Energy Audits for Homes and Businesses
Learn how to increase the efficiency of your home or building and save money. Our energy audit team assesses and presents practical, affordable ways to reduce energy bills and then carries out the improvements.
What Is an Energy Audit?
An energy audit is a comprehensive inspection and analysis of the way energy is being used in a building. Energy audits, also called energy efficiency assessments can be an inexpensive way to find opportunities for real savings and efficiency improvements to a home or business.
It’s a great idea to get an energy audit now as there is a federal tax credit available for performing an audit, and additional tax credits for qualified energy retrofit expenses for home and business owners in Kansas and Missouri. A good energy audit will assess your electricity use and will also examine the building for health and safety concerns like ventilation issues, water leaks/mold, carbon monoxide, and leaking gas. The goal of an energy audit is to identify cost-effective ways of reducing the energy use of a home or commercial building while preserving or improving the health, safety, and comfort of the building’s occupants.
One important consideration in an energy audit or energy retrofit is balancing energy efficiency and air quality. Sealing a building completely would lead to air quality issues for the people inside. The experts at Cromwell Environmental are uniquely qualified to give meaningful advice about energy efficiency and air quality as we have over four decades of experience working in both fields in Kansas and Missouri. Our experience has given us a deep understanding about the balance between energy efficiency and indoor air quality, and we know how to achieve efficiency while actually improving indoor air quality. Cromwell Environmental performs home energy audits throughout Kansas and Missouri in addition to commercial energy audits, both of which are designed to identify building improvements that can be done to increase energy efficiency and comfort.
After an energy audit identifies opportunities for improvement, the next step is an energy retrofit. Cromwell’s energy assessments find not only retrofit work to be done, but more importantly ranks the work by cost-effectiveness. That allows you to choose the energy upgrades that make the most sense for your budget. We will provide a free proposal to perform the work that will deliver the best results for your investment.
Cromwell staff inspecting insulation during a home energy audit.
Components of a Home Energy Audit
An energy audit has two main components: the onsite home energy assessment that gathers data about your building’s energy components, and an analysis of that data using energy modeling software combined with our experienced energy auditor’s notes, photos, and experience.
Before going onsite we will assess your energy bills and basic information about your home. Onsite we will spend a few hours looking at your home (naturally this takes a bit longer for a commercial energy audit) from attic to basement. Here are some of the things an energy audit assesses:
Attic:
Insulation type is noted, measured, and inspected for uninsulated areas such as over can lights or where contractors worked.
Penetrations through the ceiling and roof are inspected for air leakage as well as water leaks which can cause unhealthy mold growths.
Utility Room:
The models, age, and efficiency of heating and cooling systems and water heaters are noted.
HVAC ducts are inspected and tested for leaks.
Gas appliances are tested for dangerous fuel leaks and carbon monoxide.
Vents for combustion appliances and clothes dryers are inspected.
Framing and insulation type are noted.
Electrical panel is inspected and details noted.
Living Spaces:
Electrical appliances are tested with a Watt meter and potential electrical hazards are noted.
A blower door test looks for air leakage between conditioned and unconditioned spaces.
An infrared camera is used to “see” inside walls to identify poorly insulated areas.
Windows and door models, efficiency, and condition are assessed and examined for air or water leaks.
Thermostat type(s) and settings are noted.
Lighting types are recorded and recessed lighting fixtures are inspected.
Vent fans in kitchen and bathrooms are inspected
Tools Used in Energy Audits
Cromwell uses the latest technology to perform energy audits.
Infrared Camera: An infrared camera is used to show the relative temperature of areas, with warmer colors representing warmer temperatures. In an energy audit we use the infrared camera to show areas in your building that are leaking heat, such as areas with poor insulation.
Cromwell staff using a blower door to assess insulation and check for leaks.
Blower Door Tester: A blower door is used to measure the amount of air entering or leaving your home to determine how airtight your home is. In an energy audit the fan blows air out of your house and the air pressure drop is measured — the tighter the building the larger the pressure drop. While the test is being done we look for the points of air infiltration that could be better sealed.
After the onsite portion of the energy audit, we compile the data and notes and input them into computer models that reveal potential energy efficiency gains. Then, the auditor will work to write a comprehensive yet understandable picture of your building’s energy use detailing any health and safety concerns that may need to be addressed. Cromwell makes recommendations for energy retrofit projects in order of expense to you,, and we create a free proposal to complete recommended energy retrofit work by our licensed and bonded construction services team at Cromwell.
Cost of a Home Energy Audit
A comprehensive energy audit done by the certified professionals at Cromwell involves over five hours of professional time, a drive to your property, and many thousands of dollars in specialized equipment. The cost of an energy audit depends on the size of the property, number of HVAC units, and distance from our offices. In general, an audit starts at about $500 after the $150 tax credit for a home in the Topeka, Lawrence, and greater Kansas City areas, with potential increases as we move further from our office.
Beware of bargain energy audits as you might not get a report that means much, and you might not qualify for the federal tax credit if the report you get or the auditor you use don’t conform to the government requirements. Additionally, unscrupulous scammers are posing as energy auditors and not delivering after being paid. You can trust the professionals at Cromwell Environmental to provide a quality energy audit report with meaningful recommendations for energy retrofit projects designed to increase your comfort and lower your energy bills.
Please contact us for information about energy audits and efficiency upgrades for your home or business. Call us at 785-749-6020, or contact us here.