The $99 in-home energy audit (Arizona Home Performance with Energy Star), funded by APS is well underway in the valley. This guide will shed some light on aspects of the program that homeowners should be aware of if they are even thinking about having an APS energy audit done on their. Rebates: Rebates include 75% off the cost of air sealing, duct sealing, insulation and shade screens up to $250. An important issue to be aware of is that the duct sealing rebate is per unit, so you can receive the sealing rebate multiple times if you have more than one furnace or AC unit. Air sealing on the other hand, is only a one-time rebate regardless of the size of the home. The rebates are submitted after the post test is complete and take about 6 weeks to come back to you in the mail. Quality Assurance: The APS energy audit is a very well-put-together program. APS has built-in a quality assurance for all homeowners participating in the program. That quality assurance comes in several forms. To qualify for the rebates an APS Home Performance with Energy Star Certified Contractor must perform the work. This ensures that the contractor has been trained and certified in building performance and uses the house-as-a-system approach. Quality assurance also comes in the form of a free post-audit test after air sealing or duct sealing is performed. The APS post audit will verify that the work was performed to APS Home Performance with Energy Star standards and that real results were achieved i.e. post air leakage numbers are lower than initial results. There is also a post-post audit performed on a random selection of houses by the agency that oversees the APS Home Performance program itself, the Foundation for Senior Living. These energy efficiency experts will perform a modified APS energy audit on your home again to verify the contractors’ results. Whew! And then if you have a refrigerator in the garage there may be another post-post-post audit done on your home… just kidding on that one. The Program Itself: The Arizona Home Performance with Energy Star program has a prescribed set of test that the energy auditor will perform. A blower door will be set up to measure air leakage and duct leakage. An attic inspection is done to check your insulation levels and see how it was installed. Building measurements, HVAC information and water heater specifications are taken and entered into the building model done for each home. Your home is also tested for combustion safety and check for potential back-drafting of gas appliances. Those test listed above are required by the program. What is not required but may be performed depending on your reasons for the audit and on the energy auditor you use is a utility bills analysis, renewable energy consultation (from a third party), an in-home discussion, a customized report, or additional energy modeling. Some homeowners are looking for reasons why their utility bills have increased and a utility bill analysis is essential. Other clients find valuable a general discussion on how to reduce their bills immediately after the audit is complete. A customized report may also be created for the homeowner and can vary on levels of quality. Add Comment SRP Energy Audits 07/02/2010
A lot of attention has been focused the $99 APS energy audits lately and I keep getting asked, “well is SRP going to come out with a similar program?” Yes, in fact the Salt River Project utility provider is expected to have a similar program in the fall; however, SRP currently has a wealth of energy efficiency DIY tips and guidance at their website and a current efficiency rebate program! One of the DIY tips I like best are the step-by-step instructions on shade screens assembly and programmable thermostat installation.   SRP currently has rebates for $3 / ft2 or shade screens. In a previous blog I posted an outline of SRP’s current rebate programs but what I forgot to add to that table, is the all important energy audit! SRP recently subsidized a complete energy audit for around $200 - $300 homeowner costs and is expected to lower those costs come 2011. A fellow efficiency blogger put together a very nice table and description of the Cash for Caulkers aka Home Star, bill which was recently passed in the house last month. I wanted to go a step further for all the desert rats still here in the summer and compare our local utility incentives from APS and SRP to Home Star aka Cash for Caulkers. As of this posting, SRP has not released their version of Home Performance with Energy Star but it is expected to come out by August 2010. As you can see from the table, Home Star will have very significant rebates available sometimes 4 times the amount of our current utility rebates. Home Star is part of the stimulus package that aims to create new jobs in the renewable and energy efficiency sectors. The bill provisions $6 billion for energy-efficient or “green” retrofits. It is expected to fund renovations for 3 million families, create 168,000 new jobs and save consumers $9.2 billion on energy bills over the next 10 years. Enjoy! * (http://www.softwareadvice.com/articles/construction/cash-for-caulkers-the-definitive-guide-to-the-home-star-bill-1061110/#ixzz0r4GYp0u6). The author has made reasonable efforts to provide current and accurate information to his readers. The author will not be held liable for any unintentional errors or omissions that may be found. |
