During the inspection of the thermal envelope (insulation) of my residence, major mechanical equipment were evaluated. The auditing also involved conducting various diagnostic tests on residence. The evaluations are geared towards helping me establish and quantify the energy efficiency levels at my residence.
The audit indicates that there are many energy consuming appliances at my home and some of them emit energy while on standby mode. The appliances include toasters, televisions, computers, and televisions. These appliances use varied quantities of electricity in terms of Watts (Turner, 2016). Some of the concerns revealed by the audit include air leaks around the front door and the window frames. The heating system at my residence is old and the kitchen gets overheated because of many halogen can lights. The air conditioner at my residence is not efficient.
The main goal of conducting an extensive household energy audit is to facilitate the adoption of energy efficiency improvements aimed at reducing the consumption of energy while maintaining or improving the occupant’s health, comfort, and safety (Niehus, 2012).
Recommendations for Improvement
The furnace at my residence needs replacing with a more efficient one for additional comfort, safety and health issues.
Install energy star windows
Implement comprehensive air sealing at the home. This involves finding the air leaks and carrying out corrective measures. Other than increasing the comfort at the residence, sealing air leaks saves significant amount of energy.
Upgrade the lighting in my residence to LEDs or CFLs. This will involve replacing the incandescent light bulbs.
Replace the kitchen’s halogen can lights with bulbs that are more efficient and consume less heat.
Install a new air conditioner that is more energy efficient (energy star-rated appliance).
References
Niehus, T. (2012). Handbook of energy audits. New Jersey: Pearson Press.
Turner, C. (2016). Guide to energy management. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
