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A whole home energy audit in California is one of the first steps to understanding your home’s energy usage, as well as its overall health and performance. Whole homes energy audits should be performed by certified professionals. In California, HERS II is certification needed.
Whole home energy audits typically consist of:
- a thorough visual inspection
- an insulation check to determine current levels
- an air leakage test using a blower door to determine total leakage for the house
- a ventilation check to ensure that the home conforms to safety standards
- documentation of current mechanical equipment
Different local, state and federal programs will require specific measures to be performed during your whole home energy audit in order to qualify for tax incentives or grants.
Home Energy Rating System (HERS) raters are energy specialists. They can quantify expected energy use and determine cost effective improvements for homeowners. They are also trained to visually assess how well energy efficiency measures have been installed and perform diagnostic testing on certain building components.
Energy related features most often tested by HERS raters include air conditioners, ducting, and the building envelope (including roof, exterior walls, doors and windows). HERS raters often use special pressurization fans (blower doors) to measure air leakage from duct work and/or the building envelope as a whole. Some check the refrigerant charge and airflow of air conditioning systems.
- New 2008 Title-24 HVAC Change-Out Requirements Effective January 1, 2010
The new 2008 Title-24 Energy Standards take effect January 1, 2010 and include significant changes to the HVAC change-out rules that have been in place since 2005. The 2005 Energy Code required Duct Sealing and Testing by a certified HERS rater whenever you changed out an HVAC system. In the 2005 code HVAC contractors were allowed in some cases to avoid duct sealing and testing by installing equipment with a higher efficiency or SEER rating. That option has now been eliminated. - Beginning on January 1, 2010 this all changes as follows:
The new 2008 Title-24 standards require Duct Sealing and Testing in climate zones 2, & 9-16 (link to climate zone map). In addition the TXV verification inspection has been eliminated and now more detailed verification of the refrigerant charge is required in climate zones 2, & 8-15 (link to climate zone map). Refrigerant Charge verification by a HERS rater is triggered if the entire HVAC system is installed, or if the outdoor condensing unit is installed or, if the indoor coil is replaced.
Duct testing is required when specified in the Title-24 compliance documentation or when HVAC equipment is changed out and or the ducts are altered. This applies to residential and commercial applications. Duct testing must be performed by an independent, third party, state certified HERS raters and involves pressurizing the duct system to a specified level and verifying that the ducts leak at a rate no greater than 6% of the total airflow. A greater amount of duct leakage (15%) is allowed for retrofit HVAC work. Most of the state sponsored incentive programs and most utility sponsored incentive programs require duct testing as a prerequisite for acceptance into their incentive programs. The average home in California has duct leakage of 30%. Most or all of the leakage occurs outside the conditioned space.
Refrigerant Charge. When a new A/C system is installed, the installing contractor performs the refrigerant charge measurement and has an independent, third party HERS rater verify. This applies when either replacing an existing HVAC unit or installing a new system. The contractor then fills out the appropriate sections of the standard CF-6R form indicating the proper amount of refrigerant charge. The HERS rater then verifies the refrigerant charge using one of two possible methods. The first involves the HERS rater attaching their own gauges to the system to measure the refrigerant charge. The second method requires the HVAC installer to install temperature measurement access holes and saturation temperature measurement sensors. This allows the HERS rater to verify the system performance and refrigerant charge without attaching gauges to the system. The temperature measurement access holes are 5/16? holes that the contractor drills, one in the supply plenum and one in the return plenum. Exact locations are specified in the standards. HVAC installers can attend training seminars sponsored by the state to become familiar with the details of this process. The Saturation temperature measurement sensors are Type K thermocouples that are permanently attached to the evaporator coil and the condenser coil. The plug on the end of the thermocouple is plugged into a handheld digital thermometer to read the temperature which is then converted into pressure. The Type K thermocouple must be precisely attached to the indoor coil and the outdoor unit. The HERS rater then will use their handheld digital thermometer to take eight temperature readings at the system. The temperature readings are then used to complete a worksheet that determines that a proper refrigerant charge for the system was used.
Cooling Coil Airflow test. Additionally, in Climate Zone’s 10-15, when both the air handler and the duct system are replaced, the HVAC installer must document that the air handler can deliver at least 350 cfm per ton in cooling mode. This applies to both split and package HVAC units. The airflow is measured at the return air grill using one of three approved methods:
- Flow capture hood
- Flow Grid Device
- Plenum pressure matching procedure.
A well design duct system will meet the 350 cfm/ton requirement easily, however a duct system that is poorly designed, with many bends that inhibit airflow will fail this test. This test must be performed by an independent HERS rater. However the HVAC contractor must first measure the airflow themselves and then fill out the appropriate sections on the CF-6R form. The HERS rater verifies this with their own airflow test and then will fill out and register the CF-4R form which is then provided to the HVAC contractor, building department and homeowner.
Fan Watt Draw verification. In climate zones 10-15 if the HVAC contractor installs or replaces both the duct system and the air handler the system must meet a Fan Watt Draw standard of 0.58 watts per cfm of airflow for the air handler. This is a fairly simple test to perform. The first step is to measure the total system airflow. Then multiply this number by 0.58 which will give you the maximum watts that the air handler fan can draw. The final step is to measure the actual fan watt draw using either a plug-in watt meter or a clamp type amp meter and then convert the amps to watts. An independent HERS rater must verify this test and again fill out a CF-4R to complete this process.
Our California Energy Audits and Upgrade Services
We Provide Energy Audits and Upgrades to the Following Areas
Canada - Alberta | British Columbia | Manitoba | Newfoundland | Ontario
USA - California
Why California Should Hire Us For Energy Audits and Upgrades
Energuy is a team of energy advisors that provide specific energy efficiency solutions for residential homeowners.
Energuy's goal is to provide opportunities to the customer for reducing current energy bills, protecting themselves from rising energy costs, making their home more comfortable and increasing the value to their home. Energuy creates consumer awareness towards the reduction of green house gas emissions.
