Audit Types & Prices
Energy Audit
Lowry EcoSolutions can perform a whole-house energy audit and make recommendations to make you more comfortable, safer, save you money and energy and increase the value of your house. A detailed whole-house audit will include all of the following observations and quantitative tests:
- Basement to attic observations of insulation, air leaks, moisture problems, and indoor air quality concerns;
- Combustion appliance testing of your gas/oil heater, gas hot water heater, and gas oven;
- Blower door testing to determine the air tightness or leakiness of your house;
- Infrared camera observations to determine the location of air leaks, moisture problems, and lapses in the insulation or air barrier of your house (additional fee).
Based on observations and data collected during the energy audit, your auditor will prepare a report outlining recommendations that may suggest the following:
- Added or upgraded insulation in ceiling and walls;
- Air sealing of walls, rim joists, windows and doors, attic, attic hatch, and pipe penetrations;
- Mechanical ventilation to improve indoor air quality or provide adequate ventilation for combustion appliances;
- Repair or replace combustion appliances such as your heater, hot water heater, or gas oven.
By implementing the recommendations provided, you will be able to make your house safer, more comfortable, and energy efficient, all the while saving money on your heating and cooling bills.
Energy audits will be performed in accordance with the Building Performance Institute's Technical Standards for the Building Analyst Professional. These standards have been developed to test the comfort, health, safety, durability, and energy efficiency of your house.
For more information about energy audits, please check out this link to the U.S. Department of Energy website.
Energy Audit prices start at $400 for a single-family house up to 2,500 square feet and includes testing of one combustion house heater (gas or oil), one gas-fired domestic water heater, and one gas oven.
Energy Works is a program in the 5 county Philadelphia region that subsidizes energy audits for homeowners. The program provides a $250 rebate towards the price of an energy. So if your house is 2500 square feet with one heating system, your energy audit could cost $150.
PPL also has an energy audit rebate program that will provide up to $250 toward the cost of an energy audit depending on the type of heating and cooling system that you have.
If you live in the 5 county Philadelphia region AND have PPL Electricity, then you can take advantage of both programs and potentially make money on an energy audit. Call us to find out how.
Infrared imaging (IR) is a valuable tool that can be used to detect hidden air leakage, missing or poorly installed insulation, and moisture probems. We offer IR as an additional service with all energy audits. Please let us know if you have questions or would like to include IR with your energy audit.
Duct system testing is a service that should be performed to determine air leakage. There is an additional fee for this service depending on the size of the system.
Contact us to schedule your home energy audit or to get a cost proposal.
Energy Star Qualified Homes
Are you planning on building an Energy Star house? You will need a HERS Rating in order to qualify. We can work with you to design, construct, and document your new Energy Star certified house.
"To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard homes." (from EnergyStar.gov)
Contact us for more information about HERS Ratings and making your next house an Energy Star house.