Energy Audits
Whole Home Performance Check-Up
Available only in Idaho
Our “Energy Efficiency Audit” uses building science to help us diagnose and create a comprehensive plan that will increase your home’s energy efficiency and comfort, all while lowering your utility bills, reducing your carbon footprint, improving the indoor air quality, and extending your home's durability. It is so much more than a clipboard audit that some companies call an “Energy Audit”.
STARTING OUT
Pre-test – We interview you, the homeowner, to discover what specific problem areas we need to address. We will need copies of the last year's worth of utility bills. If you don’t have copies, they are easily available from your utility company. Test day prep instructions will be left with you or emailed to you ahead of time. A Building Performance Institute (BPI) certified building analyst from Synergy Efficiency, LLC is assigned to each “Whole Home Performance Check-Up” and it takes at least 4-6 hours to collect all the data. It is not necessary for you, the homeowner, to be home for the full test period, however, you are always welcome to stay because sometimes questions will arise that only you can answer. It helps to have big pieces of furniture pulled away from exterior walls and to run either the heat or AC for a few hours before we perform our tests. This insures that the true temperature is absorbed into the framing and not just on the surface, which is extremely helpful when using the infrared camera. The infrared camera works best when there is a 10 degree difference between the inside and outside temperature.
Upon arrival on test-day, we will do an outside inspection of the property. We will measure the perimeter to confirm the square footage of the building and we will also measure the roof and all of the walls and windows for our energy modeling software. We will notate and photograph any issues with the exterior area. We will place one of our data loggers in your crawl space, which will record the humidity and temperature variances over a period of time. We will retrieve the logger before we leave and download the information for analysis.Please note – Synergy Efficiency technicians treat every building with the utmost care. Protective drop-cloths are placed on the floor and on all work spaces and we wear covers on our shoes during our testing procedures. We respect your home and property and take great pride in protecting it during the test.
Whole Home Performance Check-Up
Services That Are Included
- Blower Door Test
This test determines where there are air leaks in the building envelope. The Blower Door test involves fitting an adjustable fan inside a flexible nylon frame that's placed into an exterior door frame. The fan pulls the air out of the house, lowering the air pressure inside. The higher outside air pressure will gain access to the interior through unsealed cracks and openings (a process called infiltration), in places like door jams, window and floor moldings, and even recessed lighting fixtures. While the house is depressurized, we tour the house with a smoke puffer to find these holes in the building envelope. We document these sites in both written and picture form so they can be later identified for air sealing upgrades. The blower door fan is attached to a pressure gauge (Manometer), which measure airflow and the relative leakiness of a building. Air Changes per Hour (ACH) is a measurement of how many times the volume of air in a building leaves or enters the building, in one hour. We determine this by the fan pressure measurement and calculate cubic feet per minute (CFM) of airflow through the fan. Leakier houses have higher ACH’s, and therefore higher cooling and heating expenses, and increased problems with comfort, indoor air quality, health, and moisture intrusion. - Thermography or Infrared Scanning
Thermography measures surface temperatures by using infrared video and still cameras. These tools see light that is in the heat spectrum. Images on the video or film record the temperature variations of the building's skin, ranging from white for warm regions to black for cooler areas. The resulting images help our technician/auditor determine whether and where insulation is needed. They also serve as a quality control tool, to ensure that insulation has been installed correctly. This test determines variations in surface temperature, and is very effective in identifying areas needing repair without having to dismantle or uncover walls or other structural elements. While the house is still pressurized and there is a 10 degree temperature difference between the inside and outside, we tour the house with the infrared camera to check for air leaks, missing or poorly installed insulation, thermal bypasses, thermal bridges, and moisture issues. We document problem spots with both thermal imaging and digital cameras. - Attic Inspection
One of the least glamorous but more important parts of the inspection is the attic. Attics can easily reach temperatures exceeding 120 degrees and the inspector does not look his best when he finally comes down the attic ladder. The energy efficiency of the home is primarily determined by the quality and condition of the insulation. The attic is one space in the house were the insulation is exposed and can be inspected. The type, depth or thickness and condition of the insulation are all identified while avoiding estimates at R value. R value is how insulation efficiency is rated and can change if the insulation has been disturbed or compressed by stored items or pests that have found their way into the attic. Blown-in Fiberglass, cellulose insulation and Fiberglass batt insulation are the most common types. Older homes may have only several inches of insulation or none at all. In contrast, newer homes can have 10 to 12 inches in similar spaces. Since the quality of the insulation is a reflection of energy efficiency, many inspection reports recommend the installation of additional insulation in those homes where it is deficient. - Crawl Space Inspection
This is a visual inspection as well as the use of a data logger to determine moisture issues in your crawl space. The collected data will be included in the final report in graph form. This is the key to determining the need for a vapor barrier. We will also check for crawl space insulation and identify any problem areas. - Energy Audit
As you see, our energy audit is just one of eight different tests that we do. This test consists of an inventory of the devices consuming power when not in use (phantom loads). We will provide a section in the final report detailing the kilowatt operational costs of each piece of equipment. - Lighting Inspection
Existing light bulbs and fixtures can be replaced with more energy efficient longer lasting bulbs. The compact fluorescent bulbs on the market today use 75% less electricity and last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. - Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Inspections
Prior to performing any home performance and diagnostic testing we visually examine the condition of the equipment. This inspection includes: condition of electrical, mechanical & fuel connections, maintenance status, filter condition, blower fan – if accessible, condensation drainage, duct connections, and duct configuration with respect to equipment size. Data taken from the serial # plates are included in the report. This provides us with vital information to determine the maintenance needs, system deficiencies, equipment capability, efficiency upgrade recommendations, and age of the equipment. - Exhaust Fan Flow
This test measures the ability of your exhaust fan to remove the air from your home. There are extremely quiet and efficient fans on the market today that can be changed with your old, loud. and energy draining fans. The duct length will be examined to determine if there are moisture issues being cause by too long of an exhaust run.
After Test Day
After completing our thorough audit and home performance tests, we’ll analyze the results to diagnose what issues exist and how to best correct them. You’ll receive a copy of the results in a clear, easy-to-understand report. You will also have a draft of your Home Energy Modeling System (HERS) score from the energy modeling software. A member of our team will review the findings with you and provide all the information you need to make informed decisions on our suggested “treatment plan”. You’ll understand the nature of the issues, as well as the corrective options. The HERS report lists the suggested retrofits and what the savings will be so you can determine what option is most financially beneficial to you.
Synergy Efficiency has teamed up with Idaho Power and Rocky Mountain Power to bring you incentives that will help cover the costs of the suggested improvements. As a energy efficiency contractor we can install all of the suggested retrofits. We follow a strict set of procedures to make sure the measures are installed correctly based on performance standards. Upon completion of the retrofitting work, we perform the diagnostic tests again and compare them to our test-in results so we can document the improvements we have made.
Please take a moment to review the services section of our website. For more information, call (208) 221-5382 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. today.