November 2008 Newsletter                               View an index of all our newsletters
 

From the Desk of
Arthur Lazerow

The HomeEnergyTeam.com website is fabulous! Sean Sobaa and Marty Valentine working on the contractor side and Joe Dempsey on our side are to be congratulated.

Joe Dempsey is also sensational in two videos posted on the website. In one, he discusses the benefits of having an energy audit for your home, and in the other, he walks the viewer through an energy audit. One would think Joe is a professional actor.

In one location, HomeEnergyTeam.com, you can find reliable information describing the benefits of having your home audited for energy utilization, energy waste, and how to improve the comfort of your home and save money at the same time.

Once you click on the state where the home is located, the site has three major areas. The Energy Audit area answers why to get an audit, the audit process is outlined, and discusses what energy efficiency solutions are available. The second section provides resources, such as identifying problems and offering solutions, giving tips and articles on energy audits, the Energy Star program and how to gain federal tax benefits from energy related upgrades.

The final section permits the visitor to schedule an audit and find contractors on the Home Energy Team. The contractor list is ever growing and will eventually contain two or three of each work category. Some of the contractors will offer rebates to refund a portion or all of the cost of the energy audit, so check the rebate program for more details.

Visit HomeEnergyTeam.com and see for yourself.

Energy Saving
Self Remedies in Your Home

Improving the energy efficiency of your home doesn’t have to cost a whole bunch of dough. Here are some simple chores for “Harry Homeowner” to accomplish:

1. Make sure that all windows are seated, closed and locked. In a home with storm windows, make sure that storms are fully in place. Replace any broken or damaged locks.

2. If you have more openable windows in a room than you require, think about sealing the additional windows. (Leave at least one window in every room in openable condition for safety.)

3. Check the weatherstripping and thresholds serving your outside doors.
Make improvements as needed to seal around doors.

4. If you have a fireplace, make sure to close the damper tightly. Take a flashlight and visually check that the damper seals well.

5. Damper doors on nonfunctioning fire places should be sealed.

6. Look in your attic and check the depth of blown-in
or batt insulation. If you don’t have at least 10 inches, think seriously about adding insulation.

7. If you don’t use your attic for storage and don’t need regular access, think about placing a bead of removable caulk around the opening.

8. Consider the cost of operating your appliances. New Energy Star rated appliances are much more energy efficient than models from the early nineties. As older appliances wear out, replace with Energy Star rated appliances.

9. Enjoy the savings!

Alban All-in For Energy Audits
HomeEnergyTeam.com is Launched

It has been obvious for some time now that, in this era of expensive energy, homeowners and buyers need to understand the energy performance of their homes.

Alban has been focused on this issue throughout the year. Joe Dempsey has become a fully qualified energy auditor and is fully equipped to perform detailed and sophisticated residential energy audits. 

In addition, Alban has created, along with our radio friend Sean Sobaa of Contractor.com fame, an alliance of energy auditors and energy conservation contractors. Under the banner of the Home Energy Team, we have focused on both sides of the equation. Alban will perform the energy audits in the metropolitan Washington area. Our audits are completely independent. We represent only the interest of our clients and receive no benefit from our allied contractors other then mutually maintaining the new website, HomeEnergyTeam.com.

Nonetheless, the contractors participating in the Home Energy Team have been fully vetted and are recommended because of their expertise in their fields, their excellent reputations and their record of reliability. Alban’s home inspection clients ask us frequently for contractor recommendations, and it should be reassuring to our energy audit clients to have an excellent group of professional contractors within the Home Energy Team concept for us to recommend.

An energy audit consists first of a discussion with the homeowner about energy issues and comfort of the home and their goals (lower bills, more comfort, information). We visually inspect the building envelope for energy wasting deficiencies. Key energy utilization systems, such as the furnace, heat pump and air conditioning compressor, insulation (in walls, attic, or around ducts), windows and key appliances are studied to identify energy features.

The scientific investigation of the home can consist of numerous tests, including the use of blower door apparatus to depressurize the interior of the home, thereby showing areas of air infiltration where weaknesses in the building envelop exist, taking temperatures with digital laser thermometers and thermal imaging (when temperature difference inside/outside is sufficient) using the most modern infra-red camera equipment. After the onsite portion of the audit is completed, blower door, thermal imaging and other data are analyzed and a final report is sent to the client with a prioritized list of recommendations.

An energy audit can improve every aspect of selling or buying or owning a home. An energy audit can help a home owner make significant savings in the costs of heating and cooling their home. For someone in the market to sell a home, an energy audit will create a differentiating market advantage. And for someone in the market to buy a home, an energy audit can make the difference in making a sound or a disastrous financial decision. There is no doubt that an energy audit is in the future of most homes. The only question is, when, sooner or later?

Alban is proud to offer FREE Continuing Education Courses in Real Estate Offices!
Call Tina to schedule one of our educational seminars, for additional information, or to schedule our services at 800-822-7200 or 301-662-6565.