I am a HERS Rater and Home Performance Contractor. My job is to find out what is going on in an existing home and create a solution that makes you more comfortable in your home and helps you save money by using less energy. I spend about 4 hours going over your home with "a fine tooth comb". I utilize various tools like a compass, duct blaster, blower door, thermal camera and smoke pencil.
I use building science to evaluate the "systems" of your home. Insulation and sealing is a system, Ductwork is a system and Mechanical Equipment is a system.
HVAC is a huge part of the equation. It represents between 50-60% of your utility bills.
Each additional SEER improvement on your HVAC has a significant saving on your cooling costs, For example, if you upgrade to a new 16 SEER unit, it will be 60% more efficient than your old 10 SEER unit.
The D.O.E. estimates that the average home’s Duct system leaks up to 40% of conditioned air in to unconditioned spaces like the attic. Now, a 10% leak in your return duct, drawing in hot attic air, will reduce the unit’s efficiency by 30%. So, that new 16 SEER unit becomes only as efficient as an 11 SEER unit.
Air sealing is also a consideration when calculating the size of your new A/C unit. By addressing the duct and air leakage problems, that old 5 ton unit may need to be replaced with only a 4 ton. A common mistake is to install an oversized unit. This can result in the unit short cycling. Short cycling is the A/C equivalent of stop and start driving. The unit runs inefficiently because it cools the room without removing any of the humidity, it makes us feel clammy and uncomfortable. A typical home has a "3ft x 3ft hole" hidden in exterior wall penetrations, building cavities, wire penetrations, plumbing penetrations and open wall cavities that are open to the attic or outside. Most people are running the A/C with "a window wide open". Air Sealing also helps new insulation perform to its rated R value. In the right circumstance Foam is a great way to go; it brings the attic into conditioned space and seals up air leaks at the same time.
I identify everything that is wrong with your home from an energy & comfort point of view. My audit is great for identifying the most cost effective energy & comfort improvements for YOUR home, but it is of little value if you’re not going to act on the recommendations.
I take lots of photos, run measurements, perform diagnostic tests, develop a HERS Index, develop cost options, run return on investment calculations on the items that make sense and then give you a copy of all the documentation and a proposal so you can decide what order and what choices you wish to pursue.
After all work has been completed, I repeat the blower door and duct blaster test to Quantify the improvements. This means you can qualify for Rebates and Tax Credits.
As a Home Energy Consultant, one of my jobs is to figure out why you may be having comfort issues. I can help you figure out if you have the right size equipment, right size ducts, grills and returns. I can solve these problems as well. I utilize items such as a flow hood, duct blaster, blower door an infrared camera. I also utilize ACCA Manual J Load Software and CAD.
Paybacks
When modeling improvements, I put the turn key price to do the improvements in REM/Rate. The software gives me numbers that I utilize to determine simple payback, return on investment, present value and net savings. Simple payback is what most people look at. I am very conservative when I do one of these because I do not want to over-promise. When labor and indirect costs are entered, it gives paybacks, that to some may appear long. It is my belief that the entire cost of the improvement be entered, even if this lengthens payback. When a home has gone for a long period of time without improvements to the energy systems and there are multiple things to be addressed, the costs increase the simple payback. I want the homeowner to know everything going into a retrofit.
Now, what is really important to understand is that comfort and happiness is something that is not measured in a comprehensive home energy audit. If you want to be happy and comfortable in your home while cutting your CO2 emissions, then the economic portions of the report do not carry as much weight. Every home and homeowner is unique. A homeowner with low bills/consumption compared to someone else with a different lifestyle but a similar size/age home has an effect on numbers as well.
Please keep in mind that this report is intended to be a living, breathing book. I want to be your energy and comfort consultants for life. At any time, I will produce the additional reports needed if the scope of the job changes or if you want to see different scenarios. I will also produce test out pages for you to add if you proceed with a retrofit.
In closing, if I do a retrofit at your home, I will test out at the end of the project and during the project if needed. My goal is 100% satisfaction. You can rest assured that I will perform to the highest level of integrity and you will be amazed!
Kerry Hutchison
817-538-1202
kerryhutchison@gmail.com
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