Energy Audit Technologies
A building energy audit is used to identify the cost effectiveness and ways to improve the comfort and efficiency of buildings. In addition, homes/businesses may qualify for energy efficiency grants and tax rebates from the states and the federal governments.
A Build Green Industries energy audit is a discovery service to determine the energy efficiency of your home or business. The energy evaluation is performed by one of our professional & qualified energy technicians using state of the art equipment. The aim is to diagnose and suggest the best ways to improve the energy efficiency in heating and cooling the building.
An energy audit of a home may involve recording various characteristics of including the walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, and skylights. For each of these components the area and resistance to heat flow (R-value) is measured or estimated. The leakage rate or infiltration of air through the building envelope is of concern, both of which are strongly affected by window construction and quality of door seals such as weather-stripping. The goal of this exercise is to quantify the building’s overall thermal performance. The audit may also assess the efficiency, physical condition, and programming of mechanical systems such as the heating, ventilation, air conditioning equipment, and thermostat.
A home energy audit may include a written report estimating energy use given local climate criteria, thermostat settings, roof overhang, and solar orientation. This could show energy use for a given time period, say a year, and the impact of any suggested improvements per year. The accuracy of energy estimates are greatly improved when the homeowner’s billing history is available showing the quantities of electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, or other energy sources consumed over a one or two-year period.
Some of the greatest effects on energy use are user behavior, climate, and age of the home. An energy audit may therefore include an interview of the homeowners to understand their patterns of use over time. The energy billing history from the local utility company can be calibrated using heating degree day and cooling degree day data obtained from recent, local weather data in combination with the thermal energy model of the building. Advances in computer-based thermal modeling can take into account many variables affecting energy use.
