Get ready, America...

…for the day within the next decade where you will need this label on your house to sell it.

Thank goodness it’s only a pilot program

So was social security.

What is so wrong with knowing how much energy a home uses?

Not a thing.

Making it mandatory with tax dollars paying for the audit is and it would be another loss of freedom.

Absolutely nothing.

As soon as the bugs are worked out during the test program (which ends this coming summer), it will probably be implemented voluntarily throughout the country by the end of next year.

The higher the rating, the quicker it will sell and for the greater price.

I predict that these ratings will replace home inspections since people are not likely to pay for both and the energy audit covers 80% of the SOP.

A home energy assessor will collect energy information during** a brief** home walk-through.

The DOE was also contemplating the following (which they don’t mention in the video).They will require that this be done on each and every home. They also will insist that all upgrades be done and proof submitted before you can sell your home. If you don’t have an “energy efficient” home you will not be able to sell it. Whether they will still require this is unknown at this time, however knowing how the current administration works (the most transparent government you will ever experience) it would not surprise me if they did this and more.

Maybe NACHI will have a course for this soon.

You better stock up on incandescents too.
The government is forcing them out starting with 100 watt bulbs in 2012 and all by 2014.
Even now I am finding them hard to get.

I have about 40 PAR38 down lights in my home.

I should probably buy a case or two.:frowning:

I have a bunch too, converted them all to CFL’s but I can’t wait for the LED jobbies to drop in price. :wink:

I have some of them in CFL but I need a bunch that can be dimmed.

I bought 1 for like $8 but haven’t tried it yet.

I think affordable LEDs that look good are still a ways off.

Right now they are like double the price but are very col and have no mercury poisoning that government is forcing on the children.

I do not see it happening big anytime soon as long as NAR and HBA are there to fight it. Sad but true.

I thought you didn’t like the government in your business Jim. Am I wrong?

I like yard sales people are buying CFLs and they sell their old incandescents for $1;00 a box
You will be surprised how many Bulbs you get for $20;00 .

Show me.

I think you got your decimal off a notch.

When I do an energy audit, I build a computer model of the home. Roof, foundation, exterior, interior, heating and cooling equipment, water heater, crawlspace/basement, attic, windows and doors. I observe and record the types and their condition while looking for evidence of structural issues, air infiltration, moisture intrusion and other factors that would affect indoor air quality and energy loss/waste. I check for and record the existence of measurable traces of combustible gases (including locally produced methane from the plumbing system) and measure the efficiency of the fossil fuel burning mechanical appliances and their venting systems, while monitoring the indoor air quality during their operation.

All of my recommended upgrades include a projection as to their affect on the overall energy use…in energy units as well as dollar amounts…using the model that I build. Not all energy efficient measures (new windows, installation of “on demand” water heating systems, etc) are cost effective for the retrofitter, and I report on the expected return on the investment of the proposed upgrade.

The only thing I am not observing and recording, that I do during a typical home inspection, are those characteristics of the plumbing and electrical systems that are not related to the issues mentioned, above.

Simply by adding these two items, I can provide a complete home inspection report while commenting upon the energy efficiency of the home. I think that this is the service that future home owners and home buyers will prefer.

I gave up on providing energy audits using the home tuneup system. I found that I could provide a better product and a better value by conducting a standard home inspection for clients concerned about energy use. Maybe it’s our climate, our types of construction or that the home tuneup is not adequate for this area. In any case, one size never fits all in our business in North America.