Earlier this week I tagged along with an energy auditor, Bill Klotz from Eco-Anthracite. I wanted to see how it all works and besides it was an interesting project which I'll be writing more about soon. A group of UNC Fraternity brothers are forming a non-profit venture to green-up fraternity and sorority houses in the region.
Two of the fraternity brothers and I followed Bill,the energy auditor, around the building from basement and crawlspace area up to the attic looking for a wide range of signs and clues. We found clear indications of moisture condensing on the stone walls in the basement, not far from the kitchen. And we found plenty of leaks in windows, doors etc.
In the photo to left Bill does what he calls the "door dance" which is a tricky maneuver to fit the blower door into position. This enables the house to be pressurized and helps find leaks as well as measuring the overall seal of the building.
In the end the owners get a detailed report indicating areas of concern and recommendations. In this case it was recommended that a $2000 spend (this is a very big house remember) on sealing and tightening would save half that each year in energy costs. Which is a great ROI anywhere.

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