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Home Energy Audit Report and
Guide to Energy Efficiency
Provided by Xcel Energy and Lightly Treading, Inc.
Xcel Energy Customer
123 Main St., Denver CO
April 10th, 2009
Thank you for choosing Xcel Energy and Lightly Treading to help you with your home’s comfort, energy
efficiency and safety. A home energy audit is the first step toward lowering your energy use.
HOME ENERGY AUDIT
CO
With natural gas and electricity prices fluctuating, it’s important to take steps to lower your energy usage
and an Energy Audit is the first step. Some of our clients who have done an Energy Audit as a first step
have seen energy savings of more than 25% and some greater than 50%.
The process I followed was to view your house as a system; that is to look at each and every component
of the house and not concentrate on a single component such as windows. In a house system, the
components interact with one another, with the external environment, and with you; if one part changes,
all the other parts are affected and must adjust.
This report serves as a guide to a general contractor or other appropriately licensed professional who
may perform work on your house. When making any changes to your house including energy efficiency
improvements mentioned in this report, it’s important that the work be done according to all building
codes in your area. If performing any of the work yourself, please contact your local building department
for guidance on how building codes may affect your home improvement projects.
If you have questions regarding the information in this report or energy efficiency, please contact me.
Thank you for your business!
Mark Rogers
RESNet Certified Energy Rater
303.733.3078
markr@lightlytreading.com
Services completed:
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•
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Report contents
1. Standard Energy Audit
2. Ambient Carbon Monoxide test
3. Blower Door air leakage test
4. Infrared camera scan
Home energy concerns:
•
•
•
1. Old windows
2. Wants to improve energy efficiency
3. Insulation levels
Total Home Performance Rebates Available:
$ 620 possible
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Top Priorities
Your Energy Usage
Home Safety
Home Energy Issues and Solutions
Rebates Available
Infrared Camera Photos
CO
HOME ENERGY AUDIT
Your TOP PRIORITIES
Electric priorities
1. If clothes take longer than an hour to dry, clean
out the dryer exhaust duct & see if duct can be
straightened or shortened.
2. When your furnace blower motor needs
replacement, replace with high-efficiency model.
3. Put TV and any stereo equipment on a power
strip and turn off when not in use.
Natural Gas priorities
1. Air Sealing throughout the home
2. Insulate un-insulated walls
3. Rake out attic insulation to uniform thickness.
Your Energy Usage
In the Front Range, Xcel Energy reports that an average 2,500 sq. ft. home uses 70 Therms of natural
gas per month (152 in January) and 635 kWh of electricity per month. Here is how your home compares:
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Utility Bills
Usage
Electric (kWh)
Gas (Therms)
Highs
740
90
2
Monthlybelonging to2500 ft
Proprietary information
Lows
Lightly Treading,
Inc. and Xcel Energy
Average
Home Mo. Avg.
389
12
537
41
635
70
You have two peaks in energy use; one in July/August, and one in January. This could indicate that your
furnace motor is inefficient, that you use a lot of lights in January (holiday lighting?), or that you cook a lot
during the winter months.
Your Home Energy Audit report includes solutions to help you improve your comfort and reduce your
energy usage.
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HOME ENERGY AUDIT
Home Safety Systems
Before starting any energy-efficiency improvements it’s important to ensure your house is safe from
dangerous pollutants such as carbon monoxide. Here is our checklist:
Have a Combustion Appliance Zone test completed. This detailed CO test checks whether
your open-combustion space and water heating systems are emitting carbon monoxide into
your house and checks if your combustion appliances are back drafting under a variety of
conditions.
Install and maintain a carbon monoxide detector on each level where people sleep. Install one
carbon monoxide detector for every 1000 square feet of floor area, and a minimum of one on
each sleeping level. Test detector(s) monthly and replace batteries annually.
Concentrate on sealing all cracks, holes, penetrations and doors between attached garages
and conditioned spaces in the home to keep automobile exhaust from entering the home.
Consider installing an exhaust fan triggered by your garage door opener for garage exhaust
venting. Briefly venting the space when exhaust is present will make the garage and house
safer.
Have a Radon test completed in your home. According to the Environmental Protection
Agency, most homes in Colorado are at risk for Radon exposure due to soil conditions.
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According to the EPA, Radon exposure is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.
Lightly Treading, Inc. and Xcel Energy
Testing (or retesting) is important after you perform any air sealing modifications to your home.
Install smoke detectors and fire extinguishers throughout the home. The National Fire
Protection Agency recommends replacing your smoke detectors every ten years. Test your
detectors monthly and replace batteries annually. If you are uncertain of the age of your
detectors, you can sometimes look them up by their serial/model numbers. If in doubt,
replacement is recommended. Replacement costs are far lower than the life and property that
they help protect.
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Basic Carbon Monoxide (CO) Test
The CO test preformed in your home is a first step to see whether your furnace and/or water heater may
be emitting CO into your home. This test is not conclusive and we recommend a Combustion Appliance
Zone test to provide you with a complete analysis that takes into account worst case conditions.
Ambient CO test result was 0 ppm. This is a safe rating.
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HOME ENERGY AUDIT
AIR LEAKAGE
Natural Air
Changes per
Hour (NACH)
0.48
CFM@50Pa
2000
48% of the air in your home is exchange every hour; this is considered leaky.
Significant air leaks were:
Basement rim, fireplace, wall / ceiling penetrations, attic access, base boards, light fixture
connections, doors, bath vents, outlets / switches, holes in wall behind clothes dryer.
Condition
Build Tight and Ventilate Right. When your air leakage rate is less than 33%, I recommend
replacing your bath fans with fans that can run on a timer in order to provide ventilation to the
home when the doors and windows are closed. You may also consider a heat recovery
ventilator (HRV) to bring in fresh air and exhaust stale air while retaining most of the warmth or
coolth from your conditioned space.
Air leakage is the number one energy problem in most homes; making these improvements are
some of the most cost effective solution you can make. I recommend:
Improvements
Estimates
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□
Plug gaps around pipes, ducts, and wiring that go through walls with expanding foam.
□
Blow cellulose insulation into un-insulated walls (see Wall Insulation and Basement
section).
□
Weather-strip the opening of the attic hatch.
□
Seal air leaks listed above with caulk or expanding foam insulation.
Item
Air sealing
Proprietary information belonging to
Lightly Treading, Inc. and Xcel Energy
Priority
High
Cost
$40 - $60 per hr.
Energy Savings
$25-$50
Simple Payback
9-15years
Payback/Savings for the section above are calculated apart from other savings in this report and should not be combined.
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HOME ENERGY AUDIT
Attic
Condition
6-16 inches of blown fiberglass insulation is approximately R-30 on average. The insulation is
very uneven in depth because of foot traffic-related compression.
Adding insulation to the attic will decrease energy use.
Before adding insulation
□ Air seal penetrations (air leaks) between the house and attic.
□ Attach insulation baffles to keep insulation from covering soffit vents.
□ Air seal the flue chase next to the attic hatch using sheet metal and fire-rated caulk, or
other materials and methods as required by your local building codes.
Improvement
Insulation
□ For best performance, the insulation needs to be of uniform thickness throughout the
attic. Rake the insulation out to accomplish this.
□
Attach R-30 fiberglass batt to the attic side of the hatch.
To reduce heat buildup in summer and potential moisture issues year-round, the minimum
recommended attic ventilation is 1 ft2 of high & low openings for every 300 ft2 of attic space;
however 1 ft2 of high & low openings for every 150 ft2 of attic space is ideal.
Estimates
Item
Rake insulation out
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Priority
High
Cost
$0.10-$0.20 sq. ft.
Energy Savings
$15-$35/year
Simple Payback
1-4 years
Payback/Savings for the section above are calculated
apart from other information
savings in this report
and should not
Proprietary
belonging
tobe combined.
Lightly Treading, Inc. and Xcel Energy
Exterior Wall
Condition
Improvement
Estimates
At the front of the house and at the wall between house and garage, I found 3.5 inches of blown
fiberglass insulation which is approximately R-13. Some areas appeared to have no insulation
(back wall, and some portions of the wall between house and garage – see IR photos section at
end of report for details).
□ Fill the wall cavities completely with blown-in cellulose insulation.
□ Add blown cellulose to existing wall insulation to decrease air leakage and improve
comfort in uncomfortable rooms.
Item
Add cellulose insulation to uninsulated above-grade walls
Priority
Medium
Cost
$2.25 - $4.50 sq.
ft.
Energy Savings
$50-$100/yr
Simple Payback
10-20 years
Payback/Savings for the section above are calculated apart from other savings in this report and should not be combined.
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HOME ENERGY AUDIT
Windows
Condition
Improvement
Your metal framed, single pane windows are relatively air-tight. Your vinyl framed, double pane
windows are also relatively tight.
□ Caulk around the window sill/frame and any place you see cracks or holes. Seal all
gaps around the trim with clear caulk.
If you decide to replace your windows, look for a U value of 0.35 or less for better insulation. For
Southern windows, maximize wintertime solar heating with Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC)
= 0.50 or greater. Chose a SHGC below 0.35 for East, West, and North windows. Skylights
should always be low-e with a low SHGC.
Cooling
Condition
Improvement
You have no mechanical cooling system.
□ Keep your windows and doors closed during the day to slow down your home’s
heat-gain. Open the windows at night and use a whole-house fan or inexpensive box
fan to pull in cool outside air, and ceiling fans to circulate air.
□ Consider an energy efficient whole house fan with an insulated, airtight, automatic
motorized door. Be sure to open your windows when using the whole-house fan, and
only use it when the air outside is cooler than the air inside the house. Be sure to use
an insulated, air-sealed cover over the whole-house fan during the winter.
□ Consider an evaporative cooler before AC. The initial cost of the unit plus installation
will be less and they use about ¼ of the energy to operate in our dry climate.
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Treading,
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and Star
Xcel® rated
Energy
If you choose to install an AC unit,
consider
installing an
Energy
or higher efficiency
unit (14 to 20 SEER). Keep the pad on which the AC unit sits level, shaded and maintain at
least one foot from the home and any other obstructions.
Water Heating
Condition
Your newer, 40 gallon, .56 EF (energy factor) water heater is in good condition.
□ Wrap the water heater tank with an insulating hot water jacket .The Department of
Energy’s website includes instructions on how to install the jacket. Go to
www.energy.gov and type “water heater jacket” in the search box.
Make sure hot exhaust vents (flues) have at least 6 inches clearance from the insulation (or as
dictated by local building codes) so venting is not disrupted and pipe insulation is not melted.
Improvement
Tank Water Heater
Consider replacement if your current heater is near the end of its life (10-14 years old), or if
environmental concerns are important to you. Because of their high cost, it generally doesn’t
make sense to replace a water heater purely for economic reasons.
Set water heater at 120o F or the lowest practical setting for your preferences. This will reduce
standby losses (heat loss while idle) and risk of scalding.
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HOME ENERGY AUDIT
Heating System – Forced Air
Condition
Your furnace is 80% efficient. This means that 80 cents of each dollar heats your home and 20
cents goes up the chimney.
Programmable thermostat is not installed.
Programmable Thermostat
Using a programmable thermostat can save up to 9% on your energy bills.
□
Install and use a programmable thermostat.
Furnace
Make insulation and air sealing improvements before replacing your furnace. These
improvements can change your heating requirements to a smaller, less costly system.
Improvement
□
□
Have your furnace tuned up annually to ensure that it is operating efficiently.
Inspect, replace or clean the furnace filter once a month for improved performance.
Make a mental note to check your filter when you receive your monthly utility bills. You
may also want to set up a reminder in your favorite calendar software.
Most ceiling fans have a switch for summer mode (moves air down) and winter mode (moves
air up). Use winter mode at a slow speed to even out temperatures throughout the living
space. A similar effect can be achieved by turning on the fan-only switch on your furnace
thermostat. This works well for some homes, but uses extra electricity.
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Estimates
Item
Programmable thermostat
New 95% AFUE furnace
Priority
Energy
Savingsto Simple Payback
ProprietaryCost
information
belonging
High
$40 - $75
$10 - $30 a year
2 – 3 years
Lightly$3000
Treading,
Inc. and
Xcel Energy20+
Low
- $5500
$25-$40 a year
years
Payback/Savings for the section above are calculated apart from other savings in this report and should not be combined.
Wood Fireplace
Condition
Improvement
Somewhat leaky.
□ Close the flue damper when not in use. Make sure the fire is fully extinguished before
closing the flue.
□ Use an inflatable insert to block air flowing in from the chimney. Just be sure to
remove it before starting a fire. Tying a hanging tag onto it may help you to remember.
Consider a pilotless, sealed-combustion, natural gas fireplace insert with air-circulating fan.
Done correctly, this will seal the existing leaks, eliminate the standing pilot light & allow the
fireplace to be used more often and with greater efficiency.
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HOME ENERGY AUDIT
Appliances & Electrical Equipment
Condition
You have many opportunities for improved electrical energy efficiency.
When buying new appliances and electronics, purchase items with the Energy-Star® label.
□
□
Improvement
Continue to upgrade lighting to CFLs or LEDs.
Use a smart strip or power strip to reduce phantom loads.
Phantom loads are continual electric power draws for devices such as TVs, stereos, computers
and videogame consoles. These devices often draw a lot of power even when turned off.
Refrigerator – Don’t place it where the sun will shine on it, keep the gaskets clean so that the
door thoroughly closes and creates a tight seal and clean vacuum the coils yearly. If it has an
icemaker, turn it off when you have enough ice.
Smart Strip
Item
CFLs
Smart Strip
Priority
High
High
Cost
$1.00 to $3.00 each
$35- $40
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CO
HOME ENERGY AUDIT
Rebates Available
Visit www.xcelenergy.com/rebates
As of February 2009, the State of Colorado offers rebates for insulation.
http://www.colorado.gov/energy/residential/existing-insulate-co.asp
Low-income assistance may be available for air-sealing and insulation improvements, depending on your
income. http://www.colorado.gov/energy/residential/income-based-program.asp
Federal tax credits are available for insulation, high efficiency boilers, and tankless water heaters.
Xcel Energy’s Home Performance with Energy Star® Rebate Program
With the Home Performance with Energy Star® program, you have the chance to earn $600 or more in rebates.
Below is a list of the improvements that you must make to be eligible for the rebates. The more improvements
you make the more rebates you will earn. Only customers who have both gas and electric service through Xcel
Energy are eligible. Sign up today for the Home Performance program mailing in the sign-up postcard or by
calling 800-895-4999.
Energy Conservation Measures
Required*:
Air Sealing & Weather stripping
Attic Insulation & Bypass sealing
High Efficiency Lighting
Optional (choose at least two):
Wall Insulation
Set back Thermostat
New High Efficiency Furnace
New High Efficiency Furnace
Tankless Hot Water Heater
Power Vented Water Heater
Refrigerator Recycling/Secondary Unit
New Energy Star Refrigerator/Primary
Dishwasher
Clothes Washer
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Starting Criteria
End Criteria
(must begin at or worse
than this level)
(must achieve this level
or better)
Proprietary information belonging to
.50
.45 NACH
Lightly Treading,
Inc. and XcelREnergy
R-19
38
Rebate
Less than 20 CFLs
20 CFLs
$100
$150
$40
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
R 11
E.S Programmable
.92 AFUE
.94 AFUE
.82 E.S. standard
.65 EF
Removal, no replacement
E.S. refrigerator
.65 EF
E.S Clothes Washer
$250
$10
$80
$100
$100
$60
$35
$10
$10
$50
*If a house surpasses the threshold for a “Required” conservation measure on the day of the Xcel Energy Audit, the house
will not be eligible for the rebate for that measure. The customer is still eligible to participate in the HPwES program; the
customer will simply be required to bring any deficient “Required” measures up to or beyond the HPwES thresholds listed
above, and complete up to two of the “Optional” measures.
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HOME ENERGY AUDIT
Infrared Camera Pictures
The IR camera inspection helps reveal energy loss from interior and exterior areas of your home. Infrared
cameras produce images of invisible infrared or ‘heat’ radiation and provide approximate temperature
measurements of building components*. Every component of your home produces some level of heat that can be
detected by the IR camera. The IR camera detects these temperature differences, giving the energy auditor
important clues which can be used to find insulation deficiencies or air leakage issues. The pictures I took at your
house are below; these could serve as a good educational tool for a contractor who might do insulation and airsealing work.
*Some building materials and testing conditions may decrease accuracy. Examples include; light reflection,
the presence of liquid water and highly polished or metallic surfaces.
The photos below show the infrared image next to a standard digital photo of the same area.
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The wall between the house and garage below the stair railing is colder (61.1 degrees or less) than the
rest of the wall. This may be due to a lack of insulation in this area, or an air leakage path from the
garage.
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HOME ENERGY AUDIT
Air leaks between wooden wall boards; corners are particularly leaky. Apply clear acrylic latex caulk to
joints.
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This shows the same as issue in previous pictures.
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HOME ENERGY AUDIT
Based on this photo and a few insulation sampling points, the rest of the house appears to have very
little to no wall insulation. Confirm this with small inspection holes prior to insulating walls.
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