Lexington, KY - If you are a homeowner, chances are that a professional home inspector checked out your residence before you moved in. They probably checked for structural concerns, termites, heating, electric and plumbing issues, among other things. With the growing focus on cutting down carbon footprints and saving energy, however, it is perhaps worth noting that a number of increasingly important elements of a home simply aren't covered in a standard home inspection.
"Home inspections typically don't look at energy efficiency," points out Matt Fiscus, co-owner of Ideal Energy Savers. His Nicholasville-based company is one of a handful that provides energy audits for homes and businesses in the Bluegrass region, and they have performed more than 500 audits since 2008.
During these audits, an energy expert starts by sitting down with the homeowner to ask a few questions. He then travels through the home, closely assessing its construction, appliances, heating and cooling systems, doors, windows and insulation, looking for any potential insufficiencies that are likely costing the homeowner more than they realize. Oftentimes, the contractor will use special equipment such as a blower door (a powerful fan used to determine the home's air tightness) and infrared cameras to pinpoint air leakage. At the end of the audit, the auditor compiles a list of suggested improvements that will make the home perform in a more energy-efficient manner.
"We look at the way the house is performing now, and try to tweak it to where it can do better at the lowest possible cost," said Gregg Long, a local Home Energy Rating Specialist who has performed energy audits on behalf of Columbia Gas and Kentucky Utilities. "I get paid if I find something or not, so there's no reason for me to tell you something you don't need," he added.
For those homeowners who view the upfront cost as one of the biggest obstacles to making their homes more energy efficient, it may come as a surprise that a number of local companies perform these audits for free.
"Many utility companies will give you a free audit, because they really do want to help you reduce your consumption," Fiscus said. "It sounds weird, but they really do have a lot of reasons to do that."
As an example, Long noted that when Columbia Gas instilled a recent rate increase, the public service commission and the attorney general's office stepped in and mandated the company set up a program to educate customers how they can make up for the difference in cost by making their homes more efficient. Both Columbia Gas and Kentucky Utilities offer home energy audits for local homeowners - Columbia Gas offers free audits to single-family homes that use natural gas; KU charges $25 for an on-site inspection, which includes a number of energy-saving products, such as compact fluorescent light bulbs and water restrictors.
Yet another, and perhaps little known, reason these companies are invested in bringing down energy use, Long added, is that Kentucky is currently nearing its capacity with energy used across the state, particularly on extremely hot and cold days.
"Capacity is a big issue for a lot of (the utilities companies)," Fiscus said. "Brownouts and blackouts - those are real, and when that happens it's because of capacity issues."
Fiscus' company, Ideal Energy Savers, also performs free audits, and while they may have a little more invested in finding insufficiencies (the company also has contractors who specialize in making home energy improvements), Fiscus points out that the initial cost of making improvements is typically lower than many homeowners may think, and tends to pay for itself relatively quickly.
"I think one of the biggest misconceptions is 'I'm gonna have to buy all new windows to make my home more energy efficient,'" he said. "That's typically not the case." He added that the average ticket price for suggested improvements is less than $2,000.
"You're reducing some of your energy from day one," he said. "Many people start to see a return on their investment almost immediately."
According to Fiscus, the following three elements are at the forefront of most energy assessments:
Making sure the home's "thermal envelope" is properly sealed. The "envelope" consists of all outer walls, doorways, windows and floors. Sealing any air passages is often the first (not to mention most cost-effective) way to cut down on energy usage.
Duct leakage in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. A study conducted with the University of Kentucky in 2007 revealed that the average HVAC system in Kentucky homes leaks 40 percent. "That means your system is working 40 percent harder to get the air to you," Long said. "If you had that extra 40 percent, the AC would cut off quicker, you'd be more comfortable, and the air would generate and flow better around the house."
Making sure insulation is at a high enough level and that it is installed properly. Fiscus and Long both said they commonly encounter homes that are working overtime to heat the attic, basement and garage, primarily due to not enough insulation, or insulation that was improperly installed.
Older homes (i.e., 40 years or older) tend to have a higher quality of construction, Fiscus said, but the building science to implement energy-saving techniques such as proper insulation wasn't really prevalent until 15 years ago. Around that time, however, so many homes were built in such a short amount of time that ductwork and open air spaces were not sealed very well.
Regardless of when your home was built, chances are that some minor improvements could provide a worthy return. For more information on how to schedule an energy audit at your home, contact Bluegrass Pride, a non-profit organization specializing in environmental education. Bluegrass Pride was recently awarded a grant through the city government to help business owners and homeowners around Lexington learn how to get an audit, and learn what they can do to reduce their energy use.