Do You Need a Home Energy Audit Before Going Solar?

Making the most of your solar installation requires an in-depth understanding of your home’s energy needs. Knowing which systems in your home are draining electricity – and making the necessary adjustments to resolve these issues – will help ensure your renewable energy array delivers the highest possible return on your investment. That’s why a home energy audit is crucial to the pre-solar installation process. This guide will cover what you can expect with a home energy audit and how this task can help ensure solar readiness. 

Understanding Home Energy Audits

A comprehensive home energy audit is an essential precursor to any solar installation, offering valuable insights into your home’s baseline efficiency and identifying any elements that could use improvement. 

What is a Home Energy Audit? 

A home energy audit or energy assessment is a thorough evaluation of your home’s energy use that can show you which systems throughout your house are wasting precious energy. During the process, a professional energy auditor may perform the following tasks:

• Visual inspection: Examine insulation levels, HVAC equipment, windows, doors, and appliances. Check for outdated systems, air leaks, and moisture issues. 
• Blower door test: Mount a powerful fan onto an exterior door to depressurize your home and test for air leaks or drafts. 
• Thermal imaging: Detect heat loss and insulation gaps with an infrared camera. 
• Duct leakage testing: Identify leaks in ductwork that may reduce HVAC performance. 
• Utility bill analysis: Compare past utility usage with current performance to pinpoint spikes or seasonal inefficiencies. 

They will then use this data to generate a detailed report outlining your home’s energy profile and suggesting any improvements. 

Benefits of Conducting a Home Energy Audit 

Highly efficient homes naturally require less energy than properties without fine-tuned systems in place to manage electrical demand, but knowing which systems are driving your power bill through the roof can be challenging without professional insights. 

A home energy audit assesses many common culprits of excessive energy consumption to determine which elements need immediate attention. Once completed, you’ll receive an energy report detailing which appliances or features are less efficient than they should be, and offering recommendations for improvement. When your house is equipped with ENERGY STAR® appliances, sealed ductwork, and sufficient insulation, you reduce strain on your HVAC system and enjoy lower monthly utility costs. By identifying and addressing inefficiencies throughout your home before purchasing a solar array, you may find that a smaller, more affordable solar array can meet your household needs. 

Unlocking Savings and Comfort

The benefits of an energy audit extend beyond your solar investment. Here’s a guide to maximizing long-term savings and comfort with an energy evaluation: 

Unlock Hidden Savings with a Thorough Energy Audit 

Even without renewable energy, a home energy audit can save you money by highlighting systems that use disproportionate amounts of electricity, suggesting important efficiency upgrades to reduce your baseline household demand. 

However, using an energy audit to lower your electricity requirements can also ensure solar readiness and save you a substantial amount of money when it’s time to install a renewable energy system. The size of your solar panel array will depend on how much energy you use, so implementing suggested changes outlined in your home energy audit report can allow you to install a smaller, more affordable array for more profound savings and a faster return on your investment. Some utility companies and state governments may also offer financial incentives for efficiency upgrades, further reducing your costs. 

Boost Your Home’s Comfort and Health

Are certain rooms in your house consistently hotter or colder than the setting on your thermostat? If so, a home energy audit can make a big difference in your overall comfort. By properly balancing ductwork and air flow, you can help hot or cold rooms maintain appropriate temperatures. Additionally, sealing gaps and fortifying weather stripping can block pollutants, allergens, and moisture to improve your overall air quality. Together, these modifications can support a healthier and more comfortable living space. 

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Preparing for Solar Success

Ready to take control of your solar readiness with a home energy audit? Let’s discuss how home energy audits can lay the foundation for greater sustainability. 

Prepare for Solar Success with Tailored Insights 

Energy audits include inspections of many critical systems throughout your home, offering specific recommendations to boost efficiency from top to bottom. This process identifies wasteful energy use that artificially inflates your utility bills, then gives you a blueprint to correct these issues. Once you’ve made the necessary adjustments, you’ll reveal your true energy needs, so you can purchase the right solar panel array without overspending. 

Your energy audit can also help you make the most of your solar array by improving load timing. These assessments can show you how scheduling certain devices to run during the day and incorporating smart thermostats into your home can help you maximize your access to clean energy and avoid high time-of-use rates. 

Energy Audits Pave the Way for Solar Readiness 

Identifying and resolving waste before investing in solar is essential to your overall sustainability. After all, solar panels don’t fix underlying inefficiencies in your home — they just have to work harder to compensate for them. Addressing these issues before installing solar panels can help ensure that your home is operating at peak performance. In turn, you can meet your needs with a smaller, more cost-effective solar array and see a faster return on your investment. 

Professional vs. DIY Audits

While it may be possible to perform your own home energy audit, it’s important to understand the difference between professional and DIY inspections. A certified energy auditor has access to specialized tools like thermal imaging cameras, digital pressure gauges, combustion analyzers, and blower doors that offer precise measurements to uncover issues that are not apparent to the naked eye. These professional inspections are thorough, accurate, and include objective expertise. 

DIY energy audits can serve as a good starting point for determining your home’s efficiency, but the average homeowner lacks the tools and experience to achieve the same results. It’s easy to miss key issues like poor insulation behind walls and dangerous backdrafts from combustion appliances. Additionally, calculating which upgrades to prioritize can be challenging or impossible for those without specialized equipment. 

Financial Considerations

While it’s tempting to opt for a free DIY audit over a paid professional inspection, federal tax credits and other rebates may help offset the cost of hiring an expert. 

Explore Financial Incentives for Energy Audits 

You’ll find a number of tax incentives and rebates to reduce the overall cost of a professional home energy audit, including: 

• Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit: Up to $150 back for a certified home energy audit, and 30% off of qualifying efficiency upgrades, up to $3,200. 
• Department of Energy HOMES Program: Offers 30% off of eligible efficiency improvements, up to $8,000. 
• State and utility incentives: Local governments and utility companies may offer additional rebates for qualifying upgrades. 

A certified home energy auditor can help you navigate the incentives and rebates available in your area. Consider reaching out to several highly rated local auditors to compare prices and learn more about your options. 

Stay Informed about Potential Audit Costs 

The average home energy audit costs between $200 and $700 before deducting financial incentives. These costs will vary based on your location and the size and complexity of your home. Some auditors offer discounted bundles when you purchase additional insulation, sealing services, and other upgrades through the company. 

As you prepare for your audit, research local and utility-sponsored incentive programs and begin budgeting for the upfront investment. Maintain meticulous records of any expenses associated with your efficiency upgrades, so you have the necessary documentation to claim the highest possible refund amount. If you’re not ready to make significant improvements to your home, consider gradually implementing changes over time, starting with the most impactful projects your budget will support. 

Enhancing Home Resale Value

Savvy homeowners can leverage home energy audits to enhance their property’s resale value. Document each and every efficiency upgrade you make to your home, beginning with the audit report. This document serves as a report card for your home’s baseline efficiency. As you make improvements, keep records to demonstrate your progress. If possible, you may also track how these changes have impacted your energy demand. 

Prospective home buyers value energy efficiency, and the current housing market offers plenty of proof. Not only do homes with solar panels sell for up to 10% more than comparable grid-dependent properties, but even homes without renewable energy earn a higher resale value for each additional point in their Home Energy Score. 

The Importance of Home Energy Audits Before Going Solar

Before you spring for a new solar array, a home energy audit can help you tweak your existing household systems to maximize energy efficiency, taming unnecessary waste and boosting baseline performance to enjoy a higher return on a smaller investment. Want to learn more about solar readiness? The team at Solar Energy World is here to help. Reach out today for a free solar estimate!that works for you. Take the first step to clean energy today with a free solar estimate!