Home Energy Solar Power Energy Generation Guide
Home Energy Audits Assess Power Spikes
By Gerard J Howson
On March 2, 2010, President Barack Obama went to Savannah,
Georgia to reveal the details of his Home Star home
energy savings plan to reduce Americans’ energy bills,
create more jobs and make sustainability a reality.
"Here’s one of the best things about energy
efficiency - it turns out that energy-efficient windows
or insulation, those things are products that are almost
exclusively manufactured right here in the United States
of America," the president told the crowd. "It’s
very hard to ship windows from China. So a lot of these
materials are made right here in America."
If this plan is indeed passed by congress, many more
Americans will likely look into getting home energy
audits to assess their situation and see where rebate-worthy
investments can be made for immediate and long-term
savings.
Assessing Your Potential Energy Savings
One type of energy audit for homeowners is conducted
by professionals. An auditor will do a room-by-room
inspection to assess your potential home energy savings.
Most audits cost around $200 and utility companies may
pay part of the tab.
Within the first six months of renovating your home,
you will gain this money back anyway. Professionals
do what is called a "calibrated blower test,"
which attaches a fan to the outside door to lower indoor
air pressure and reveal where leaks might be occurring.
Identify Escaping Heat Sources
Another test called a "thermographic inspection"
uses infrared cameras to identify where heat is escaping.
Auditors will look at heating and cooling systems, insulation,
appliances, electronics and other areas where you may
need to energy monitor a bit more closely.
Before hiring a contractor, you should assemble your
last 12 months of energy bills, make a list of suspected
problems, ensure the contractor is licensed and insured,
and check the Better Business Bureau for the company’s
client satisfaction rating.
Find Your Energy Consumption Spikes From Your Utility Bills
The do-it-yourself method is another type of home energy
audit. Before you begin to assess your home, review
your energy bills from the last few years and compare
them month-by-month to look for trends.
For instance, you may notice your energy consumption
spikes during the winter months, which may indicate
the need for better sealing or heating. Or you may see
that your swimming pool’s filtration system is sucking
up way too much electricity.
Perhaps the months when your college students are home
for the summer result in drastic electricity spikes
because they’re leaving their lights, their computers
and their TVs on all the time.
Finding Out About Government Programs
If you decide to complete major home improvements following
your home energy audit, be sure you consider all avenues
of financing. You can visit www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm
to learn about government programs to encourage energy
conservation.
The Weatherization Assistance Program has helped more
than 64 million Americans protect their homes against
the elements. In some cases, your energy company may
cover the cost of the audit. Private companies like
Clean Power Finance have also assisted consumers in
paying for improvements.
About the Author:
Gerard J Howson has written a number of articles on Home Improvement, Energy Efficient Appliances, Saving Energy,
Solar Power, Renewable Energy including
Energy Efficient Home,
Energy Savings,
Save Energy In Your Home,
Smart Homes,
Green Building,
Solar Technology,
Solar Hot Water,
Solar Electric.
Gerard is working on more articles. Look out for new articles as they become available on this site.
Little Known Energy Efficient Home Devices Facts.....
A lot of manufacturers now produce energy efficient
home devices. They put the tag on appliances to show
how much energy you could be saving with this brand
new washer, dryer or refrigerator. But conserving energy
is not just about buying a new appliance.
It is about finding renewable sources of energy to
make your home more energy efficient. It may mean installing
solar panels or a wind turbine. Every little thing you
can do is one step closer to a cleaner, more efficient
Earth. If someone else can do it, you can too.
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