Green Home Performance Evaluation

If you are wondering how your home measures up to green standards and want to find out if there are ways to make it more energy efficient, you can do a home performance evaluation. A home performance evaluation will give you an objective look into what you can specifically do to make your home green when it comes to energy consumption.

ENERGY STAR has a program called Energy Star Home Performance. You do not have to have any economic qualifications, such as falling in an income-tax bracket, but you do have to live in an area with a sponsored contractor. The contractor will come to your home and do a whole house assessment. Instead of focusing on a specific area like windows or heating/cooling, the contractor will assess the overall energy efficiency of the house. After an evaluation of your home and possibly your utility bills, the contractor will make cost-effective recommendations. The most common recommendations are sealing air leaks, adding insulation, improving heating and cooling systems and upgrading lighting and appliances.

Usually, the contractor looks around at your home to see possible areas of improvement. This works by making your home stop energy waste from the start.  Energy waste often occurs through leaks by drafty windows and doors. This is easy to change by sealing all air leaks. Preventing air leaks save money on bills for homeowners by quite a large margin. Heating and cooling account for a large amount of energy used in a home, so this is something that you may wish to have evaluated as well. Another thing that is done to prevent energy waste is to make sure your home is properly insulated. This also helps with the heating and cooling of your home. The contractor may also check your lighting and the appliances themselves, suggesting energy-efficient alternatives if yours are not up to current green standards.

A home performance evaluation will provide you with guidance on what you can buy for your home without going overboard to make it greener and more energy-efficient. Some of these are so simple that all it takes is a weekend to bring your home up to par. Have evaluations like this done is an easy way to make sure your home is green. EnviroCitizen.org knows that small steps like changing your light bulbs can drastically reduce your carbon footprint as well as your utility bills. Consider having your home assessed today.