Are You Ready for Winter?

With cold weather right around the corner, it may be a good time to consider an energy audit of your home. By assessing how much energy your home consumes and taking measures to make your home more energy efficient, savings of up to 30% are possible on utility bills.

An energy audit is an inspection of a property that reveals how energy is consumed and how that consumption can be reduced, eliminated and/or made more efficient A thorough audit will address two factors: building and human. Building factors are those that are inherent to the property itself, such as the presence of energy efficient lighting. Human factors are related to how occupants live and operate within the building, like how frequently lights are turned on.

An audit involves an inspection of all external walls, windows and doors as well as the basement, crawlspace and attic. Particular attention is given to the insulation, air barrier, hot water heater and HVAC systems. These areas typically reveal energy issues within the building factor. 

The audit will also involve a room-by-room inspection coupled with some straight-forward questions that are primarily aimed at revealing energy issues within the human factor. Particular attention will be given to appliances and lighting.

A green audit is similar to an energy audit, but also considers such areas as water, landscaping, materials, waste and indoor air quality.  These areas are all interrelated and the more they are directly considered, the more value in the service you receive.

A thorough audit should take between one to two hours for a typical home and will provide valuable advice on how to lower your energy bills and improve your property’s efficiency, value and sustainability.

Justin Rowell is the owner of Greenmodeling, a business that offers energy audits, green building and remodeling for residential and commercial property. He can be reached at www.GreenmodelingNC.com  or(704) 999-4636.