Home Performance
admin on Mar 25th 2009
TAX CREDITS: Currently, the tax credits for Home Improvements which were included in the Stimulus Bill for improvements “placed in service” from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010 have expired. These included items in the homeowner’s primary residence such as replacing windows and doors, upgrading insulation and HVAC units. However all is not lost! If you’ve been thinking about solar panels or geothermal heating the tax credit extends until 2016!!
Benefits of Home Performance with ENERGY STAR:
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Utility Bill savings of 20% or more
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Fewer drafts and more comfortable rooms
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Work performed by specially trained contractors
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Third-part quality assurance to make sure work gets done right
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Reduced greenhouse gas emissions to protect the environment
Link to Tax Credit Information
What Makes Home Performance Contractors Different?
Knowing what energy-efficient improvements to make in a house and how they can work together requires special expertise. Home Performance contractors, such as Blan Builders, are equipped with specialized training and diagnostic tools to determine how your home is performing and can assist you in achieving your goals, whether it’s improving comfort, cutting energy costs, or protecting the environment.
What To Expect From Home Performance With ENERGY STAR 
Comprehensive Home Energy Audit
The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR process starts with an interview with you, the homeowner, to help your contractor understand concerns you have about your home’s energy use and comfort. After the interview, the contractor will inspect your home to determine where improvements are needed—inspecting your home inside and out, including the heating and cooling equipment, duct systems, and even lighting and appliances. Your contractor will also inspect your attic, basement, or crawlspace (if you have them), and run diagnostic tests to check the home’s envelope and duct leakage, or use an infrared camera to find the trouble spots. Your contractor will also review your utility bills to compare them to similar homes in your area and determine how energy is potentially being wasted in your home.
Diagnosing the Problem
Rather than focusing on a single component, such as single-paned windows, an old air conditioning system, or leaky ductwork, a participating contractor will assess how improvements to all of these components can work together to provide:
- fewer drafts
- consistent temperatures across rooms,
- better ventilation and humidity control, and
- lower utility bills
Common Recommendations
Sealing Air Leaks and Adding Insulation
Many air leaks in homes are fairly obvious, such as around windows, doors, and electrical outlets. But others, like those in attics, around chimneys, and through recessed lighting fixtures, are often the more significant sources of energy loss in a home. Sealing air leaks is critical to improving the overall efficiency of your home and will make your heating and cooling system perform better. Along with air sealing, your contractor may recommend that you add insulation. Many older homes are not well-insulated, and some have no insulation at all. Properly installed insulation in walls, floors, and attics provides for more even temperatures throughout the house and results in a quieter, more comfortable living environment that is easier to heat and cool.
Sealing Ductwork
Many homes have leaky ductwork and poor air flow, resulting in stuffy and uncomfortable rooms — regardless of the thermostat setting. The home performance contractor may recommend sealing your home’s ducts with mastic, metal tape or spray-on sealant, and balancing the duct system to optimize air flow to all rooms. Insulating ductwork in attics, crawlspaces, and some basements can also help to ensure that your home will be more comfortable.
Improving Heating and Cooling Systems
If your furnace or air conditioner is more than 10 years old, your contractor may recommend that you replace it with high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment that has earned the ENERGY STAR label. Installed correctly, these units can save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs. Make sure to insist on a quality installation of your cooling equipment, in particular. Studies show that half of all central air conditioners in U.S. homes never perform to their advertised capacity and efficiency due to incorrect installation. The EPA has introduced ENERGY STAR Quality Installation Guidelines to help ensure that your cooling equipment is properly installed by a contractor to deliver efficiency and comfort.
Quality Installation Guidelines are based on industry best practices to help avoid common cooling equipment installation problems like incorrect sizing, insufficient refrigerant charge and airflow, and poorly sealed and improperly balanced duct systems. Only selected contractors have the training and certifications necessary to conduct installations that meet ENERGY STAR Quality Installation Guidelines.
Upgrading Lighting and Appliances
Energy used for lighting and appliances can account for half of your home’s total utility bill. As a result, the home performance contractor may recommend ENERGY STAR qualified products, such as refrigerators, dishwashers, electronic equipment, light fixtures, and compact fluorescent bulbs. An energy- and water-efficient hot water heating system may also be recommended.
Once you’ve taken steps to increase your home’s efficiency, you may also want to consider adding renewable energy systems, such as solar electric (photovoltaics) or solar hot water, to further reduce your utility bills.
Quality Assurance
A local Home Performance with ENERGY STAR sponsor (a State Energy Office, utility, or nonprofit energy efficiency organization) is responsible for ensuring that participating contractors maintain high standards for quality. This typically includes providing specialized training for contractors and conducting quality assurance inspections to verify that Home Performance with ENERGY STAR projects get done right.
Getting The Work Done
After the assessment, your contractor will prepare a detailed work proposal outlining recommended improvements and can also show you how they may qualify for special financing or other incentives, where available. Once you decide which improvements to make, your Home Performance contractor will help you get the job done right. When work is completed, your contractor will run another set of tests to show the difference the improvements have made. Their work is also spot-checked by independent third-parties, so you can have added confidence that your job will be done correctly.
Typical Results
The comprehensive approach offered by Home Performance with ENERGY STAR will make your home more comfortable and energy efficient. Depending on the improvements you choose, you may be able to save 20% or more on your annual utility bill. And because you’re using less energy, you’ll also be helping to protect the environment.
*Information on this page is from “Home Performance with Energy Star: A Whole House Approach”, U.S. Dept. of Energy, 2008.