We at Positive Energy are lucky to live in Boulder, Colorado where energy audits are subsidized by the city. Recently, I finally got around to having our own home audited. Our home was built in 1912, so we expected that despite the fact that we had added insulation, changed out old windows, added a set-back thermostat, changed to compact fluorescent light bulbs, and had an on demand water heater installed, we might not receive top marks.
Our energy auditor, a private contractor, showed up with an infrared gun and a blower door. He installed the blower door in the opening of our front door, closed all the windows, and turned on the door's fan. This pressurized our house - he could then go around with a smoke stick and see where the leaks were. He used the infrared gun to look at the insulation in our walls and ceiling.
Our house looked better than we expected! We got extra points for living in a home that is only 1500 square feet - much smaller than average for our community. The only further step that our auditor recommended was to insulate our basement walls - a job we don't want to take on - we'll contract that out as well.
For more information on Boulder's subsidized energy audits, see www.beclimatesmart.com
For more information on set-back thermostats, on demand water heaters, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and much much more - see our website, positive-energy.com.
