Nations Home Inspections

Nations Home Inspections and Energy Ratings provides the highest
quality building services in Chicagoland.

Energy Ratings
A traditional home inspection does not
include a Home Energy Rating, but under-
standing and improving a home's energy
efficiency should be a high priority for home
owners. In the Midwest the average family
spends $1,400 per year on home energy
including costs for heating, cooling, hot
water, lighting, and appliances, according
to RESNET (the Residential Energy Services
Network, the leading accrediting body for
Home Energy Raters). But simple improvements in a home's energy
efficiency can cut energy costs by over 40%. But money isn't the only
thing a Home Energy Rating will help save. Electricity, fossil fuels and
other energy sources used in the home do contribute to global warming,
and when your home wastes energy, you are needlessly polluting the
environment. And unlike an energy audit or a weatherization assessment,
a home energy rating is a recognized tool in the mortgage industry.

What Is A Home Energy Rating?
A Home Energy Rating is a standard measurement of a home's energy
efficiency. The Rater will prepare a report after on-site testing and an
inspection that measures a home's energy characteristics such as:
insulation levels, window efficiency, wall-to-window ratios, heating and
cooling system, solar orientation of the home and the water heating
system. Performance testing such as a blower door test for air leakage
and duct leakage is conducted and is also part of the rating.

There are four basic parts to an energy rating:

Home Audit and Inspection
The rater inspects the home and determines the elements of the home
and how they will affect the performance of the home. The area of the
walls is measured. The construction of the walls is determined, including
the framing, insulation amounts, sheathing, siding, plaster or drywall, etc.
All this allows the heat loss/gain through the walls to be calculated.

The size, type, and orientation of the windows are determined.

The size and type of heating and cooling and waters heating equipment
are determined.

Blower Door Test and Duct Leakage Test
A blower door test measures how leaky a
building is in terms of air infiltration. This is
a very important number, as this determines
how much warm air leaks out of the house
during the winter. Air leakage typically
represents from 5% to 40% of the heating
and cooling costs of a house. And older
houses are generally the leakiest.

A blower door is a calibrated, variable speed
fan that is temporarily installed into a door
opening using an adjustable frame. It has
very accurate manometers that measure
the amount of air flowing through the fan.
A pressure difference of 50 Pascals (about
0.2 inches of water, or the equivalent to
having approximately a twenty mile per hour wind blowing on all sides of
the home) is created between the inside and outside of the building.

The house is depressurized and any leaks in the home are accounted for
through the air being blown out of the door. The amount and location of
the air leaks are determined.

Using a similar fan, the leakiness of the heating and cooling ducts is
determined. It has been estimated that leaky ducts lead to an efficiency
loss of between 10-30% in the heating and cooling system.

Rating Calculation
After the audit and testing are completed, all of the data is entered into a
software program (REM/Rate(TM), by Architectural Energy Corporation)
which calculates the rating index and an estimate of the home's energy
usage. A rating of 100 indicates that the house is as efficient as a house
that conforms to the International Energy Conservation Code. And each
one point drop in the index represents a one per cent reduction in energy
use compared to the base house.

A house receiving a rating index of 85 or lower qualifies for possible
inclusion in the nation-wide listing of Energy Star homes by the EPA.
There are additional requirements as well.

Many home owners, especially those living in older homes, would be
surprised at how high their score can be, and a score of over 200 is not
uncommon for older homes, especially those built before World War II.

Economic Analysis and Design
By using the rating information and the software, the economic benefit of
various upgrades can be determined.

The REM/Rate software generates several reports showing the energy
profile of the home as well as an analysis of any improvements. For
example, the rating can be re-computed assuming additional insulation in
the attic or the walls. The amount and cost of energy saved as computed
by the software can be compared to the cost of the additional insulation.
This can be done for many different scenarios, including new windows or a
new furnace, giving the homeowner information on what the most
cost-effective upgrades will be as well as which upgrades will have the
biggest overall effect on energy efficiency.

Utilizing this type of information allows the homeowner to make informed
decisions as to what upgrades should be made to the home.

Call 708.837.6972 for prompt service and peace of mind.

Steve@NationsHomeInspections.com