Duct Blaster Test. A test that measures your Heating and Cooling duct system for leaks and helps to locate those leaks. Many homes have leaky ductwork and poor air-flow, resulting in uncomfortable rooms and toxic indoor air quality. The ductwork in the average house can leak anywhere from 30-50%. That translates to a loss of 30 to 50 cents on every dollar you spend to heat or cool your home.
HVAC Equipment Test. HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Cooling) are very often incorrectly oversized which causes the system to cycle on and off frequently causing less comfort and inefficiency. A flow-hood is used to check room by room supply volumes for air mixing and comfort. Exhaust ventilation is a particularly important health and safety concern in homes. Proper mechanical ventilation is used to remove moisture, air pollution, or unwanted heat and must be checked for proper sizing and rate of air exchange.
Infrared Camera. This state-of-the-art equipment is used to survey the entire home for missing or inadequate insulation and hidden moisture damage. Poorly installed insulation and cable and electrical wiring are the major culprits of ineffective insulation levels which result in higher heating and cooling bills.
Combustion Safety Test. Gas leaks are the greatest indoor pollutant threat and can sicken or even cause death as 10-20% of homes have been found to have unsafe levels of CO or gas leaks. Thorough testing is performed both inside and outside for leakage to ensure both safety levels and unnecessarily high gas bills.
Water Usage. Water is often overlooked as a resource that should be used conservatively and efficiently. The assessment of your home's indoor water usage will be measured with a water flow test to check the GPM (gallons per minute) from the sinks and shower heads. Toilets will be checked for leaks and gallons per flush (GPF). Irrigation system performance is evaluated for efficiency.BPI, HERS, LEED & GreenPoint Rated certification providers
BPI
The Building Performance Institute, Inc., (BPI) is the nation's premier building performance credentialing, quality assurance, and national standards setting organization. BPI supports the development of a highly professional building performance industry through individual and organizational credentialing and a rigorous quality assurance program. BPI is approved by the American National Standards Institute, Inc. (ANSI) as an accredited developer of American National Standards.
BPI offers the following:
HERS
HERS stands for Home Energy Rating Systems. HERS energy evaluation programs are recognized by the federal government. They are set up specifically to provide energy information on homes so people can benefit from the Energy Efficient Mortgage and receive Title 24 verification.
The California Energy Commission established regulations for a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Program to certify home energy rating services in California. The goal of the program is to provide reliable information to differentiate the energy efficiency levels among California homes and to guide investment in cost-effective home energy efficiency measures.
The California HERS Program includes field verification and diagnostic testing, verification of duct sealing, thermostatic expansion valves (TXVs), refrigerant charge, airflow measurement, building envelope sealing measures and solar rebate verification. Some of these measures are used when complying with the 2005 Standards for new construction.
Our HERS home analysis includes insulation, windows, heating/cooling system, water heater and lighting. Once verified and certified that the home meets state energy standards, the information is entered into a computer program that calculates an energy rating for the home and, when needed, analyzes all of the possibilities (up to 6,000 variations) for improving the home's energy efficiency. Once the analysis is completed, a detailed rating report listing recommended energy efficiency improvements, (many of which may be financed through an Energy Efficient Mortgage) is submitted.
LEED
LEED stands for The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. As an international green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction focusing on the following categories:
A LEED professional provides third-party certification for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. This nationally recognized certification gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance.
The environmental and financial benefits to earning LEED:
Certifications: LEED for New Construction, LEED for Existing Buildings, LEED for Commercial Interiors, LEED for Retail, LEED for Schools and LEED for Core & Shell rating systems. Building types include – but are not limited to – offices, retail and service establishments, institutional buildings (e.g., libraries, schools, museums and religious institutions), hotels and residential buildings.
GreenPoint Rated
GreenPoint Rated is a certification program of Build It Green, a professional non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote healthy, energy- and resource-efficient homes in California.
GreenPoint Rated removes the guesswork by having a GreenPoint Rater evaluate your home's green features allowing homes to be compared on a level playing field. GreenPoint Rated rewards building professionals and homeowners who create green homes by allowing them to brand their products with a recognizable, trustworthy seal of approval. Think of GreenPoint Rated as a report card for single and multi-family homes for both existing and new construction.
GreenPoint Rated is a recognizable and independent seal of approval for green homes that allows them to stand out from the crowd. It reassures home buyers that a home is truly healthier, more energy efficient, and more resource-efficient.
GreenPoint Rated Existing Home is a comprehensive green building rating system for existing homes and is available for homes of all vintages; existing or undergoing remodeling. Existing Home rating system helps educate homeowners about the benefits of green remodeling and to provide a pathway for making continued improvements .Depending on your home's current energy performance and the extent of green home improvements, you can receive either an Elements or Whole House consumer label.
General steps for GreenPoint Rated program include:
Planning to sell your home? A presale inspection and efficiency upgrade will help you to differentiate your property in the market place and sell quickly.