How to choose someone for an energy audit?
jpcjguy
| Posted in Energy Efficiency and Durability on
Hi,
I am looking to do an energy audit of my house. What should I look for in regarding selecting a company/individual – certifications, etc. What qualities would a good auditor have – what questions should I ask and what should they be asking of me – utility bill history, etc.
Thanks
Joe
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Replies
Oh - I live in Richmond, VA so if anyone has recommendations....
Joe,
You want someone who has been certified by either RESNET of the Building Performance Institute (BPI).
You want someone who owns and uses a blower door. In most cases, if the weather cooperates, an infrared camera is useful, so you could ask the rater if he or she owns one.
Martin - thanks for the info. I think I might have found my guy. Here is his bio:
Tim is a Construction Inspector and Energy Trainer for Dominion Due Diligence Group. Tim received a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Commonwealth University. He regularly leads training sessions on energy efficiency in single as well as multifamily housing. He is directly responsible for conducting and preparing Energy Audits and Green Property Condition Assessments throughout the United States. Tim has earned the distinctions of a Building Performance Institute (BPI) Certified Multifamily Building Analyst Professional, Certified Home Energy Rater (HERS), Virginia Weatherization Approved Contractor, Virginia Dominion Power Approved Energy Conservation Contractor, Richmond Region Energy Alliance Approved Contractor, and a Certified CMC Home Energy Auditor. Furthermore, Tim is certified to proctor BPI field and written exams. Prior to joining Dominion Due Diligence Group, he was the owner of Bryant Energy Services, LLC.
Tim's qualifications sound superb!
Joe,
Dominion Virginia Power and Columbia Gas offer rebates for Audits and upgrades/ retrofit work.
Thanks Rich - unfortunately I am in a part of Goochland County that is serviced by Rappahannock Electric Coop. So the Dominion Power and Columbia Gas don't apply to me.
Qualifications & certifications are nice and all, but if that person doesn't sound "vested" in your problems or issues, then keep looking.
I've found that if you do some minimal/basic self-education on a topic, once you search for a professional & have a conversation with this person - do they give the impression that they're rehashing the simple things you've learned, or do they give the impression that you could learn a lot from them based on the things they say (as the expert on the topic).
The only way you could find this out is if they're willing to communicate with you. The guy who thinks a 15 minute phone conversation is cutting into his potential profits & is short with you is a guy I'd pass on. The important thing is to learn a little bit first so you can actually prove that 15 minute conversation is worth his time.
It's kind of like you're a master auto technician & a customer comes in for a basic oil change - you want that customer in & out as fast as possible. But if you've got a customer who comes in for some wild intermittent issue & can articulate the issue well, if you really like what you do, you'd spend the time to troubleshoot & get to the bottom of the issue.
It's very important to choose the Certified Energy Auditor therefore, you must ask questions related to their certifications and rebate programs you qualify for. Certified Energy Auditors are Endorsed by National Resources Canada.
With an approved service provider, you can choose from a range of projects that contribute to energy efficiency such as:
Boosting the home’s existing attic/roof insulation
Enhancing R-Values in various parts of the home
Air sealing/weatherizing weaknesses in the home
Installing high performance basement insulation
Retrofitting exterior wall insulation/air barriers
Therefore, it's important to talk about all the above and evaluate the pricing for each.
IMPORTANT things here is that in order to be eligible for rebate programs homeowners need to work with an approved Energy Advisor and reliable installation contractor.
The New Home Efficiency Rebate offers rebates up to $5,000, therefore, you should confirm about the same. I got mine done from Barrier Sciences Group with an attractive rebate. You might want to take quotes from them.
You want someone that asks you why you want an audit and what you are hoping to achieve.
Are you going through a program or not. If not some of the program requirements usually aren't necessary and you can get a common sense audit without a full report if you have a specific complaint and save some money.
Too often an auditor gets caught up with his tools and is going around testing and measuring everything in your house when at the end of the day its an insulation and air seal job.