The term "Home Performance" is hot in energy efficiency circles right now. State tax incentives are built around it, major federal legislation is in the works to encourage it, entire agencies like Energy Trust of Oregon have been created to promote it, and major city programs like Clean Energy Works of Portland are sprouting up to promulgate it.
But what is it, and does it measure up to the hype? Simply put, Home Performance consists of energy assessments (or energy audits) that uncover the hidden causes of poor energy efficiency, poor indoor air quality, and thermal discomfort in your home. With this data in hand, building analysts prescribe building improvements to transform the way your living space feels and performs.
The promise? Lower operating costs, safety and comfort. But does it really deliver? Here are six reasons to take Home Performance seriously and consider an assessment for your house:
Save BTUs and Bucks: Home Performance saves energy by making buildings tighter and heating and cooling systems more efficient. Every unit of energy saved translates directly into dollars and cents. With generous government tax incentives available to support energy efficiency improvements, Home Performance projects can pay for themselves. But be careful - you need "test in" and "test out" data of your home from a certified building analyst to qualify for many of the incentives.
Ditch the Drafts: Many of us who love the character of our old homes do not realize how drafty they really are. The before/after increase in comfort for Home Performance projects can be remarkable. Denizens of tightened homes report that their living environments are both more thermally comfortable and feel more solid and tranquil.
Go With the (Air)Flow: Houses should be tight to conserve energy, ventilated to avoid moisture build up and mold, and designed to avoid back drafts that pull furnace exhaust back into the home. Complex stuff, and it is all about engineering airflow. Home Performance analysts measure and test these flows and suggest improvements to ensure that indoor air is fresh and good to breathe.
Save Your (Embodied) Energy: So why don't we just dump all this drafty housing stock and start fresh? The answer: embodied energy. Our houses took lots of energy (and carbon emissions) to construct, and that energy is embodied within each house. If we simply tear down and start over, we lose that energy. By bringing homes up to a higher standard of efficiency, Home Performance allows us to maximize this initial energy investment and extend its dividends.
It Is the Green Thing To Do: Housing consumes more than 40% of the energy used in the US. Our collective use of fossil fuels results in global warming and environmental disasters like the Gulf oil spill. Improving our homes' energy efficiency is one of the biggest and best green impacts we can personally make.
The Science to Make It Happen: Back in the 80s building science was frustratingly weak. Not today. This science, coupled with advanced diagnostic technology, now empowers Home Performance experts to find the true causes of poor building performance and prescribe the right remedies.
For more information visit hammerandhand.com/home-energy-services hammerandhand.com/home-energy-services
About Hammer and Hand:
This hammerandhand.com Portland builder and remodeling contractor has helped the people of Portland, Oregon live better in their homes and businesses since 1995. The firm's state-of-the-art remodels, historically accurate restorations, and environmentally responsible building practices maintain the aesthetic of eras past while creating the living spaces of the future.
By creating durable and well-crafted work, the firm builds to last - the most fundamental definition of sustainability. This ethos is echoed in the words of John Ruskin from over a century ago: "when we build, let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for."
Hammer and Hand is a Home Performance Trade Ally with Energy Trust of Oregon; a member of the Northwest Ecobuilder's Guild, the US Green Building Council, and Efficiency First; and has consultancy or accreditation with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Building Performance Institute, and Passive House Institute US.
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