Home energy assessors in New Mexico
Can anyone recommend a qualified home energy assessor in New Mexico? I am beginning to look into financing a full gut renovation using HUD’s 203(K) Rehab Morgage Insurance combined with the Energy Efficient Mortgage Program. The EEM requires a home energy assessment, which it defined as follows.
“The assessment must be conducted by a qualified energy rater, assessor, or auditor using whole-home assessment standards, protocols and procedures. Qualified home energy raters/assessors must be trained and certified as one of the following:
- Building Performance Institute Building Analyst Professional
- Building Performance Institute Home Energy Professional Energy Auditor
- Residential Energy Services Network Home Energy Rater”
Additional Questions:
1) At some point I will be looking for a designer or architect to work with. At that point would the designer or architect work directly with the energy assessor?
2) Might I expect the designer, architect or energy assessor to be up to the task of specifying the size and exact location of HVAC equipment? The finished house will be around 900 square feet with an open floor plan located in SW New Mexico, CZ4B, mixed/dry. I’d like the HVAC system to include a single ductless minisplit, Panasonic Whisper Green exhaust fans in the 1 1/2 bathrooms, a small range exhaust fan over an induction cooktop, and a pair of Lunos fans for balanced ventilation. During the spring and fall the mini split and Lunos fans will be off and windows open day and night.
3) Should I have a full set of plans and specs before looking for a builder, or should a builder be brought to the table with the designer or architect, and energy assessor?
4) Might this same energy assessor perform blower door tests and verify other energy package upgrades during construction, or will that be another professional that I will need to recruit?
Thanks,
Aaron
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Replies
Hi Aaron -
That's a lot of questions!
Quick responses on each:
I don't know a professional for NM that you requested but the BPI website is set up for you to search their members by zip code and radius in miles: http://www.bpi.org/locator-tool/find-a-contractor.
1. Architect/builder working with BPI professional: They probably won't work with each other, but any high performance architect or builder will certainly use the info from the energy assessment. You should take a look at the GBA section in Green Basics on Integrated Design (https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/green-basics/integrated-design), scroll down to the section on HVAC integration with enclosure. The images there are from longtime GBA advisor, Steve Baczek, who also did all the details for GBA. And by the way, he does design work in New Mexico, but from Reading MA (for Paloduro Homes).
2. Yes, absolutely. Your architect should integrate enclosure performance with HVAC design.
3. Always best to spend money up front having these building pros work together earlier rather than later.
4. Yes, again. Performance testing done by the same professional makes sense and certainly within the bailiwick of your BPI professional.
I recommend Adam Walker in ABQ or GreenWorks in Las Cruses. Check for NM HERS Raters and BPI Auditors on the Resnet and BPI websites.
1. Check my website if you are interested and contact me. CoboDesigner.com
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. Yes