• Moisture through concrete, grading, landscaping, gutters and downspouts.
• Moisture from cooking, showering and faucet aerators.
• Air infiltration at windows and doors.
• Air exfiltration at cathedral ceilings and recessed light fixtures, i.e. “can lights” or “pot lights”.
• Garages and carbon monoxide.
• Atmospheric combustion appliances (gas stoves, gas or oil furnaces, space heaters, etc.)
• Occupants and how they use the home.

The tighter the building, the stronger the interaction will be.

Codes that control trade practices were, for the most part, written when the potential for interaction was essentially insignificant. Consequently, individual tradesmen performing code-compliant work can create potentially harmful situations without realizing they have done so.

Certified energy auditors, such as myself, are the only people commonly trained in House as a Single System Science.

On the surface, it sounds like a great plan; however, prudent home buyers and home owners will look beyond the obvious and consider the practical matters concerning this concept.

Utility rates are not static.  In some areas of the United States they are regularly increasing by various (and, typically, considerably large) amounts.

In one part of Missouri, a certain energy provider has averaged 11.5%  (in the years of 2009, 2010 and 2011) per year increases in their energy rate.  Using that number as an example, a home owner who borrowed money to achieve a 30% reduction in their energy use in 2009 would actually be paying more for energy in 2011 than they did prior to their decrease in use.

In other words, the idea of having “extra money” to repay the increased indebtedness does not include rate increases in the equation — as it obviously should.

Consumers who reduce their energy use by making their homes more energy efficient will certainly benefit by paying less than they would otherwise pay.  Increased energy efficiency will also increase the value of the home when consideration is made for its resale value according to recent appraisal methods.

Increased efficiency can be offset by increased rates as the power companies continue to protect their “bottom line” and these increases must be taken into account by anyone planning on using energy savings as a means for repaying a loan.

How The Diagnostic Energy Audit is Performed

The above link is to an excellent video that accurately describes the steps performed in a diagnostic residential energy efficiency audit.

This means that the home owner will be able to target his efforts toward improving those deficiencies in his home’s present rate of energy use that will result in the greatest improvements, first.

Sometimes this is referred to as a “return on investment” or “ROI” and it is commonly accepted that an improvement that results in energy savings that total or exceed the original cost of the improvement within ten years is “cost effective”.

Rapidly increasing costs for electricity in many parts of the country, however, have added a new dimension to this calculation.

One particular city utility company close to me has increased its rate for electricity use by 23% per kilowatt hour in the past 24 months.  More increases are being planned for the near future.

Accordingly, at the present rate, a customer will need to be implementing energy efficiency measures that will improve his home’s performance by approximately 11% per year to simply break even and keep his rates at their present level.

Today, there are positive incentives in the forms of low cost loans, tax credits and deductions and rebate programs that are designed to motivate home owners to modify their homes to improve energy efficiency.  In the not too distant future, negative incentives in the form of heavy duty utility bills are sure to replace them.

Whether you are intending to reduce your monthly expenses or to simply break even … improving your home’s performance toward a higher level of energy efficiency is something that you need to consider.

The “Free” Energy Audit is a marketing tool used by product manufacturers or service providers as a means of providing a sales presentation for their wares at no initial expense to the home owner.  One or two people will come to the home and perform an “energy audit” that will result in a predetermined need for whatever it is they are selling.  The expenses that are incurred by the company in providing the “free energy audit” are incorporated into the price of the product or service which is not always the most cost effective or necessary means available to the consumer toward addressing their efficiency issues.  For example, how likely will a window salesman’s “free energy audit” recommend to the consumer that he first apply his funds and efforts toward air sealing and insulation when it can be shown to provide a better solution for less cost?

Some energy providers will provide rebates for consumers to use more of their product.  You may find a local electrical provider that will offer a $50 or $75 cash award to someone who will swap out their gas water heater for an electric water heater which will not necessarily reduce their energy use or associated costs.

Low cost loan programs are also available to help consumers finance upgrades to their homes with the intent that the energy savings derived from the improvements will (among other benefits) pay for or toward the repayment of the loan.  These are excellent programs when consumers use professional and certified Building Analysts and energy auditors to provide unbiased and accurate recommendations as to how the loans should be applied for the greatest return on their investment.  However, when loans are applied toward purchases recommended by salesmen without regard to the actual return on investment for overall home efficiency the results can be financially disastrous.

Most state and federal tax credits and deductions are written with built-in safeguards to ensure   consumers are properly directing their efforts and using qualified persons to help them, but consumers should still use their independent and unbiased professional Building Analyst to help them ensure that the work provided by the contractor will produce the intended result.

Never seek energy efficiency recommendations from anyone who can gain financially from the implementation of his recommendations.

Always use an independent and unbiased professional Building Analyst to assist you in determining what steps to take to improve your home’s comfort levels, healthy environment and energy efficiency.  For more information, visit www.missouricertifiedenergy.com .

If you are planning or undergoing either major or minor renovations, or if you are looking to invest in energy efficiency improvements, my energy modeling services will help you make informed decisions. Using computer modeling of your home, I will pinpoint the most cost effective upgrades and provide estimated utility bills to determine your return on your investment.

I am not affiliated with any retailers, product manufacturers or installers, so you can be sure I will provide an unbiased review of your home to help you make informed decisions.

An editorial in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch last winter equated the power company encouraging less energy use as being on the same plane as Anheuser-Busch encouraging people to drink less beer.

Here are a few facts that will help put this into perspective.

There are government incentives provided to power companies to encourage their promotion of energy efficiency measures among their customers.  If you are carefully watching, you will note that utility fees have been steadily increasing at higher than usual levels within the last two years and will continue while these energy efficiency incentives are being promoted.

In the end, the consumer of energy in just a few more years will be using considerably less energy than today but still paying the same price (or more) to his provider.

The unfortunate consumer who fails to keep up with energy efficient improvements and adjustments, however, can expect to be paying as high as three times his current rate.  Perhaps even more.

Ultimately, the energy providers win.

Prudent home owners will begin NOW to fine tune their homes to be more energy efficient before more of their spendable incomes are consumed by their energy bills.

The energy efficiency of a home is already being considered … and will soon be increasing in its emphasis … to be an important feature of a home in the eyes of a prospective buyer.

Appraisers are now learning in schools and through their continuing education how to calculate the home’s energy efficiency into its monetary value.  It won’t be the mortgage, as much as the utility bill, that will influence a buyer’s decision as to whether or not he can afford to live in a particular house.

Now is the time to begin to take the necessary steps toward improving the energy efficiency of your home.

That first step should be to consult with a professional certified Building Analyst, using “the house as one system” approach, to determine what measures would result in the greatest return on your investment while preserving air quality, sustainability and comfort.

Today, with the installation of more efficient heating systems that vent their combustion gases through fan-assisted plastic vents, it is often left up to the fuel burning water heater to create enough heat by itself to make a sufficient draft to vent the combustion gases through a chimney that was originally designed for much more heat provided from both appliances.  The water heater’s over sized chimney now needs a chimney liner.

The need for chimney liners is often ignored when the heating system has been upgraded and the potential for dangerous combustion gases to enter the living space is increased.

Unlined chimneys and those deteriorated from acidic combustion gases should be upgraded, as well, to include stainless steel, aluminum or masonry liners.

For more information about inspections of mechanical systems for safety and efficiency, visit www.missouricertifiedenergy.com .

N1102.4.2.1 Testing option.

Tested air leakage is less than 7 ACH when tested with a blower door at a pressure of 50 pascals (0.007 psi). Testing shall occur after rough in and after installation of penetrations of the building envelope, including penetrations for utilities, plumbing, electrical, ventilation and combustion appliances.

During testing:
1. Exterior windows and doors, fireplace and stove doors shall be closed, but not sealed;
2. Dampers shall be closed, but not sealed; including exhaust, intake, makeup air, back draft, and flue dampers;
3. Interior doors shall be open;
4. Exterior openings for continuous ventilation systems and heat recovery ventilators shall be closed and sealed;
5. Heating and cooling system(s) shall be turned off;
6. HVAC ducts shall not be sealed; and
7. Supply and return registers shall not be sealed.

I will do blower door tests for new home construction within a 75 mile radius of the Joplin area.

For questions and contact information, call 314-803-2167 or visit www.missouricertifiedenergy.com.