What is an Energy Audit?

Energy audits in Arizona are done to identify energy saving opportunities for home owners who want to lower their monthly bills, who are unsure what energy saving upgrades would be best for their home, who want to improve their health by cutting down on allergens and pollutants coming from the outdoors, and home owners who want an unbiased energy analysis and recommendations.

​An auditor will analyze your energy consumption and home performance by inspecting the layout of the home, its thermal envelope, air flow, and air leakage. This 41-point home energy audit will take into consideration any large appliances in the home as well as lifestyle factors when putting together your final report. This report put together by Green ID’s home-as-a-system inspection is a unique comprehensive action plan for how you can reduce the energy action in your home. This report will outline beneficial upgrades for your home, estimated costs, and payback periods.

Having a home energy audit can help with a variety of problems that you may be experiencing in your home whether it be hot/cold rooms, abnormally high energy bills, low air flow, noise control issues, and drafty rooms. Getting an energy audit can improve almost any home’s energy consumption unless it was designed specifically for energy efficiency.

There’s a huge attraction toward solar panels for a reason. The source of “free energy” has been growing in popularity because solar power is a great way to reduce not only your energy bills but also your carbon footprint. Although this energy alternative is definitely something to keep in mind, it’s important to fully consider this investment. Rebates are available for solar through SRP and APS, but the cost alone for having solar installed on your home can cost owners up to $9 per watt, meaning that a 5,000 W system could run you $35,000, and that’s just for installation!

​The truth is that, although solar energy use is a great advancement on homes and definitely something to consider, there are more cost effective methods to cutting down your carbon footprint and saving money on your energy bill.

Cutting down energy consumption is an important first step whether you decide to invest in solar power for your home or not.  At Green ID, we say reduce before you produce.  Reducing your energy use by keeping warmed and conditioned air inside through correct insulation of the walls and roof, and also by making sure your heating and cooling systems are working properly. This will put you in a much better position to use renewable energy if you choose to go that route. This is because by reducing your energy consumption, your home will require a smaller PV system.  Cutting down your energy consumption before the instillation of solar panels will not only lower your current energy bills, but also will lower your overall cost of installing and purchasing solar panels because you will require a smaller unit.  For each kW you reduce could save you about $500 upfront cost when investing in solar panels.

Home energy audits are the best way to learn where your whole home can save on energy.  You wouldn’t get a heart transplant without first making sure you absolutely needed one and in the same way, a home energy audit would be the diagnostic testing of your home. Will solar energy help reduce your energy bills no matter what? Yes, of course it will, but putting solar panels on an inefficient home is like driving a Prius with a hole in the gas tank!

The Department of Energy put together a video explaining what an energy audit includes, and you can also view a checklist of what an energy audit includes here.

Although solar panels may be the right move for you and your home, first consider that it may not be the right first move. It’s important to make improvements on what you already have existing so that you’re cutting back on energy consumption and cost both initially and long term.

http://www.greenintegrateddesign.com/blog/alternatives-to-solar-panels