Home Energy Solutions

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Home Energy Solutions, Inc. (HES) is a national recognized HERS rating corporation specializing in home energy ratings, diagnostic testing, inspections and building science consultation. Here on Long Island where most local building departments have adopted ESLH as their new building code, we keep the permit process moving so builders and homeowners don’t lose precious time in progressing forward. HES provides a structural plan analysis and inspection services for new homes to qualify under the guidelines of your local municipal permit requirements and the ESLH program. We will be evaluating the heating, cooling, hot water energy use, as well as the home’s major appliance loads and determines how these items interact with the new home’s building envelope. After preliminary review of your new project we will be ready to discuss changes to the proposed housing project in order to bring them into ESLH as well as qualifying your new homes for federal tax credits and NYSERDA incentives.

The National Association of Home Building (NAHB) National Green Building Program was developed by the NAHB Research Center. It is a point-based program that promotes green building practices in lot design, preparation and development; resource efficiency; energy efficiency; water efficiency; indoor environmental quality; operation, maintenance and homeowner education; and global impact.

Home Energy Solutions, Inc. is a NAHB approved Green Verifier. In addition to providing ENERGY STAR certification on your project, we can also provide the 3rd party inspections and testing required for this program.

Home Energy Solutions, Inc. models each of your homes for design efficiency. We collect all the necessary data from the plans as well as the proposed mechanical equipment and will provide the house with a score. This is much more detailed than the typical REScheck. Once we have installed this house into our software program we can start to suggest improvements which will have the least impact on your budget but maximize your overall rating, as well as qualifying your new home for federal tax credits and NYSERDA incentives. At this point we will be able to provide you with the required documentation for your building permit. This task, with a typical single family residence will be completed with a 48 hour return.

A requirement of the ESLH program is to have a Manual J sizing done for each of the homes. This is to insure the house has properly sized heating and cooling equipment specific to that house.

This is the point in the project when Home Energy Solutions, Inc. comes to your jobsite to look for air flow problems with regards to the framing. Proper sealing the envelop or shell of a home is often the most cost effective way to improve energy efficiency and comfort. Home Energy Solutions, Inc. inspectors identify air sealing challenges before they become inherent problems in construction. We will meet with your project manager and give him a hard copy of items of concern.

This inspection has a dramatic impact on the homes overall rating. We will meet with your insulation contractor prior to commencement and go over what we expect with regards to quality workmanship. Home Energy Solutions, Inc. will perform insulation inspections in accordance with the EPA’s thermal bypass guidelines conducted prior to drywall.

Leaks in forced air duct systems are now recognized as a major source of energy waste in both new and existing houses. Studies indicate that duct leakage can account for as much as 10% of total house energy loss, and in many cases has a greater impact on energy use than air infiltration through the building shell. Just as important, duck leakage can prevent heating and cooling systems from doing their job properly, resulting in hot or cold rooms, and humidity problems. Worse yet, duct leaks can create air quality problems by pulling pollutants and irritants directly into the house.

A duct leakage performance test involves pressurizing the duct system with a calibrated fan and simultaneously measuring the air flow through the fan and its effect on the pressure within the duct system. The tighter the duct system, the less air you need from the fan to create a change in duct system pressure. Testing procedures can be set up to measure only duct leakage (i.e. leaks connected to the outside and inside of the house). Duct leakage measurements are used to diagnose and demonstrate leakage problems, estimate efficiency losses from duct leakage, and certify the quality of duct system installation.

The easiest way to measure building airtightness is with a diagnostic tool called a Blower Door. The Blower Door consists of a powerful, calibrated fan that is temporarily sealed into an exterior doorway. The fan blows air out of the house to create a slight pressure difference between inside and outside. This pressure difference forces air through all holes and penetrations in the building envelope. Blower door tests are typically performed at a pressure difference of 50 Pascals.

By simultaneously measuring the air flow through the fan and its effect on the air pressure in the building, the Blower Door system measures the airtightness of the entire building envelope. The tighter the building (e.g. few holes), the less air you need from the Blower Door fan to create a change in building pressure.

In addition to assessing the overall airtightness level of the building envelope, the Blower Door can be used to estimate the amount of leakage between the conditioned space of the building and attached structural components such as garages, attics and crawlspaces.

Home Energy Solutions, Inc. can identify combustion safety issues that have arisen from appliances and equipment that burn fuels such as natural gas, which can produce carbon monoxide – a colorless, odorless, deadly gas. Carbon monoxide can be produced by appliances in a living area, or it can enter living areas through backdrafting that occurs when building pressurization is incorrect. HES works with building contractors to identify and correct potential health risks due to combustion-related carbon monoxide.

A Home Assessment is an inspection of an existing house for the purpose of determining its current energy efficiency and providing recommendations for improvements. Home Energy Solutions, Inc. has experience assessing the overall energy efficiency of homes through an on-site inspection. The Home Assessment includes a visual assessment of air infiltration locations, insulation, windows, ventilation, and moisture issues. Blower door and duct blaster tests are conducted to assess air infiltration and duct leakage. In addition to energy measures, consideration is given to potential problems with indoor air quality. Home Energy Solutions, Inc. staff provides a report that summarizes the findings with prioritized recommendations for improvement.

Home Energy Solutions, Inc. offers a unique and invaluable service in infared scanning. Advanced infrared technology allows for detection and identification of problems invisible to the naked eye. Additionally, infrared scanning provides physical documentation of problems that often go unseen during standard visual inspections.

Infrared thermography can identify a variety of issues and deficiencies:

1. Roof Failures
2. Comfort Issues
3. Moisture Detection
4. Heat and Air Issues
5. Insulation Verification
6. Electrical Damage
7. Mechanical Equipment Hot Spots

Infrared thermography is an effective way to ensure stability and longevity of a home and to protect against greater costs incurred by major building failures. A thermographic inspection is either an interior or exterior survey. The energy auditor decides which method would give the best results under certain weather conditions. Interior scans are more common than exterior scans because there is less interference from outside conditions such as the sun warming a surface or heat loss, which may not be the source of the problem.

Thermographic scans are also commonly used with a blower door test running. The blower door helps exaggerate air leaking through defects in the building shell. Such air leaks appear as black streaks in the infrared camera’s viewfinder.

Infrared scaling allows energy auditors to check the effectiveness of insulation in a building’s construction. The resulting thermograms help auditors determine whether a building needs insulation and where in the building it should go. Because wet insulation conducts heat faster than dry insulation, thermographic scans of roofs can often detect roof leaks.

In addition to using thermography during an energy audit, you should have a scan done before purchasing a house; even new homes can have defects in their thermal envelopes. You may wish to include a clause in the contract requiring a thermographic scan of the house. A thermographic scan performed by a certified technician is usually accurate enough to use as documentation in court proceedings.

Home Energy Solutions Phone (631)673-0664 Fax (631)547-8446 Email gdlamay3@msn.com

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