Mandatory Green Energy Audits in Austin
Starting on June 1, 2009, Austin
homeowners will be required to have an energy audit conducted and completed on
their house before they sell it. Texas Green Energy Audit is offering Green
Energy Audit Certification that provides duct blaster training sessions that
will get you up to speed on blaster testing that will be required during an
Austin Energy Audit.
An emerging trend in human consumption
and daily living has surpassed the preliminary ‘going green’ phase of organic
foods and has reached into all aspects of our lives: more fuel-efficient cars,
reducing consumptions and cleaner energy. In a new move to help improve, not
only our lives, but our homes, mandatory energy audits have been passed into laws
in many states throughout the nation. An energy audit is an inspection, survey
and analysis of energy flows in a building or home with the objective of
understanding the dynamics of the system. Typically, an energy audit is
conducted to seek out opportunities to reduce the amount of energy needed to
help the building or home operate efficiently without negatively jeopardizing
the output of energy. For a home, this may include finding ways to maintaining
or improving human comfort, health and safety. An energy audit also seeks to
prioritize the energy usage according
Starting on June 1, 2009, Austin
homeowners will be required to have an energy audit conducted and completed on
their house before they sell it. This new code was added by the City of Austin,
requiring that all residential properties within the Austin city limits that
are 10 years or older, receive services from Austin Electric Utility and that
are on the market for sale, are required to have an energy audit completed by a
certified auditor prior to the property being sold.
The homeowner who is selling the house
has the choice of selecting an auditor that is a disinterested third party who
may not have financial incentive to over-report repairs, or a home energy
contractor who will accurately apply the cost of the audit to the cost of the
needed repairs. The audit will need to include a visual inspection, as well as
testing of the air conditioning system for leakage, using methods and standards
that are officially approved by the City of Austin Energy Code. The audit must
be conducted by a person certified by either the Building Performance Institute
or other accredited agency approved by Austin Energy as a Building Performance
Analyst or the industry equivalent.
There are exemptions for single-family
homes, but they don’t come without hoops. Owners of homes that have
participated in the Austin Energy Home Performance with Energy Star® offering
or an Austin Energy equivalent fewer than 10 years before the time of the sale
and either performed at least three energy efficiency measures or received a
rebate of $500 or more will get an exemption.
The City of Austin has finalized their
list of equipment and tests that are required for the Energy Audit. Texas Green
Energy Audit is offering Green Energy Audit Certification through the BPI
program. The BPI program focuses on the house-as-a-system concept, including
mechanical equipment and the building envelope. Students who successfully
complete the course, the online final exam, and the field test know how to
identify problems, their root causes, and the appropriate repair. The purpose
of Texas Green Energy Audits is to provide the latest in green education,
training, and testing to qualified individuals who want to obtain the Building
Performance Institute (BPI) certification and become a Building Analyst
Professional able to perform energy audits in Austin.
Ethan Luke. Energy
Audits – Looking to earn a BPI certification to perform Energy Audits
in Austin? Contact
TXgreenenergyaudits.com for more information!
