Comprehensive Home Energy Assessment
Every year, New York State homeowners are wasting hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars or more in energy, due to high utility bills. Unfortunately, many are unaware of what they could do to decrease those bills, or the resources available to them to make that a reality. It all starts with a home energy assessment or ‘audit’.
A Home Energy Audit can help you understand how your home uses and loses energy. There are many factors that contribute to your home’s comfort, efficiency and safety. Inefficiency causes your systems to work harder to maintain comfortable temperatures, resulting in increased expenses on your heating and cooling bills. The assessment will pinpoint where your home is wasting energy, the causes of drafts and cold spots, and other problems you may be experiencing.
A no-cost energy audit is a great first step to making your home more energy efficient and comfortable.
What is a Home Energy Audit?
A Home Energy Audit is the process of evaluating a home’s air leakage, insulation levels, efficiency and safety. It is performed by a certified professional who is educated in the industry standards. Along with a visual inspection of all parts of your home - we’ll climb into the attic and look in your crawl space - we will also perform some tests. This includes conducting a blower door test to assess air leakage in the home and combustion safety tests on your heating equipment. We will inspect HVAC ductwork, lighting, and the overall building envelope. We may also use infrared thermography to find cold/hot spots that could indicate insulation gaps or leaks in your home’s thermal envelope.
At the conclusion of your audit, based on the results of the evaluation, a certified auditor will explain how and where you are wasting energy, provide you with recommendations to fix these deficiencies, as well as your estimated savings from making such improvements. These recommendations, typically including air sealing and various types of insulation, will help to reduce your energy bills, while improving your home’s comfort and safety. We will also advise you on available rebates, incentives or financing options you may be eligible for to help offset the cost of the work. Overall, a Home Energy Audit helps you to identify the real problems in your home so you can make the correct improvements that will save you the most money and make you most comfortable.
Benefits of an Energy Audit
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Receive a comprehensive review of your home’s current conditions
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Detailed recommendations on improvements that can help
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Realistic and data-backed energy savings projections
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Guidance on programs and rebates you can take advantage of to help cover the cost of improvements
Who is qualified to perform a Home Energy Audit?
Energy auditors must be trained and certified by the Building Performance Institute (BPI) in order to conduct home energy assessments. BPI is the nation's premier credentialing, quality assurance, and standard-setting organization for home performance professionals. BPI develops technical standards using a transparent, consensus-based process built on sound building science. These standards are taught in their comprehensive courses and certifications and followed by home performance professionals. VFD Contracting is proud to hold BPI certifications in:
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Building Analyst - Apply the fundamentals of building science and the skills needed to conduct comprehensive energy audits, including assessing whole building ventilation, measuring air flow, combustion safety, and testing/data collection.
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Envelope Professional - Optimize and verify the installation, operation, maintenance, and performance of envelope systems and improve their interaction with other building systems. This includes prescribing improvements to tighten the building envelope (shell), stop uncontrolled air leakage, and optimize comfort, durability, and HVAC performance.
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Heating Professional - Assess the installation, operation, and maintenance of heating equipment in relation to other building systems, to reduce energy costs and ensure occupant comfort, health, and safety.
Certifications
Building Performance Institute
VFD Contracting holds the highest certification for a company as a BPI GoldStar Accredited Contractor. This means we are committed to home performance and abide by BPI standards in every home.
Public Service Enterprise Group of Long Island
VFD Contracting is a PSEG Long Island Home Performance Partner, allowing us to participate in energy-saving programs, including offering our customers Free Comprehensive Home Energy Assessments and rebates through their PSEGLI Home Performance with Energy Star Program.
Long Island Green Homes
The Long Island Green Homes Initiative is a non-profit collaborative partnership of Long Island Towns, community organizations, and Molloy College funded primarily with a grant awarded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to help Long Islanders improve their homes and use energy more wisely.
Suffolk County Certified Energy Auditor
The Suffolk County's Bureau of Licensing offers this certification to ensure that home energy audits are performed by a trained professional certified by BPI. All of VFD Contracting’s auditors hold this license.