BEFORE THE AUDIT:
This small single story ranch home had been unoccupied for quite some time before the current owners took residence. As a result it was in poor condition in need of many repairs to make it a more comfortable and energy efficient living space. The owner of this home wanted not only to improve performance and efficiency but make the home healthier for her children. There was no air conditioning system installed and her energy bills were still incredibly high for such a modestly sized home.
WHAT THE AUDIT FOUND:
As a result of the home energy audit, we found that the home was outfitted with an outdated, low speed, inefficient, oil burning boiler. The home was losing heated air through cracks, holes, and openings in the building envelope. Insulation had been displaced and disgraced by local fauna who used the attic as a home during the time the home was not occupied, this not only affected the insulation's resistance to heat, but made the home and air unsafe. Other safety issues such as improper dryer and bathroom fan ventilation also added to the list of hazards that needed to be corrected.
WHAT WAS SUGGESTED:
The customer's priority was to improve performance, efficiency, comfort, and safety. Based on the information gathered from the audit, we suggested that in order to achieve these goals the following measures had to be implemented: Replacement of the outdated boiler system; a switch from oil fuel to natural gas; complete removal of old insulation and installation of new insulation; air sealing of the entire attic place; replacement of the dryer duct; installation of an insulated attic hatch; and replacement of the bathroom ventilation ducts. By implementing these measures, the homeowner was able to experience an increase of comfort in the living environment, better air quality for her family, and a possible energy bill reduction of up to 30%.
