety concerns, including natural gas leaks, mold, asbestos,
and radon.
You’re
concerned about the environment.
Homes can have large energy appetites. By sealing and insulating your home,
and ensuring that its equipment operates efficiently, you reduce its energy
demands. This means that your local power plant has to produce less energy to
“feed” your home. Less energy = less air pollution and fewer of the carbon
emissions that contribute to global warming.
Be good to your planet. Be good to your wallet. Get an
energy audit.
What can I expect from an
energy audit?
Well, this guy in a penguin suit knocks on your door….
No, really. Energy Penguin’s diagnostics team will
interview you in person or over the phone about your specific concerns. They
will then carefully examine the inside and outside of your house, including its
equipment. They will test the efficiency and safety of your home using
diagnostic instruments like a manometer, blower door, and combustion analyzer.
This takes 4-6 hours. You do not have to be present for the testing, but our
clients remark that accompanying the diagnostics team during the assessment
helped them understand their home’s problems much better. They will then analyze
the data and prepare a written report with recommendations, which they will
discuss with you at your convenience.
What do you mean by “green”?
A green home means different things to different people. To
some, it means an adobe “Earthship”
nestled among the cacti in the desert, blissfully free of the energy grid.
Yeah, well, that’s not the home most of us are dealing
with.
To us, a green home is any home that operates efficiently
and safely, and whose components are durable and low-maintenance. A green home
should also be a more affordable home; because it is efficient, utility bills
are lower. A green home can also include geothermal, salvaged wood floors,
tankless water heaters, and recycled glass countertops. We think that’s great,
and if you’re going that way, we can help you assess your options. But some
people just need a warmer home in winter and a cooler home in summer, and we can
get you there too. There are many shades of green: we can help you choose the
one that’s right for you.
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