The Importance of Evaluating Your Home’s Energy Performance

A Home Energy Rating can be performed on new and existing homes to evaluate the home’s energy performance.  Many new homes are built to more stringent specifications such as Energy Star Qualified Homes.  Existing homes may also benefit from a Home Energy Rating by identifying cost-effective energy-efficient improvements for the home.   There are also many financial institutions that will utilize the Home Energy Rating by providing “green loans” to homeowners for energy saving improvements and energy-efficient mortgages for new and existing homes that qualify.

If you consider your house as a system, you can achieve more efficient and significant energy gains.  You must realize that changing one part of the home will affect the energy performance of the rest of the home. 

The major parts that make up the house system are:

1) the building envelope (foundation, walls, ceiling)

2) the heating and cooling system

3) the water heating system

4) the lighting system

5) the appliances

6) a fireplace if present 

Making a home as tight as possible will have a big impact on your heating and cooling bills.  Most people are not aware that air leakage amounts to 30-40% of the home’s heating and cooling bills.   It is important to stop this leakage not only for the energy savings, but also to protect your home from the damaging effects caused by the air’s humidity.  While we all think first of replacing our windows, this is not the major area of leakage.  The leakage is greatest around the top of the foundation and around penetrations into the attic and exterior walls. 

A few things that you can do to cut down on leakage include installing foam gaskets on outlets and switches on exterior walls, caulking along the basement foundation where it meets the floor, sealing around all ceiling fixtures, heat registers,  cabinets, pipes, etc. that are on exterior walls.  For best results, consult a professional with the proper training and equipment to pinpoint the areas of air leakage and correct them in the safest manner.

For more information on improving your home’s efficiency visit EnergyStar.gov