Energy Audit Process

Energy auditor arrives with diagnostic equipment.
Client shares information about the building to assist with the energy audit.
A blower door test measures air leaks in the home and helps prioritize the areas for work.
Auditor points out potential trouble spots in the basement.
Auditor explains how air moves through the building, from the basement to the attic.
Auditor tests the heating system for safe, efficient operation.

Here's a step-by-step description of the process we follow in conducting energy audits. Just a reminder—the energy audit is most effective when the homeowner is present, so please plan to be available for the entire process.

All occupants should be prepared in advance for an energy audit. The uninformed may be taken aback or find an audit invasive. It’s our job to be looking under sinks and in the back corners of the basement or closets—typically that is where the builders left unsealed holes that leak to the outside. If the access to the attic is in a closet ceiling, it may be convenient for the household to clear an access for our telescoping ladder before we arrive.

Step 1: We Start with a Look Around the Outside

We want to see the lay of the land, both to get the orientation of the building to the elements of rain, sun and snow, and to know where we are when we get inside. We’re looking at where vents like bath fans, kitchen hoods and the dryer penetrate the building’s exterior shell. What is the condition of the siding, roofing, chimney, and windows? All of these can give us important clues about indoor air quality and building durability—the auditor's highest priorities when considering energy saving renovations.

Step 2: The Inside Interview

Inside we get a quick tour of the building and have a brief interview seeking the occupant’s experience of living in the building; the comfort, cost, maintenance challenges, and retrofits are all important.

Step 3: Blower Door Test

We then set up a blower door in an exterior door and conduct a building depressurization test. The blower door is a calibrated fan that provides quantifiable data about the building shell and various areas of the structure, such as the basement, garage, walls, sloped ceilings and attics. The blower door will find leaks. We encourage homeowners to participate in the depressurization inspection—the most common comment during a blower test is “Wow.” In seasons where infrared imaging is viable, leakage through the shell of the building can be seen in black and white.

Results of the blower door guide the rest of the audit, so the rest of the energy audit may include any or all of the following steps.

Step 4: From the Bottom…

In most Vermont houses, the major savings will be found at the top and bottom of the building. Typically this requires a careful investigation of the basement and the attic, or knee walls when present. The blower door may highlight issues between an attached garage and the living quarters. In the basement, we want to understand the leakage around the box sill (a.k.a. band joist, rim joist) where the floor system is sitting on the foundation wall. Where the foundation is laid stone or block, we’ll need to seal any leakage from cracks or holes. If signs of moisture exist, we’ll need to understand how this could influence any retrofits.

It is surprisingly common to find un-insulated walls in Vermont, and very common to find poorly insulated walls. The sad reality is that fiberglass insulation is extremely difficult and time-consuming to install in a manner that allows it to do the job intended by the purchaser. Too often the question is not whether fiberglass is underperforming, but how badly, and what can we do about it? The auditor can probe cavities around outlets and switches for clues that help answer these questions.

A note here: EnergySmart does only non-destructive investigations. On rare occasions we may ask to drill a small hole in the side of a closet to assess some situation. But in cases where enclosed cavities lack access – such as knee walls—we will not cut our way in to investigate during an audit. Should we identify problems in these areas the scope of work will include creating access and sealing the access energy tight as part of the renovation.

Step 5: …To the Top

The attic of most Vermont residential buildings is where the heat leaves. After all, warm air is buoyant in the presence of cool air and seeks to rise. Obvious holes into the attic may include the seams around pull-down stairs. Less obvious are the holes cut when the utilities went into the building: electrical, sensors, plumbing and chimney are but a few. Seams between sheetrock and the top plates of walls, both interior and exterior, appear innocuous, but in fact contribute significantly to building leakage. The auditor will be looking under any existing insulation to identify and quantify the nature and extent of leakage into the attic, and review the amount of existing insulation, and its performance R-value.

Step 6: Other Parts of the Audit

An EnergySmart audit includes testing and analysis of the building's heating system in compliance with the protocols of the Home Performance with Energy Star program. Where applicable, a combustion efficiency test will be conducted (how much of the fuel you buy ends up as heat in the building verses escaping up the chimney) along with analysis of exhaust gases for hazardous levels of poisonous carbon monoxide. An EnergySmart audit includes a review of electrical consumption and replacement of inefficient lighting with compact fluorescent light bulbs. As part of our agency agreement with Efficiency Vermont we can provide CFL’s in any fixture that has an average “on” time of one hour per day.

Step 7: Written Report

The written output that is sent following the audit is a punch-list of renovation recommendations with costs for construction and supporting analysis of savings and return on investment. In order to provide an economical residential audit, we do not generate detailed narrative about your building; “just the facts, ma’am.” During the audit, there is time to explain what our professional auditors are finding and respond to homeowner’s questions. If you need or want an engineering report on your building, those services should be purchased elsewhere.