With home heating fuel, natural gas and electricity costs approaching
the level of truly outrageous, the winter heating season is poised to
take a big bite out of the already strained wallets of many this year.
Rising energy costs have motivated many people to look for ways to
increase the energy efficiency of their homes--or for tickets to head
south!
Unfortunately for many of us dwellers of the northern climes, it is not
practical to relocate to areas where heating is not an issue. Even
those lucky enough to live where the sun maintains a little heat
throughout the year can benefit from greater energy efficiency in their
homes. After all, air conditioning can be at least as costly as heating
in many places.
The vast majority of homeowners do not possess the skill, the
equipment, or the knowledge to evaluate where their home is losing
precious energy or what can be done to improve the situation.
The
Home Energy Rater
There is a building industry professional that is in high demand in
some areas of the US, the Home Energy Rater. In my state at present,
there is a waiting list of up to six months to schedule an appointment
with a state certified Home Energy Rater! More on that in a moment...
Energy Raters, or Home Energy Consultants, can charge several hundred
dollars to evaluate the energy efficiency of a home and produce a
detailed report showing where a home is losing the most heat (or
cooling) and what efficiency upgrades will make the greatest impact on
a home's energy consumption. These professionals do not offer to do the
contracting work that they recommend (some states actually forbid this)
but only make recommendations to what upgrades should be undertaken. It
is up the the homeowners to either perform the work or contact licensed
contractors to do the work for them.
Several states have reimbursement programs or offer low or no interest
home improvement loans or reimbursement programs for the energy upgrade work recommended by a
licensed energy rater. This is the reason for the long waiting list for
energy raters in Alaska right now. The state is offering up to $10,000
in reimbursement for work prescribed during a home energy audit. Some Alaska Home Energy Raters claim that they could do appointments 24
hours a day 365 days a year and never run out of business.
If a single person can do ten assessments per week, at $450 per
assessment that will be
potential gross of $234,000 per year. Not bad for one person, a little
specialized equipment and a truck.
The Tools
FLIR
A few years ago companies
adapted military weapon sighting technology known as FLIR for use in
the fire service (the Thermal Imaging Camera or TIC). The fire service
TIC allowed firefighters to look for hidden fires in walls, look for
victims through heavy smoke, and self-rescue in zero visibility
environments. More recently, the same technology has been further
adapted for use in the construction industry. FLIR (Forward Looking
Infra Red) or Thermal Imagers are infrared cameras that can clearly
show where a building is losing heat, where air infiltration is taking
place, and where water is leaking or has leaked and is hidden in
building materials. For the forward-thinking Energy Rater, it is a
great tool to quickly determine where thermal leakage is taking place,
and where caulking or additional insulation would make the most impact
on the thermal exchange in a home. Some models can also take video or
still images, which could add a high-value feature to the final report
handed over to a homeowner.
Of note is that although some camcorders have infrared settings, they
are probably not adequately sensitive to the IR spectrum to give
meaningful data on energy and water problems in a building. Sorry, the
big ticket cameras designed for this application are still necessary.
Blower Door
A blower door allows an
energy rater to both calculate the rate of air infiltration that a
building suffers and, in conjunction with the FLIR, shows exactly where
those leaks are taking place.
Here are a couple of
videos explaining the general energy rating process and how the
equipment in used.
Points to Consider Before Diving
In:
Some states
may have licensing and training requirements for energy raters.
This is particularly true if your state maintains reimbursement or low
interest loan programs for energy efficiency upgrades. Some states may
require energy raters to be certified building inspectors, while others
maintain specific certification programs for energy raters. Consult
with your state occupational licensing agency.
FLIR cameras
are not cheap. The least expensive model I could locate
was still in the $7,000 range. Given the profit potential of the
business in some areas though, this is not much money, but there is
some need for capital expenditure to get set up in the business. Plan on spending in the neighborhood of $25,000 or more for the needed building analysis equipment, training, and insurance.
A good energy
rater will need some level of competence in construction.
If you don't know what you're looking at through the camera, you aren't
really offering much to your clients. Homeowners will probably also
have a number of questions for you as well. If you can't explain the
stack principle of ventilation or give an idea of how a rate of air
exchange compares to the ideal rate of exchange for a home, you might
look a little silly.
There is risk involved in this business. You will be providing expert advice on the installation, weatherization, indoor air quality, and safety of a home. It is possible to make a bad call that could seriously injure, poison, or kill your clients. You must be competent. Good insurance and the advice of an attorney is highly advisable.
All will
probably not be kittens and daisies when dealing with your clients.
You will potentially be delivering very bad news to some people. When
you are the guy dropping the bomb that most of the framing in the
upstairs bathroom is rotted due to that leaky tub caulking, you might
not be invited to stay for cookies and tea.
As the prices
for FLIR technology plummet, your competition could greatly increase.
The price of a FLIR unit has gone from millions to $7,000 in a matter
of a decade or so. It's pretty reasonable to expect the price to
continue to fall. When any HVAC furnace repair guy can afford to throw
a unit into his toolbox, your competition may become unreasonably high,
driving prices down to the "why bother" range.
Training and Resource Agencies:
There
are two primary agencies who administer training and certification
programs for energy raters and building analysts. In nearly every
jurisdiction in the United States, the certification of one of these
two agencies will be recognized by either government institutions,
utilities, or both.
BPI - The Building
Performance Institute
I am currently working toward BPI Building Analyst certification. The
training is rigorous, science based, and safety oriented. I good
understanding of building science should be a prerequisite before
undertaking BPI Building Analyst certification. That being
said, I highly recommend this program. bpi.org
RESNET -
Residential Energy Services Network
RESNET certification is widely recognized across the nation. Their mission
is to ensure the success of the building energy performance
certification industry, set the standards of quality, and increase the
opportunity for ownership of high performance buildings. natresnet.org
Conclusion:
If you have the construction experience and interest, becoming a Home
Energy Rater could be a very profitable prospect in some areas. Do your
research on local laws, your local market, programs for homeowners in
your area, and equipment available. This could be a lucrative business
helping people save money, save energy, and make their homes more
comfortable.
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