Whatever you call it, an audit is the smartest way to find out:

• How to save money on your utility bills
• How to make your home more comfortable
• How to reduce your home's contribution to global warming

Unsolicited Testimonials

What is an Energy Audit

An energy audit is an evaluation of how efficiently, or inefficiently, your house uses electricity, gas, oil, and other forms of energy.  Audits also assess how comfortable your home is, in both cold and hot weather. An audit should also check the safety of combustion equipment, such as furnaces and water heaters, to verify proper venting, detect gas leaks, and measure carbon monoxide levels.

copyright © Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 2009

Click here to read about energy audits in "Going Greener: All the little bits add up" (Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Nov. 9, 2008).

There are many different types of audits offered by many different companies and individuals, with a wide range in prices.  Some audits involved sophisticated equipment, tests, and computer modeling.  For the average homeowner, it can be a bit confusing and daunting.  The most important consideration when deciding on an audit is the auditor’s training.  The most highly qualified auditors are certified by the Building Performance Institute (BPI) and the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET).

Our Energy Audits

Conservation Consultants offers two different types of audits for existing homes –a comprehensive diagnostic audit and a quicker, less expensive walk-through audit.

ENERGY STAR for Existing Homes

This comprehensive diagnostic audit offers the most thorough evaluation of your home available.  Features include:

• Performed by an experienced BPI and RESNET certified auditor.
• Client interview to identify your concerns and understand your energy use patterns.
• Analysis of your utility bills from the last year.
• Detailed inspection of your house, from top to bottom (4-6 hours, depending on the size of your home).
• Blower door test to detect air leakage (from windows and doors, fireplaces, penetrations of the building shell).
• Combustion safety testing to detect carbon monoxide and gas leaks.
• Full written report including documentation of existing conditions, blower door and utility bill analysis, recommendations for improvements, contractors and other resources (for a sample report, click here).
• Computer analysis using Green Energy Compass, a  software program that provides a breakdown of your home energy use and offers comparisons to simular homes.
• Copy of The Homeowner’s Handbook to Energy Efficiency, a 179-page guide.
• Follow-up blower door test after air sealing to verify and quantify air tightness improvements.
• Retesting of combustion appliances, as nesessary, to verify proper venting.

Cost $450*
*Higher price for especially large homes and those with multiple heating or cooling systems.

Option 1
Computer analysis using REM/Rate, a sophisticated and powerful software tool that both analyzes and predicts energy usage based on the unique features of your home.  REM/Rate modeling is required for a Keystone HELP Whole House Improvement Loan (Keystone HELP will provide a $325 credit toward the cost of the audit).

Additional cost:  $275

Option 2
Infrared thermographic testing to confirm locations where your house is losing heat in the winter and gaining heat in the summer. Infrared images will be included in the audit report.

Additional cost:  $200

eSmart³ Audit

By means of a visual inspection, this walk-through audit will identify key priorities for improving your home’s energy efficiency.  Features include:

• Performed by an auditor with a minimum of 3 years experience.
• Walk-through inspection of your house, from top to bottom (1-1½ hours, depending on the size of your home).
• Safety testing to detect carbon monoxide and gas leaks.
• Checklist report with recommendations for improvements, contractors and other resources (for a sample report, click here).
• Copy of eSmart³Home Energy Handbook, a 27-page guide.
• Does not include blower door or infrared thermographic testing, utility bill analysis, or computer analysis/modeling.

Cost:  $150

Conservation Consultants also offers ENERGY STAR audits for new homes.

We provide independent, third-party inspections and testing for homebuilders seeking an ENERGY STAR rating.  Our auditors advise builders on how to select the most appropriate energy-efficient features for a home, and inspect and test the home during and after construction to verify that the home meets EPA’s strict guidelines for energy efficiency.

Cost:  Starting at $600
Pricing depends on complexity of project

Small Scale Commercial/Institutional/Municipal Building Audits

Conservation Consultants offers small-scale commercial/ institutional/ municipal audits.  Click here for more information. 

To schedule an energy audit, contact us via email at info@ccicenter.org or by phone at 412.431.4449 ext. 225.

Testimonials

"We very much appreciate Jonathan’s good work. We have had lots of the recommendations for energy saving implemented already and it seems to have made a big difference.  Thank you again to CCI for your help."
--Meg Cheever, Shadyside

"Many thanks.  FYI, I’ve already had the weatherproofing around the windows and doors done, the dryer flue replaced with metal piping, and the third floor air conditioner properly sealed. So you see I’m putting all your good advice into effect."
--Caroline Acker, Ph.D., Highland Park 

"Thanks for completing this task (audit and report) so quickly and for all the suggestions and recommendations.  We will get to them as quickly as we can.  Since we have so many areas where we can improve, I expect it will take some time to do all of them!  But once it is done, my guess is that we will not only see some good savings, we will also feel a whole lot better, both summer and winter."
--Angie M., Squirrel Hill

"Dear Friends, 
We're definitely noticing that our house holds its heat better; this is true during the day when we return after several hours and the house is warm even though the heat has been turned off; the same is true at night -- I don't think the furnace needs to come on during the night to keep the house at 55. So -- we're very pleased with our weatherization! 

We really liked the combination of the energy audit from your neutral organization and the service provided by an unrelated contractor. We were originally motivated to choose a CCI audit because we knew that CCI is a reputable organization plus its audit would include contractor referrals.  Having the list of providers as well as recommended improvements was invaluable." 
--Rod and Nancy Weiss, WashPA

"Garrett, Wow.  Rarely do I read a technical report that I actually want to keep reading.  That was an excellent, very understandable, succinct, thorough analysis.  That was well worth the money and you obviously put a lot of time and energy (and knowledge) into creating that report.  I really appreciate the timeliness of you getting it to us.  Thank you so much for a job well done."
--Mike and Mary Rago, Carnegie