A Professional Energy Evaluation Will Lead To Savings

Here in Florida, if your home is anything less than airtight, you’re likely losing valuable energy and dollars. Because of our region’s hot temperatures and long cooling season, energy efficiency depends on sealing up your home, and a professional energy evaluation will get you there.

Homeowners can conduct a do-it-yourself energy audit; however, more often than not, leaky areas are hidden behind walls, ceilings and floors. In other words, areas that are difficult to access. Energy-efficiency auditors, on the other hand, have access to tools designed to find air leaks and poorly insulated areas, no matter where they occur. In addition, their expertise in energy efficiency greatly helps them understand how to remedy problem areas.

Most professional energy auditors use two tools to evaluate a home:

• The blower door test – Depressurizing the home using a blower door test helps to highlight air leaks. A large fan housing is installed in an exterior door, and when the fan is turned on, it sucks air out of the house, reducing pressure, which then causes outside air to rush back in through whatever leaks exist in your home. The auditor uses a smoke pencil or thermographic camera to determine where this is happening.
• The infrared (or thermographic) camera – This specialized scan, used both inside and outside the home, will show thermal energy, helping to determine if the insulation in a home is up to par. When insulation is lacking, the camera shows cooler, darker colors.

In addition to the tools used during a professional energy evaluation, the auditor will conduct a visual inspection of your home and its systems. The auditor also will speak with the homeowner to source key information about when and how the home is occupied, the desired comfort settings for home occupants, the number of people living in the home, and how the home is used. With the results of the energy evaluation in hand, the auditor and homeowner can work together to decide upon effective solutions, such as upgrading insulation and sealing air leaks.

NisAir Air Conditioning & Heating is happy to help homeowners in Martin, Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Indian River counties with a professional energy evaluation. Contact us today to schedule an appointment, or visit our website for more information.