HAWAI'I LIFEHawaii Home Energy Audit…Watt’s Up With That?
If you were like me a few years ago and someone asked me to get a Hawaii home energy audit, I would have called my CPA to schedule one!
While we see Hawaii becoming more energy conscious, this term has not been familiar—until now. A Home Energy Audit, in a nutshell, is an evaluation of the energy consumption of your home and of your energy usage patterns.
We in Hawaii have different comfort issues to deal with—hot rooms that don’t cool down quick enough, air conditioned spaces that are either too cold or not cold enough. We need to understand these issues as it relates to a “Hawaiian Style” home.
A Home Energy Audit considers comfort issues, identifies weaknesses in the building envelope (the separation of the interior and exterior environments of a building), mechanical system efficiencies and occupant usage. I don’t mean to get “œall technical” with this building envelope stuff but as a newly certified Home Energy Surveyor, it makes me sound kinda important! I also think the term “œgreen” is a little cliche and overused. Anyway, I prefer to use the term energy efficient.
Throughout the course of my blogs, I hope to give you tips on how to help you save money on your energy bill, increase your quality of life and not break the bank. I will also show you how this can all be wrapped into the purchase or sale of a home. Who doesn’t like free info? My motto is, “If it’s free, it’s for me!” So keep in touch.
theenergymi$ser
Great to have you on board Ken. I look forward to learning how to be more energy efficient. After all, shouldn’t we all be doing our part?
Ken,
Welcome to the energy efficient world. As you help others by sharing your knowledge you will grow a following and a lot of great friends. A bid answer for exhaust fans air infiltration back into the house is butterfly backdraft dampers.
Rod,
Thanks for the heads up but I didn’t quite understand what you meant about the butterfly backdraft damper.
Ken,
It seems like there will be an explosion of opportunity in this energy efficient movement… what type of career action plan would you recommend?
Thanks, Ken!
Which organization are you certified with as a Home Energy Surveyor? What are the main components of your survey?
Thanks
Dave
Dave,
Thanks for reading my blog. At the time I got my certification, there was no organization on Maui offering the certification. I got it through a company called EnergyLogic. I believe they are in Colorado. The course was offered through UH Maui College, MEO and the Sustainable Living Institute of Maui. It was a pilot program through the state. The certification allows me to comment on energy usage in lighting, A/C, water heating, window efficiency. There is a more involved certification where you are an official energy auditor (I don’t have that). I hope this helps.