Why do you need a

HOME PERFORMANCE ASSESSEMENT?

TO SAVE MONEY,

Enhance the Energy Efficiency, Comfort, and Air Quality of your Home!

 

    Our trained and certified advisors treat a “house as a system” based on the principles of building science, where a change in one element causes changes in another.  We start with an in-depth series of diagnostic tests and an analysis of a home’s energy consumption.  We also carefully examine the entire environment of the home.   Once all tests are complete, our staff will recommend the most cost-effective improvements based on your results.  After the work is completed, we will test the house again to be sure the measures we installed perform as intended.  Our #1 priority is your health and safety!

   What is involved in a home performance assessment? (sometimes called an energy audit)

   The first step is called a blower door test, which measures building air tightness.   This test reduces air pressure inside the building exposing hidden air leaks.  Air leaks can account for 20% to 30% of a home’s energy loss.  Sealing these leaks or “weatherizing” is probably the most cost effective thing you can do and should be done before adding any new insulation.  The largest leaks most often are hidden in the attic, basement, or crawl space.  These “holes” are also the paths for pollutants of all kinds to enter your home.

   The next step will be to use an infrared camera, which shows the relative temperatures of objects in different colors.  The colors reveal heat loss or gain and indicate whether a wall, ceiling or floor is insulated properly or not at all.  It can also identify moisture problems and leaky pipes behind walls.

   Another step will be to assess all water heating and heating/cooling systems.  If the home has gas appliances, an electronic gas sniffer will be used on all service lines and fittings.  A series of thorough combustion tests will then be run to determine burn efficiency and proper flue draft.      

   One final step will be to analyze utility bills and other home appliances to determine a home’s baseline usage and offer suggestions for improvement.

   RetroGreen USA  is accredited by Building Performance Institute (BPI) and has undergone rigorous training and testing to achieve that certification.   Don’t allow someone to convince you to make changes without first testing your “house as a system”.  You may likely be spending money unwisely.  Even a brand new code-compliant house can see significant improvements to its energy performance, comfort, and indoor air quality.  We will always “test out” after any work is completed.  You will enjoy energy savings as well as reducing the “carbon footprint” you no longer contribute to the atmosphere.

Be green, help the planet, and save money at the same time!