Do you have comfort problems
like drafts or rooms that are warmer or cooler then others? High Energy bills? Ice dams? Mold, mildew or moisture damage?
These symptoms are obvious, but sometimes the root causes are not readily
apparent. Is it the furnace? Should my home be more airtight? Do I need more insulation? Should I seal my ducts? Buy a new
air conditioner? Replace the windows?
Your House is a System. Everything is connected. The relationship between all the systems is the key to its overall
performance: your health, safety, comfort and your Home's energy efficiency and durability.
An Energy Audit focuses on your House-as-a-system
concept. Theses systems include heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment and the building envelope or outer shell,
the foundation, walls, roof and all their component parts like windows and doors.
Hire a Professional Home Energy
Auditor
If you are interested in getting
specific recommendations for improving the efficiency of your home, contact Brighton Inspection Services, a professional Home
Energy Auditor. A professional auditor can use a variety of techniques and equipment to determine the energy efficiency of
your home. Thorough audits often use equipment such as blower doors, which measure the extent of leaks in the building envelope,
infrared cameras, which reveal hard-to-detect areas of air infiltration and missing insulation and combustion gas analyzers,
which measures efficiency of your furnace and gas burning appliances.
A home energy audit is often the first step in making your home more efficient. An audit can help you assess how
much energy your home uses and evaluate what measures you can take to improve efficiency. But remember, audits alone don't
save energy. You need to implement the recommended improvements, to enhance energy efficiency, lower utility bills, and increase
comfort.
Contact Brighton Home Inspections for your
Energy Audit and your comprehensive home assessment report. Click Here or call 881-9908
When you improve the energy efficiency
of your home, you benefit from lower energy bills. Now you can save even more money on your energy efficiency upgrades with
the following incentives:
Energy Policy Act of 2005
Homeowners renovating to improve energy performance have access to a tax credit of $500 during the 2006 and 2007 tax years.
Check out the Tax Incentives Assistance Project for more information on the specific IRS rules and provisions.
Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and US Department
of Energy (DOE) have partnered with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to create the Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency. This link showcases a range of federal resources aimed at improving national security by making our
homes more energy efficient.
The Alliance
to Save Energy
This state-specific resource on energy efficiency policies, programs and state-level incentives
can help you learn how your state is promoting energy efficiency through laws and regulations. Visit the State Energy Efficiency Index.
Electric Company Programs
because electric companies are always dealing with
the growing demand for power, they are starting to offer programs and incentives to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy
use. Efficiency and Demand Response Programs provides a list of electric company programs for 2006.
The State
Energy Program
The State Energy Program (SEP) provides grants to states and directs funding to state energy offices from technology programs in the DOE's
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. States use grants to address their energy priorities and program funding
to adopt emerging renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.
Home Performance with ENERGY STAR®
This program has introduced a Home Energy Yardstick. If you have five minutes and your energy bills are handy, find out if your energy use is above average. You
will need to enter some common information about your home, such as its age, square footage, the number of occupants and energy
bill totals for a consecutive 12-month period (one year). If you don't keep your bills, contact your utility for a 12-month
summary. This software provides recommendations, but does not replace the need for a comprehensive home assessment provided
by Brighton Inspection Services or other Certified Professional.
Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory
This world-famous research and development center has released its Home Energy Saver software designed to help homeowners find ways to save energy. They suggest that investing in your home
could be more profitable than investing on Wall Street. This software helps you start planning for your home performance
job, but does not replace the need for a comprehensive home assessment provided by Brighton Inspection Services or other Certified
Professional.
