Is an energy audit right for you?

Graphic from www.energystar.gov
AIR FLOW — This graphic shows the many ways that air (and heat) can escape from a home.
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — Mention the word audit to someone, and chances are you will get a mixed reaction of fear, loathing and maybe even outright worry.
    After all, an audit typically involves an accountant or the IRS going over your financial statements looking for discrepancies. An energy audit, on the other hand, is a new tool that any homeowner should embrace if they are looking for ways to cut heating costs for the upcoming season.
    “A lot of people are afraid of an energy audit, because I think the word ‘audit’ scares them,” said Lany Sherman, project manager for Buildings Etcetera in Houlton. “What an energy audit does is show you where the deficiencies are in your home, so that you know the most cost effective way to put money into your home. Without an audit, you may throw money into new windows or insulation, but you may not be fixing what the real problem is.”
    The audit is a detailed report which shows how air tight, or loose, a house may be after a detailed examination of the home.
    “It’s a way to find gaps and cracks and air leakage that the homeowner may not know exist,” Sherman said.
    The first step in the audit process is to have a visual inspection of the home. During this exam, a “blower door” is placed in one of the main entryways of a home to suck air out of the dwelling. While this air is being pulled out, energy auditors go through the home searching for air leaks and heat loss with a thermal imaging camera.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
THERMAL — Lany Sherman of Buildings Etcetera of Houlton shows how a thermal imaging camera can be used to check a wall for gaps or low insulation.
    “We pull all the air out of the house, essentially creating a ‘negative pressure’ and when you do that the air tries to be replaced through gaps and cracks,” Sherman said. “While the blower door is running you can go around and put your hand around a window or outlet or anywhere you think air might come in. If you can feel it, it’s a leak that needs to be fixed.”
    A thermal imaging camera is also used to measure the surface temperature of a wall, which can serve as an indicator to whether the wall has sufficient insulation.
    “The whole audit process is a diagnostic tool,” Sherman said. “It gives you a checklist of areas that need to be addressed and then it’s up to the homeowner as to which items they would like to fix first.”
    The average energy audit takes a couple of hours and costs about $400. However, if a certified energy auditor performs the task and the homeowner then contracts with that provider to perform air-sealing repairs, financial assistance is available for local residents through the Efficiency Maine program.
    Plugging all of the gaps and leaks in a home is not advisable, Sherman said, as it can lead to other problems.
    “There is a lot of building science involved with the whole process,” he said. “People are becoming more energy conscious, especially with rising heating prices. This audit is one way for people to find out exactly what needs to be done to help them save money.”
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
DOOR BLOWER — A home energy audit is performed by using a door blower like this to pull air out of a home, which reveals where gaps and leaks are in the dwelling.
    Established in 2002, Efficiency Maine is an independent trust dedicated to promoting the efficient and cost effective use of energy to save money for Maine residents. For more information about energy audits, call Sherman at 532-9020. For more details about Efficiency Maine, visit www.efficiency maine.com.翿