This is a great post by Michael Calderwood of Wicked Cool Energy, one of the sharpest energy auditors and a personal friend here in Arizona.  Everyone should be aware of people you let in your home who are not certified to the things they recommend.  They may talk a good game but it hurts you more often than not, both in the quality of work and your pocketbook to use these people.  The APS energy audit program and SRP energy audit program are good for all parties because the utility companies weed out the bad players and protect the consumer from frauds.  Enjoy!

#1First & foremost - Make sure your energy auditor/inspector is a participant of a local energy efficiency program sponsored and organized by your utility company (APS & SRP in Arizona). This participation should also make you eligible for financial incentives and rebates after meeting energy efficiency criteria.#2Taking care of business - Be sure that the energy auditor/inspector of choice has the minimum insurance, bonds, licenses and credentials. The minimum requirements for participating in most local programs are:

• BPI-Certified Building Analyst Professional.
• General liability and professional errors & omissions insurance.
• Registrar Of Contractors License (ROC#) along with required bonding and insurance coverage.
  

We don't recommend hiring someone with the minimum basics. Also look for:

• BPI-Certified Building Envelope Professional
• RESNET Certified HERS Rater
• BPI Certified AC/Heat Professional
• LEED Certified
• Members of national and local organizations like - Efficiency First, Energy Star and similar.
  
• BBB Members

#3Proper approach - Make sure the company you are considering takes a whole house approach. They should perform a comprehensive energy audit and also have the resources and capability to perform a full spectrum of appropriate efficiency retrofits. The energy auditor/inspector may cover all aspects from audit/inspection to retrofit, or work closely with certified and authorized partners to handle everything.

We emphasize this point because there are  product specific contractors in existence who may use the efficiency audit and audit program platforms to sell their specific products and services regardless of a real or appropriate need.

Examples: 

• If the auditors are primarily a insulation company they may have a strong incentive to sell you insulation, whether insulation is needed or not.
  
• The point above could also apply if the auditors are primarily an A/C company or a door and window company...or other product specific companies. You get the idea.

The bottom line is if you call a company that doesn't specialize and perform a whole house approach to energy auditing and repairs then you may likely be calling out a sales person for a specific product. Ask about the whole house approach to energy efficiency when you call for an energy audit/inspection.
#4The right tools for the job - The energy auditor should have the right tools for the job. The big question is, "Do they include infrared photos and scanning in the program rate?" If they are charging extra that's a big "NO HIRE" from where we stand. Infrared should be included. Chances are, if they include infrared, they most like have the other tools necessary. However, here is a list of other "must have" equipment items:

• Blower door kit and manometer
• CO Detection equipment
• Moisture detection equipment
• Anemometer
  
• Thermometer
• Infrared Camera.

#5No shortcuts - There are certain tasks that are required to be completed for proper energy audit performance and certification. Here they are:

Exterior Inspection:

• Landscape grade
• Moisture or potential moisture issues
• Gas leak detection when applicable
• Wear & Tear
• Window & door condition
• Shading
• HVAC

Interior:

• Attic inspection for insulation, HVAC, moisture issues, Ventilation and more
• Blower Door Test - Depressurizing house to identify leakage areas. 
• Duct leakage test - Either subtraction method or pressure pan method
• Room pressurization testing
• CO and gas safety testing on all gas appliances
• Doors windows
• Hot water heater
• Appliances
• Lighting
• Thermostat

#6Your eyes don't lie - Many energy auditors/inspectors and consultants are analytical people with backgrounds in engineering, professional home repair or similar. Therefore, most of them carry themselves as business professionals. Khaki pants, nice jeans, golf shirt or button up, clean shaven, clean equipment and vehicles should be the norm. If someone pulls up to your home and your gut tells you "no" based on an unprofessional appearance, then just say no to that person entering your home. 
#7Ask the hard questions - Look, it's your house and your money, you are hiring a professional to be a professional. Let them do what they do. That is why you asked them out. But before hiring, here are some questions you should be able to get solid answers to. 

• Who is coming out? Get the name and qualifications of everyone who will be in your home.
  
• How many energy audits/inspections have you performed? Many auditors are independent, self employed professionals trying to make a living, so when you call you often talk to the same person that's going to do the audit/inspection. This fact does not speak into experience or qualifications, so don't forget to ask about those too.
  
• Ask for references.
• Ask for proof of insurance and proof of credentials.
• Ask for a sample energy audit/inspection report.

#8Slow down we just met - Signing documents... You may be required to sign a utility company rebate form and/or a general agreement prior to the inspection. However, some companies may try to get you to sign a contract that states youmust use their company after the audit if you decide to get any repairs done. Be sure that you are signing for audit only and that you are free to use who you want for the repairs - This enables you to get competitive bids, negotiate and make intelligent and qualified decisions. #9You paid for it, it's yours - Be sure you own the final report, data and images. The final report is part of what you are paying for. If you decide not to use the auditor's services for the retrofit, then you can supply a copy of reports, data and images to another contractor and skip getting/paying for a second inspection.

While no two houses are the same, Phoenix’s housing stock does have similar construction traits and installation practices that are often the cause of high energy bills, temperature differences within rooms and poor indoor air quality.  In this blog series I would like to highlight some of the most common construction defects I find and what you can do to really transform your home for a better quality of life through lower utility bills, better air quality and even better sound-proofing.

Before we explore the wonderful world of your attic and we need to get into the mind-frame of looking at your house as one system made up of interdependent parts.  So your air conditioning and heating system is no longer a separate system that only affects your comfort and how warm you stay in the winter but it can also affect your health and safety.  That way builders typically build houses was that the framer would erect the frame of the house, then the HVAC, plumbing and electrical trades would come in and do their separate trades  etc – and none of these groups would really talk with each other… and that’s were we get these inefficiencies from.  Sometimes inefficiencies are from just laziness where an insulation contractor just laid fiberglass batt insulation on top of the attic studs because the drywall crew did not want to hit any staples when laying their drywall… opps.  There are a number of reasons why homeowners are paying too much for their utility bills or experience different temperatures in their homes and that’s what energy auditors do, identify those deficiencies and make recommendations on how they can be fixed.

This series is going to be broken up into chewable sections and peppered with energy saving tips and self-checks.  Each recommendation will detail the good and bad affects it can have on your home using the house-as-a-system approach and what you need to be aware of before deciding to work on your home.  We will go into detail about duct leakage and sealing, insulation performance, your home’s heat gain, how a 2-story home differs from a single story home, water heating and many more topics so stay tuned.

Being a Phoenix energy auditor is not all about crawling around insulation, measuring duct leakage and sizing solar electric systems for homes.  We are all about reducing your utility bills but there are many other benefits to an energy efficient home such as a more comfortable home, a home with less dust and a quieter heating and cooling system.  We recommend both conservation and efficiency upgrades to reduce your APS or SRP electric bills.  Conservation recommendations are if it is cold in your home, rather than turning on the heater, you put on a sweater.  Efficiency upgrades have to do with upgrading your insulation, ductwork sealing and window treatments so your home is more comfortable and you don’t have to change a thing. 

Here is a recommendation we don’t always talk about but many homeowners may find useful and that is what you can do with open, unwanted gifts or extra stuff lying around your home.  Lots of us have old books and other knacks we never use and you may not want to go through the effort of a garage sale.  With the web there are many places where you can sell your old stuff rather than the trash.  www.amazon.com is a great place to get rid of old books as is www.ebay.com.  If you aren’t getting any takers on those websites, try www.swap.com.  For your old gadgets try www.gazelle.com  and for your cell phones www.recellular.com or try your local women’s shelter.  Have old Apple iPod or a used iPhone?  www.tunecycle.com is a great place to sell old iPhones and Apple products. 

We hope you have a great holiday season and if you enjoyed this blog, please leave a comment or like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/aGreenID.  

In Phoenix, our heating and cooling bills can account for half of our total utility bill. Learning how to choose and set your thermostat properly can save you hundreds of dollars a year on your utility bills.  The new Nest thermostat developed by ex-Apple employees learns on its own and can be controlled from a Smartphone.  We recently retrofitted a home that had two Nest thermostats and my crew thought it was the coolest thing they had ever seen.  It is very fun to play with and it saves you money too!  

While the rest of the market catches up with Nest, here are some great videos guide to help you choose a programmable thermostat that's right for your lifestyle and schedule.  There are also helpful tips on how to set the thermostat during the day and night.  The second video is from SRP and shows how to install a programmable thermostat.  An SRP energy auditor will also be able to tell you if your thermostat settings are best suited for your home.  APS also gives some helpful advice at the link below.
http://www.aps.com/main/services/business/waystosave/buswaystosave_64.html

Enjoy! 

A high efficiency heating and cooling system does not end with the unit itself.  This is especially true in Phoenix, where most of the ductwork is located in attic space where temperatures can reach 140+ in the summer.  A high SEER AC unit is definitely an improvement when replacing older units, but that air needs to be carried through the ductwork distribution system to keep you comfortable in the winter and summer. 

If the air conditioning contractors cut corners on the ductwork, then the entire efficiency of a new unit is greatly reduced.  In Phoenix, homes built after 1980 used flex ductwork as the preferred means of air distribution.  Flex ductwork is good because it is easy to install, required little preparation and can be done by less skilled workers.  On the down side, unless an air conditioning contractor does a proper load and duct design calculation using Manual J and D, a number of problems can arise because of cutting corners.  Problems such as poor airflow, high room pressures, excessive dust and conditioned and heated air being lost to the outside are all too common in existing homes.  Many times if an air conditioning contractor has done work or replaced an AC unit in the past, they really will mess a system up.  I think one of the reasons good home inspectors and energy auditors are so skeptical of HVAC contractors in Phoenix is because we see the outrageous work done and what it is costing the homeowner.  

Duct leakage can mean your heating and cooling system is sucking outside attic air into the unit and heating it in the winter or cooling it during the summer and blowing air into the attic on the supply side.  Both are costly and will decrease the life of the unit.  APS estimates that an average 15% of a home’s existing air is wasted to the outside.  SRP shows similar statistics and both utility companies sponsor home energy audits to check for leakage and offer rebates for sealing the ductwork.  For more information on duct leakage visit:

http://www.aps.com/_files/services/ResFAQ/ductleakage.pdf

http://www.aps.com/main/green/choice/choice_75.html

http://www.bestofbuildingscience.com/videos.html

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_improvement.hm_improvement_ducts

http://www.greenintegrateddesign.com/air--duct-sealing.html

1.       You won’t learn any new building science skills.  HERS classes very quickly cover building science concepts and gloss over health and safety and house-as-a-system concepts.  The companies that do HERS training aren’t aligned with the Building Performance Institute to get BPI Continuing Education Credits.  The main purpose of a HERS course is to pass the HERS exam which is more about the SYSTEM in-place for data collection, REMRATE parameters and qualifying entries.  There are questions on the exam regarding heat transfer and building science but a week long class is even more crammed than a BPI class since the instructor has all the building science topics to cover plus new material on HERS.

2.       The costs of travel, lodging, courses, exams, probationary ratings and even finding your own test houses can add up quickly and are all separate costs!  HERS Indexes require a duct blaster test be performed on the home, which is another piece of equipment which needs to be purchased.  Some HERS training classes include 3 probationary ratings during the week long class, but most do not.  There you also have a separate REMRATE software license fee plus the Affiliate fee for third party verification of your work for Energy Star.

3.       The HERS Rating market is focused primarily on new construction, then in the mortgage industry.  There is a great opportunity for energy efficient mortgages (EEMs) but the biggest hurdle is education of realtors and loan officers.  Networking is a great way to meet those professionals but it takes time and persistence to crack that market.  Homes being built to Energy Star standards do require a HERS Index be done but this is a totally different animal than performing energy audits and retrofits on existing homes.  Usually it’s done business-to-business so you don’t have the homeowner aspect anymore which takes out the client interaction during the audit completely. 

Here are the reasons why you should become a HERS Rater. 

1.       Energy Efficiency Mortgages or EEMs is a relatively untapped market.

2.       REMRATE and REMDESIGN are great software tools to know and deepen your understanding of cost effective upgrades.

3.       Code requirements for homes are becoming stricter with minimal duct leakage and better ventilation standards.  RESENET has well positioned itself in the new homes industry and IECC code is headed towards duct tests and/or HERS Indexes be performed on all new homes.  I don’t think this will happen for another 10 – 15 years but by getting your HERS Certification you are ahead of the game.

Just like anything if you are focused on making a successful career as a HERS Rater it takes energy, time and hard work but it can be done and the rewards are huge.  We wish you luck in any endeavor you take and happy 2012!

We have written several articles on what radiant barrier is, does radiant barrier work and why there are radiant barrier scams out there and in this article we will answer the question is there an alternative to radiant barrier?  

The short answer is, YES!  We first strongly suggest that you get an APS energy audit or SRP energy audit to identify and prioritize the best cost-saving upgrades for your home. The APS energy audit is great because energy auditors cannot make the same recommendations for each house (like a radiant barrier company does) and their recommendations are based on their findings of your home’s audit.  Yes, Phoenix does get very hot in the summer, and yes, if you stand under a box with a 100 degree light shining down on your you are going to feel hotter without a radiant barrier than with one and those make for very convincing arguments for radiant barriers but on this occasion don’t let yourself rule out common sense and the FACTS about heat gain into your home.

So what are the alternatives to radiant barrier?  That all depends on the price, assuming you have a quote in your hand for radiant barrier find your estimated cost savings by using our radiant barrier calculator.

Let’s say your radiant barrier costs around $2,500 by itself and from our calculator your savings is going to be $75 a year (do not be fooled into thinking the radiant barrier is going to save more than $200 a year if you live in a home less than 5,000 sq ft).  So if you really are against getting a home energy audit or have a tight home and duct work system, I would recommend a solar hot water heater.  Unlike radiant barriers, there are great APS and SRP rebates available plus state and federal tax incentives that make the cost of a solar water heater equal to a $2,500 radiant barrier!  With a solar hot water heater, your annual savings are in the hundreds of dollars since water heating is usually the second biggest energy user after the heat pump.  Radiant barriers can gather dust after a couple years in the attic, rendering them totally ineffective.  Solar water heaters have 10 year manufacturer warranties plus if your water heater is old, it is replaced with a brand new one.  In Phoenix, solar water heaters can supply hot water during most of the year, even during the winter.  Phoenix solar hot water systems can be very cost-effective with quicker paybacks and ROI than radiant barrier and it is our favorite alternative to radiant barriers.

Green ID offers several types of solar water heaters depending on your existing system and needs.  We offer a free solar hot water assessment of your home to help identify which system is right for your home.  Feel free to give us a call to schedule your free, no obligation assessment today at (602) 684-0462 and we look forward to speaking with you soon.

We have been getting lots of questions regarding radiant barrier products.  Radiant barriers seem to make sense to reduce attic temperatures in the summer. You may have seen the home show demonstrations where one side of a mock attic has a high pressure sodium lamp heating one attic with radiant barrier, and one attic without radiant barrier.  These are very convincing demonstrations that you can actually feel or see the temperature differences.  So does a foil radiant barrier product work?

Let me give you a background of where we are coming from as a US EPA Home Performance with Energy Star energy auditor and contractor.  We use a science based approach to reduce your energy bills and make your home more comfortable.  That means our recommendations are based on a comprehensive energy audit using a blower door, thermal camera, energy modeling and heat transfer principals… not on a PowerPoint Presentation someone developed who probably is not an energy auditor.  We have performed hundreds of APS energy audits and SRP energy audits so we have some experience under our belt and seen the benefits and a home that performs well, and the broken promises that are not only costly but bring down companies that do quality work.  So let’s get back to your question.

Here are the facts -

1.       In Phoenix, with 360 days of sun a year, in a house with minimal insulation your home is only getting a maximum of 20% heat gain from the attic.  We have written about the importance of your insulation being installed correctly in a previous post.  The majority of your heat gain is through the windows.


2.       Using the most outrageous radiant barrier savings claims of a 30% cost savings on your heating and cooling bill (sometimes even the sales rep gets confused and says it’s 30% of your total bills), let’s do the math.  I’ve provided a radiant barrier savings calculator you can use to get accurate estimates on your savings below, just enter in your highest summer electric bill.  Let’s say that’s $300 and 50% of that is from cooling.  So that means you are spending $150 on cooling for, let’s be generous and say May, June, July, August, September (5 months).  $150 x 5 months = $750 on cooling (overestimated).  Then we’ll find how much of your cooling bills is from the attic (20% from #1 above) by taking $750 x 20% = $150.  Now take 30% of $150 = $45.  That’s your annual savings from radiant barrier, $45! 

3.       If you are spending $2,000 on a radiant barrier to save only $45 a year, there are much better ways to save money on your bills!  One would be to install a solar hot water or even solar electric system for a much quicker payment and ROI.  That is why we will never recommend a radiant barrier product without tacking the big items found in a home energy audit first.

We hope that helps and feel free to leave comments below or like us on Facebook for a free Energy Savings Guidebook to learn how you can start saving today.

I know the summer is over in Phoenix and we can now enjoy the beautiful days on the golf course but we do use our furnaces or heat pumps to heat our homes and although not as extreme as the summer, the same HVAC tips I would like to share still can be applied to help reduce your electric and gas bills.

The Phoenix energy audit industry is very much married to the Phoenix HVAC industry because our energy bills are dominated by the costs associated with cooling our homes so I am always conveying important air conditioning tips during my energy audits to help cut those utility bills.  In Phoenix there are two key air conditioning systems that are critical to ensure your system is operating as efficiently as possible and they are refrigerant charge and airflow.

 In Phoenix, air conditioning accounts for 40% - 60% of your electric bill in the summer so it is essential to change your filters regularly.  By changing the air filter you are not only breathing cleaner air but your house gets less dusty and it helps properly circulate the airflow throughout your house.  Good airflow is critical to ensure your HVAC system is operating at its highest rated efficiency.  If not, the HVAC unit ends up working a lot harder than it has to and shortens the lifespan of the air conditioning unit and parts.

Your refrigerant is critical to your air conditioning efficiency because it is the fluid that is responsible for actually providing warm air in the winter and cold air in the summer.  Each air conditioning system has a specified amount of refrigerant it is supposed to have to work at its peak.  Too much refrigerant and your HVAC system becomes overcharged and causes the compressor to work harder and possibly overheat.   Be careful you have a trusted HVAC contractor who is NATE Certified because many air conditioning contractors will purposely add too much refrigerant into your system thinking it will help. 

A refrigerant leak is equally as bad and is usually identified because the home will never reach the set thermostat temperature and your HVAC unit will keep running constantly without cooling or heating.  It is not enough to simply add more refrigerant, homeowners should ask their HVAC contractor where the leak is occurring and have them repair the line. 

During my APS energy audits and SRP energy audits I occasionally run across a home that has high utility bills but as I am going through my inspection of the air leakage, duct leakage, insulation, room pressures, HVAC system and ductwork there is not a huge problem identified.  In one SRP home in Gilbert, I fell back on the homes motors, pumps and appliances and started exploring other options to pinpoint the cause.  During this home’s SRP energy audit the homeowner informed me that she was running the dryer three to four times just to dry a load of laundry.  It can be frustrating when it takes longer to dry your clothes than it does to wash them, especially if you have a couple loads of laundry to do.  I know what that’s like, having bought a 1995 home in Phoenix with all original appliances.  I hated having to run my dryer 3 or 4 times just to get my clothes dry!  If you are in the same situation or you may even have a new washer and dryer set – before you go out to buy a brand new dryer here is a quick tip I found can save you literally hundreds a year on drying costs. 

Your dryer is actually the second biggest energy using appliance after the refrigerator.  Plus if you are having to run the dryer twice or more to get your clothes dry then it is using even more energy.  The washer actually doesn't use that much energy, the costs for the washer come in when it needs to use hot water (try buying cold water detergent and seeing how your clothes come out).  Your dryer vents can be anywhere from a couple inches to 20 feet of ducting to get to the outside.  All that ducting collects lint inside and could clog the vent and decrease the efficiency of the dryer.  By cleaning dryer vents at least once a year you will increase the efficiency of the dryer and help prevent the risk of fire.  A good way to clean the dry vent is to use a shop vac or leaf blower and suck all the lint outside.  You want to be sure to snake the whole system to prevent a buildup.

In this case the SRP energy audit recommendations was mostly around the home’s pool pump run time, recirculation pump, 4 combined refrigerators and freezers and the clogged dryer rather than construction defect upgrades.  This homeowner was still able to take advantage of the SRP rebates available for the variable speed pool pump and the refrigeration recycling program as well as the duct sealing rebates.