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Energy Audit For Your Home’s Solar Energy Efficiency
Energy Audit For Your Homes Solar Energy Efficiency

Energy Audit For Your Home’s Solar Energy Efficiency

Published on:
March 11, 2024

Saving energy isn’t just about paying less for electricity and gas. It’s also about making your home use energy better. You need to know how well your house uses energy so you can have energy efficiency 

An energy audit for your home can help you check your home’s energy use, what to look for, what tools you need, and where to find professional help. It can also increase your home’s solar energy efficiency.

What is a Home Energy Audit? Energy Assessment for Your Home

A home energy audit is like giving your house a check-up on energy usage. It helps you find places to save energy and spend less money. During an audit, you look at different parts of your home, like insulation and appliances, to see how well they use energy. 

Getting a professional to check your home’s energy use is the best way to find out where you’re losing energy and how to save money. With new energy-saving technology, even older homes can become more energy efficient.  

We can focus on how much energy your home uses in detail. We’ll find out where energy is wasted and suggest ways to use less energy and pay less on your bills. Sometimes, simple things like turning off switches can save energy 

On the other hand, old appliances and gaps in insulation or windows can cause the problem. After we finish checking, we’ll give you practical and affordable ways to use less energy and spend less money.  

To schedule your energy audit, contact Solar Emporium today!

Determining The Right Audit Type For You

To determine which energy audit is best for your place, consider a few things, like how big your home is, how you use energy, how much money you have, and what you want to achieve by saving energy 

Here are some types of energy checks:

1. Basic Energy Audit:

This is a basic look around your place to find easy ways to save energy. It might involve checking your bills, looking around your home, and doing basic tests.

2. Regular Energy Audit:

This is a more detailed look at your home’s energy use. It checks everything from how well your home is insulated to how your appliances work. It might also involve some tests to find hidden energy problems.

3. Detailed Energy Audit:

This is a very detailed look at your home’s energy use. It uses advanced tools and tests like air pressure tests and special cameras to find every possible way to save energy.

4. Business Energy Audit:

This is for massive buildings like offices or factories. It looks at everything that can be done to save energy and determines if it’s worth spending money on those changes.

5. Precision Sub-system Audit:

A precision sub-system audit is like a close-up look at one part of a big system. Instead of checking everything, it looks at one small part to find any issues or things that can be improved. It involves carefully checking and measuring that part to see how well it works.  

Selecting the right energy check depends on what you want, your financial situation, and how detailed you want to get. It’s a good idea to talk to an expert to help you choose the best one.

A DIY Home Energy Audit: Key Aspects to Focus

energy audit

Find the leaks

The main place where your home can lose energy is through leaks. These leaks can happen around the edges of floors, walls, or ceilings. Also, check outside your home where different materials meet. Look at windows, doors, lights, and plumbing for leaks too.  

Pressure Test

You can do a Blower Door Test to see how much air leaks in your home. It’s the most accurate way to measure leaks.  

But if you don’t have the equipment, you can do a simple test: on a cool, windy day, close everything up in your home and turn on fans that blow air outside.  

Then, use an incense stick to see where air is coming in or going out.  

Other ways to find leaks: 

  • Shine a flashlight at night around your house while someone looks from outside. Big cracks will show as beams of light. 
  • Close a door or window on a piece of paper. If you can easily pull it out, there’s a leak. 

Insulation and Weatherization

Check if your attic, walls, and floors are properly insulated. Bad insulation can make you lose a lot of heat in winter and gain too much in summer. 

Heating and Cooling Systems

See how old and well-maintained your heating and cooling systems are. Old ones are usually less efficient. Fix any leaks in the ducts and set your thermostat wisely to save energy.

Lighting

Use LED bulbs instead of incandescent ones—they use less energy. Also, try to use natural light more often to save electricity. 

Appliances and Electronics

Check how old and energy-efficient your appliances are. Test their energy use with a monitor plug. Turn off devices you’re not using to save energy. 

Water Heating

Older heat pump hot water systems are usually less efficient. You might need to replace it eventually, but knowing how it works can help you decide when. 

Renewable Energy Options

Think about using solar panels or other renewable energy sources if possible. They can help you save energy and money in the long run. 

How Can Home Energy Audit Lead to Energy Efficient Upgrades?

solar energy

A home energy audit is like a checkup for your house to see how it’s using energy. It helps find where energy is wasted and suggests ways to save energy and money.  

Here’s how it leads to energy-efficient upgrades: 

Finding Energy Wasters: During the audit, experts look at different parts of your home to find places where energy is wasted, like air leaks, poor insulation, or old appliances. 

Recommendations: After the audit, you’ll get a list of suggestions for making your home more energy-efficient. This could include adding insulation, sealing air leaks, upgrading to energy-efficient appliances, or installing a programmable thermostat. 

Prioritizing Upgrades: The audit helps you determine which upgrades will make the biggest difference and which are most cost-effective. This way, you can focus on the changes that will save you energy and money. 

Professional Guidance: Energy auditors can provide expert advice and guidance on the best upgrades for your home. They can also help you understand any rebates or incentives for making energy-efficient improvements. 

Long-Term Savings: By making energy-efficient upgrades based on the audit recommendations, you can lower your energy bills and save money over time. Plus, you’ll reduce your environmental impact by using less energy. 

A home energy audit is valuable for identifying energy-saving opportunities and guiding you toward upgrading your home’s energy efficiency and comfort.  

Do You Need An Energy Audit Before Installing Solar Panels on Your Home?

As more and more people in Australia install solar panels at home, they want to ensure they get the most out of solar power and rely less on the electricity grid.  

Now, with the option of using batteries to store extra solar energy, it’s even more appealing. But before jumping into getting solar panels and batteries, it’s important to consider whether you need an energy audit for your home. 

At Solar Emporium, we know how significant it is to make smart choices about solar energy, so we’re here to discuss whether you should get an energy audit before putting solar panels on your roof. 

Understanding Your Energy Consumption:

An energy audit helps you understand your energy consumption. An audit can find where you’re wasting energy and how to save by checking your electricity bills and energy usage. Knowing this helps you pick the right solar system that fits your needs.

Getting the Right Size Solar System:

One of the great things about an energy audit is that it helps you determine the perfect size for your solar system. By checking how much energy you require and use, an audit ensures you don’t get a system that’s too big or too small. This way, you get the most out of your solar panels without spending too much money.

Checking if Your Roof is Good for Solar:

An energy audit also looks at whether your roof is suitable for solar panels. Things like how your roof faces, if there’s shade, and if your roof is strong enough are important. An audit finds any problems that might affect how well your solar panels work so you can fix them before installing them. 

Consider Battery Storage:

Energy audits can also help decide if getting solar batteries with your solar panels is a good idea. An audit can see if storing extra solar power in batteries would be helpful. Batteries give you more independence from the grid and help you during blackouts. 

In summary, getting an energy audit before getting solar panels can help you make better choices about your energy use and get the most out of your solar system. 

Energy-Saving Advice

Besides installing solar panels, checking your home’s energy with an energy audit can find more ways to save energy.  

You can do different things, like using energy-efficient appliances and lights, adding insulation, and sealing up your home.  

These changes can help you use less energy and make your solar panels work even better. An energy audit can show you the most important changes and help you decide what to do first. 

In short, while you don’t always have to do an energy audit, it can be helpful when considering solar panels for your home.  

It helps you understand how much energy you use, pick the right size solar system, check if your roof is good for solar, and see if batteries would be useful.  

With an energy audit, you can make smart choices that get you the most benefits from solar power.  

If you’re considering installing solar panels in Australia, contact Solar Emporium to learn more. Get a free solar quote today!

Our Solar Experts are here to Help!

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