Energy Audit, Missoula, MT
October 26, 2009 by green
Filed under About Energetechs
Energetechs has been performing Energy Audits in the Missoula, MT area for 21 years!
What is an energy audit?
An energy audit is a type of home inspection that focuses primarily on the energy that a building uses for heating and cooling. The main areas of interest to the Energy Auditor are the insulation, the windows, the mechanical system, and the air tightness of the structure.
How can you test the insulation?
The best way to test the insulation in an existing home is with an Infrared Camera. It’s like an x-ray for your home and allows us to see what’s happening behind the drywall. We can see where insulation is missing or inadequate and we can very clearly see where air is leaking into and out of the building.
A Thermal Image taken with an Infrared Camera during an Energy Audit
The Thermal Image above was taken with an Infrared Camera during an Energy Audit and clearly shows where insulation is missing and air is leaking at the top of the wall behind the drywall. Without the infrared camer it is impossible to see what’s really going on in the hidden parts of your home.
Why is air-tightness important?
Air tightness is critical for an energy efficient structure and goes hand-in-hand with good insulation. You can’t achieve good energy performance without both of these working together. Insulation without good air sealing is like being out on a cold windy day in a thick blanket that has a bunch of holes in it. It’s not going to keep you warm. Similarly, air-tightness without insulation is like being out on a cold windy day wrapped only in a garbage bag. It’s not going to keep you warm either. Everyone knows that you need good insulation in a home but air-leakage is the hidden thief that can rob a home of a great deal of heat. The way to find him is with an Energy Audit.
How does an Energy Audit measure air tightness?
We use a special piece of equipment called a Blower Door to test how much air is moving through the shell (or envelope) of the building. During a Blower Door Test we measure the amount of air that we have to blow out of the building to reach a negative pressure of -50Pa. While the blower door is running we go around the home with the Infrared Camera and we can easily spot all of the places where air is leaking into the building. These can then be sealed up to help improve the overall Energy Performance.
Performing a Blower Door Test during an Energy Audit
The picture above shows one of our Energy Auditors performing a Blower Door Test on a home. The red tent seals the doorway while the fan blows air out of the house and calibrated gauges measure the pressure and amount of air flow. This tells us exactly how much air-leakage there is through the building structure.
What are the benefits of an Energy Audit in Missoula, MT?
Missoula and the surrounding area have a cold climate. Without good insulation, windows, air sealing, and efficient mechanical equipment it can be very expensive to heat a home in this area. In new homes it is possible to get very good levels of insulation and air-tightness if the builder is paying attention to detail during construction. But in existing homes it can be hard to tell where heat is being lost and the only effective way to find out is with a professional energy audit.
Why use Energetechs?
We have been around for 21 years and our team has a combined total of over 100 years experience in design, construction, heating, cooling, ventilation, and energy conservation. All of our staff have spent significant time in the construction industry which gives us a major advantage during an Energy Audit. Because we understand very clearly how buildings are put together we can tell you WHY you might have a problem and HOW to fix it. Which is a lot better than just telling you that you have a problem. All of our staff have put considerable time and effort into studying Building Science so we also understand in great depth how heat and moisture move in and through buildings. We can help you to solve and hopefully avoid many of the problems that arise in so many homes. We are committed to helping our customers achieve healthier, more affordable, and more energy efficient buildings.
CONTACT US – Energetechs, Inc., – ph. –
