Living in a more energy-efficient home comes with a number of benefits: you become more environmentally friendly, you save money on energy bills and you notice improved comfort in your home.
If you are looking to take steps toward having a more energy-efficient home, you are going to need to evaluate your current energy use. You can gain a number of insights by scheduling a home energy audit. There are a number of evaluation methods that may be used during a home energy audit, but one of the most effective ways to do this is via infrared thermography, or infrared diagnostic testing.
Infrared Diagnostic Testing: How It Works
Lost energy and air leaks cannot be seen with the naked eye. An infrared camera is used to capture images outside and inside your home.
Infrared diagnostic testing is one of a number of nondestructive techniques used in order to measure and map surface temperatures. By using an infrared thermographic system, an auditor may be able to determine temperature differences in a given space within a few hundredths of a degree Celsius during an energy audit.
During an audit, every space will be evaluated: your bedroom, your kitchen, your storage closets, your basement, your attic. Additionally, infrared diagnostic testing can determine how efficiently your insulation is working from behind your walls. No energy lost will go unnoticed!
Before scheduling infrared diagnostic testing, it is also important to note that the best results require a significant temperature differential (delta T) between the indoor and outdoor environments. This difference between inside and outside temperatures makes it easier to more clearly identify where your home is losing energy, because they will be easier to spot on the readings. Specific numbers regarding this factor will vary based on climate, region and home, so your local auditor will be able to speak with you regarding your specific situation and when the best time to test will be.
The Benefits of IDT
When it comes to infrared diagnostic testing, the benefits are too numerous to count. For the amount of money and energy you can save after the audit, it’s certainly a worthwhile service.
Infrared diagnostic testing is a method that quickly, easily and non-destructively locates all the areas in your home where hot or cold temperatures are escaping your home. After the energy audit, by knowing where your home is leaking hot and cold air, you know exactly where to caulk, replace windows and install more efficient installation to keep thermal energy inside your home.
Additionally, when your heating or air conditioning is escaping from your home, you are using more energy and paying higher costs than you need to as a result. An energy audit helps you know if you are paying for energy that is being lost by escaping leaks in your home. Once you locate the leaks revealed in the images, you can work to seal the holes in your home to save energy and money in the future.
An additional perk is that in using less energy to heat and cool your home, you are also putting less stress on the environment.
After taking care of these leaks, you might be surprised at the noticeable temperature change or the sudden lack of a once-constant draft. If the results following your infrared diagnostic testing show that you are losing a significant amount of heat, you may notice your home transforming into an even more comfortable place to live after fixing those problematic leaks.
Scheduling an Energy Audit
If you need to meet the expectations of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), you may need to set up an appointment for an energy audit soon. That said, energy audits are useful to everyone looking to save money and energy in the home. If you’re simply curious about the results or wanting be more energy efficient on your own, there’s no better time to schedule an energy audit than the present.
During the audit, your service provider might use a number of tools, and per your request, infrared diagnostic testing just might be one of them.
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