Thermal Imaging Energy Audit
2nd October 2009
Did you know that the typical family spends about $1,900 a year on home utility bills? It is unfortunate a large amount of that energy goes to waste. Every year, energy produced for a single home from fossil fuels releases more carbon dioxide than two average cars.
The key to eliminating this wasted energy in your home is to have a whole-house thermal imaging energy audit. Viewing your home as a whole, look at it as a self-contained energy system with interdependent parts. For example, your Air conditioner system is not just an A/C, it’s a cold air delivery system that starts at the unit and delivers cold air throughout your home using a network of ducts. Even a top-of-the line, energy-efficient A/C unit will waste a lot of energy if the ducts, walls, attic, windows, and doors are not properly sealed and insulated. Viewing your home as a whole, look at it as a self-contained energy system with interdependent parts.
Improving energy efficiency will inevitably make your home more comfortable, and yield long-term savings as well. Given rising electricity prices, follow-up actions based on the findings of an energy audit are almost certain to save at least 15% of the energy a household uses. Figures available on the DOE “Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy” website illustrate what savings are available from even modest energy conserving investments.
Why Thermography?
Thermography uses an IR camera (thermal imager) to capture two-dimensional representations of the surface temperatures of parts of buildings, including roofs, walls, doors, windows and construction joints. Often, those images reveal temperatures or temperature differences that indicate conditions contributing to the waste of heated or cooled air and, as a result, needlessly excessive energy costs.
Thermography is also used to detect moisture:
The presence of moisture in a building, whether from leakage or condensation, can have serious consequences. For example, moisture in insulation reduces its insulating capability, causing heating and/or cooling losses and wasting energy. Moisture can also cause structural deterioration and foster the growth of mold, while a serious roof leak can damage or destroy a building’s contents.