Maybe some rooms feel way warmer in the summer, then colder in the winter. Maybe you want to find the most cost effective home energy upgrades. Start with a home energy audit.
“Very proficient with the energy audit, and their bid for the work was more than fair. I did some of it now and will do more later. Very professional and prompt. Highly recommend this company!”
In a nutshell, we offer a two to four hour diagnostic inspection and consultation. You get a Home Performance Report, Indoor Air Quality Report, and Project Proposal. Here’s what the process looks like:
Let’s connect: Start by scheduling your home energy audit. Give us a call at 541.330.8767, or self-schedule in either Portland or Central Oregon. During the home energy audit, your consultant and technician will collect hundreds of different data points about your home. Please make yourself available to provide feedback and answer questions.
Run the numbers: Within a week of the appointment, your consultant will run the numbers and deliver a detailed Home Performance Report (like this), Indoor Air Quality Report (like this) and Project Proposal. You’ll get a full breakdown of the priorities, costs, and cash incentives for home energy upgrades.
Improve your home: Our testing takes away the guesswork. If you decide to improve your home, you’ll feel confident in your priority list. You’ll understand how one improvement, like attic insulation, will impact even seemingly unrelated areas of your home, like bathroom ventilation. Every GreenSavers client gets a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
What is a home energy audit?
A home energy audit gives you a complete picture of how your home uses and loses energy. We take away the guesswork by running a series of diagnostic tests on your home. The tests take two to four hours to complete and result in a detailed report with priorities, costs, and cash incentives.
Each home energy audit includes the following tests:
Blower Door Test: A blower door test measures how much air is moving through your home. This informs decisions about air sealing and insulation.
IR Camera Scan: We use an infrared camera (or IR camera) to measure surface temperatures, indicating where hot and cold air is entering your home.
Combustion Appliance Testing: Combustion appliances, such as furnaces and many water heaters, are tested for both efficiency and safety. We’re mostly concerned about CO other other combustion gases that can make you sick.
Gas Line Inspection: Our gas sniffer measures even trace amounts of gas leaking through cracks or holes in your gas lines.
IAQ Assessment: We measure 6 common indoor air quality concerns: (1) particulate matter, (2) chemical off-gassing, (3) carbon dioxide, (4) carbon monoxide, (5) temperature, and (6) humidity.
Visual Inspection: Our team inspects your insulation, windows, seismic risk, and solar potential.
Our technicians are certified by the Building Performance Institute, and our energy audit meets the rigorous standards of the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. For more, watch the video overview of a home energy audit in Portland, Oregon.
How to get an energy audit in Portland or Bend, Oregon?
Start by giving us a call at 541.330.8767, or self-schedule online: Portland energy audit / Bend energy audit.
How much does a home energy audit cost?
We charge $400, which counts as a credit towards any GreenSavers project of $2,500 or more.
Please note that not all home energy audits are created equal. Here are three questions to ask any provider in Portland or Bend:
What diagnostic tests does your home energy audit include?
Does your home energy audit meet Home Performance with ENERGY STAR standards?
Are your technicians certified to perform energy audits by the Building Performance Institute?
What’s the difference between a home energy audit and consultation?
We get it, they sound SUPER similar: Home Energy Audit (an “audit) and Home Energy Consultation (a “consultation”). So what’s the difference, and what makes sense for you?
The Main Difference
Whether you start with an audit or consultation, you get a top-to-bottom inspection of your home. The main difference is that an audit includes diagnostic testing with a report. Aside from a visual inspection with an IR camera, a consultation includes neither diagnostics nor detailed reporting.
Home Energy Consultation
Cost: $150
Duration: One to two hours
Diagnostic Testing: Visual inspection with IR Camera Scan
Deliverables: Project Proposal
Home Energy Audit
Cost: $400
Duration: Two to four hours
Diagnostic Testing: Testing (overview here) includes a Blower Door Test, IR Camera Scan, Combustion Safety Test, IAQ Test, and more
Deliverables: Home Performance Report, Indoor Air Quality Report, and Project Proposal
Should I schedule a home energy audit or estimate?
An estimate makes sense for a simple solution. For example, if your water heater is about to fail, schedule a water heater estimate in Portland or Bend.
You should schedule an energy audit if the best solution isn’t obvious. Let’s say your upper floor jumps by five degrees in the summer and falls by five degrees in the winter. What’s the cause? Should you seal air leaks and improve your insulation? How tight should you make your home? What about a ductless heat pump?
During a home energy audit, we dig in to collect the data that you need to prioritize upgrades like insulation, HVAC, and windows.
Do I need to be available during a home energy audit?
Yes!
Think of it like this - Getting a home energy audit is like going to see your doctor. The doctor learns a lot from the feedback that you give them. Similarly, we learn a lot about your home from the symptoms that you describe and the answers to questions that come up.
Please don’t schedule meetings or plan to run errands during your home energy audit. You’ll learn more about your home and get a much better result by engaging with your consultant.
Does the home energy audit include a Home Energy Score?
The language is so similar, but a home energy audit from GreenSavers does not include a Home Energy Score.
Anyone planning to sell their home in Portland is required to get a Home Energy Score prior to listing. If you’d like a referral for a Home Energy Score provider, please give us a call at 541.330.8767.
How to do a home energy audit?
To do a home energy audit, you’ll need testing equipment (which costs thousands of dollars) and training from the Building Performance Institute.
It’s not possible for most people to do their own home energy audits, but here are two things to consider:
Do a visual inspection of your home. Review the home energy priorities that matter most for homeowners in Portland and Bend, Oregon.
Consider joining our team. If you’re interested in energy efficiency, consider joining our team. You’ll get on-the-job-training and access to all the tools and equipment needed for home energy audits and more.
Who does energy audits in Portland and Bend?
You can find a list of companies offering energy audits on the Energy Trust of Oregon’s website. Be sure to read reviews and ask three questions of any company you call:
What diagnostic tests does your home energy audit include?
Does your audit meet Home Performance with ENERGY STAR standards?
Are your technicians certified to perform energy audits by the Building Performance Institute?
Is a home energy audit worth it?
A home energy audit is definitely worth it if you have high energy bills or temperature differences between rooms or floors in your home. You’ll find out exactly what you need to do. If you decide to work with GreenSavers, you get a $400 credit towards any project of $2,500 or more.
If you have questions about whether an energy audit would be worth it for your home, please don’t hestiate to get in touch: 541.330.8767.
