First: What/who does the audit Serve? Ideally if we began with an audit before the house was built, the audit would serve the interests of the environment by the best use of our energy resources. That would include the land, the air, the building materials, electricity, gas, oil and water. IF we build homes to serve these things then the benefit to the human occupants, to the individual home owner and his/her family in cost, comfort and health would be realized as a by-product, a given or a right of ownership.

When E2HS does an audit we approach it from this philosophy.

We endeavor to educate and perform the audit from an environmental building science model. We are forced to start after the fact, we have already built in the materials, and much of the impact on the environment has been made for better or for worse. So where do we begin and who do we best serve from this starting point?

We choose to serve the home owner's physical, economic health and comfort based on the economic parameters we have to accommodate.

Second: The Envelope. Fix the existing structure where the air from the inside and the air from the outside of the home exchange improperly. A home must breathe to be inhabitable. That standard is measured at about .25 to .35 exchanges per hour for healthy occupancy. Most home are from .65-.70 up to 1.00, 2.00 or even 3.00 times per hour. That means you could be using a minimum of 2 times the amount of energy to heat and cool your home up to as much as 5 or 6 times. Take you heating and cooling bill and multiply to get the idea.

Energy Retrofit: We call this a retrofit because it is really going back after the fact and correcting for construction errors in the initial building of the home. Places where the holes in the exterior and interior walls, ceiling, attic and garage are not properly built, covered, insulated or simply built over, as no one is going to see them. Hole sealing and proper insulation. For this we use the blower door test, smoke test and the infra-red camera to find the holes, the hot and cold spots.

Third: Delivery Systems. Evaluate the systems within the house heating, cooling, electrical monitoring and water usage systems. Over-compensation. The idea of over compensation is how the system contractors adjust for the fact that building contractors are a little lax in the build end of the process. So the other contractors often put in more than the house really needs because the house is not built properly. An HVAC contractor may put in a 3 ton unit when 2.5 would be more than enough. It also allows for the HVAC contractor to not be so particular about the duct work being designed properly or installed as well as it should.

Fourth: Ductwork Testing. By various tests we can determine how well the ductwork is working in your home. Do the return vents equal in airflow of the exhaust vents. Where does the system lose heat or cold by having un-insulated duct work, where are the ducts that open into unused spaces or areas that do not or should not be heated or cooled. We find that if you have these tests done before you do a heating and AC change out you can save yourself a large sum of money by being sure that this is all correct. Both system last longer and perform better if installed as they should be.

Fifth: The Hard Equipment. What is the age and efficiency and Energy Star Rating on your current equipment. What conditon is in rated to be and what is it functional as in terms of energy efficiency. HVAC, AC, Appliances etc.

Six: Electrical System. This is different than wasteful use do to poor systems design but actual monitoring of the electrical use through the appliances and controlling the flow properly. There are now laws pending in some states that require the new large plasma screens to change the usage of power that it takes when these units are on. We now have "Smart Systems" that you can control from your phone or computer that turn off, not at the unit but from the electrical grid itself. We have so many appliances in our homes that remain "on" plugged in even if the unit it not "on" in usual sense. A significant part of our electrical bill is because of the "load" charges and noise interference.

Seventh: Water System. Many scientists claim that the next really big crunch in energy is actually on fresh water supplies. So anything we can do in our homes to conserve water or re-use water will become a great aid for all of us. Aside from the fact that the heating and cooling of water is a major source of cost on our utility bills, how we store and heat or cool can also be part of conserving water. Whether it is gray water, solar heat, instant on or smart use meters that control the on and off of the heaters these are valuable things to know for our home energy comfort and for our monetary saving. We will help you to understand these factors as well.

Eighth: Sustainable Systems

Once the envelope and the systems in the house are as ideal as is possible we can now look at the very real needs and costs involved with moving towards energy independence.

GeoThermal, Solar Electric, Solar Water, Radiant Heat, Water Recovery Systems, Gray Water Release, Wind.

There is nothing that gives you more control over your home than a comprehensive energy audit performed by an accredited building science auditor!