Suzette Mullins was audited a few weeks ago.
And she’s happy about it.
The Highlands Ranch resident paid to have her 3,000-square-foot home thoroughly examined to determine its energy efficiency, an audit that included infrared and “blower door” tests.
“This house was built in 1987,” Mullins said. “We’ve been making improvements along the way, but we have rooms that are hot in the summer and cold in the winter, so we were trying to find out some answers as to why.”
Energy audits are becoming more popular amid rising utility costs and the growing green movement. Mullins’ audit was performed by Houston-based Standard Renewable Energy, which charges from $149 to $849 for an audit.
“Everything is going to be costing more, and you want to make sure that you’re not tossing money out the window by doing some very simple things,” Mullins said.
She found out through her audit that a warped windowsill is allowing hot air to blow into the family room and that the attic doesn’t have any vents, keeping adjacent rooms warmer during summer.
Customers such as Mullins are causing an uptick in business for audit companies such as EnergyLogic Inc., which has offices in northern Colorado, Denver and Colorado Springs. Steve Byers, one of its principals, said interest and demand have exploded recently from worried customers who know what they want.
“The knowledge level of consumers is so much higher than it used to be,” Byers said. “A lot of projects now are very collaborative, where consumers are coming in needing fairly high-level questions answered.”
Demand has exploded from what Byers described as limited interest 20 years ago, and he expects it to escalate in coming years in spite of, and sometimes because of, the economy.
Despite recent knocks to the real estate industry and to consumer spending, EnergyLogic has multiple scheduled inspections per day, where Byers said the typical Colorado summer used to generate few phone calls. His business has seen close to 30 percent annual growth for the past several years, fueled, he said, by consumers prioritizing their expenses.
People keen on capitalizing on that growing consumer interest are flocking to training centers for certification to add to rapidly growing ranks of energy auditors and raters, said Claudia Brovick, director of accreditation and quality assurance at Residential Energy Services Network. RESNet alone has more than 3,000 certified raters throughout the country.
More than a dozen companies are certified to perform energy audits in Colorado, according to RESNet.
Xcel Energy, Colorado’s largest utility, is proposing to re-enter the audit business in Colorado after exiting it about 20 years ago, said spokesman Tom Henley.
The company announced a $138 million, two-year conservation and efficiency plan this month that includes earmarking nearly $3 million for the residential energy audit program in 2009 and 2010. The money would be used to launch, implement and promote the audit program.
Xcel customers would make a co-payment of $25 to $150 for an audit, with the program’s budget paying the balance.
“The purpose of this program is to improve energy savings by influencing homeowners’ and renters’ behaviors through conservation education,” Xcel states in its proposal.
The efficiency plan would be financed through a surcharge on customer bills and requires approval from the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.
Growing interest in solar panels has also led to the surge in energy audits, said Sam Ley, chief designer for Standard Renewable Energy.
“A lot of the newer rebate programs and even new building programs … are now requiring energy audits for houses that are going to be installing solar,” said Ley, whose company also installs solar systems. “In the case of Boulder, they require comprehensive energy audits before you can make additions or make major changes to a home to ensure that the changes you are going to do aren’t going to make the home less energy efficient.”
Staff writer Alex McCarthy contributed to this report.
What it is
Key components of an energy audit:
• Examination of the exterior for cracks and signs of air leakage
• Interior examination of attic, crawl space, heating and air conditioning systems and appliances
• Blower door test that uses a calibrated fan to check a home’s airflow rate and determine whether there are leakage or ventilation problems
• Infrared test to help identify insulation needs, moisture problems and air-leakage paths within walls, doors, attics and windows
What it tells you
Sample information and tips provided by an audit:
• Your current fiberglass attic insulation is insufficient. We strongly recommend you blow in an additional four inches.
• Install ridge vents and air hawks to allow the air in your attic to circulate easier.
• The majority of your lights need to be changed out for high-efficiency CFL light bulbs.
For a list of companies that provide energy audits, visit raters.aspx
Sources: Xcel Energy; Standard Renewable Energy
