Sensible Green Remodeling

Sensible Green is THE full service Home Energy Auditing company. Our Energy Auditing training, certification and experience combined with extensive building and remodeling experience makes us uniquely qualified. Not only will we detect those issues that are impacting the comfort and energy costs of your home, we can have those issues corrected….truly full service.

Our Mission is to thoroughly evaluate homes for energy loss, energy waste and comfort issues using state-of-the-art tools and procedures. The outcome is a complete and practical plan to help the Homeowner save energy, money and our environment.

IS YOUR HOME ROBBING YOU OF COMFORT AND MONEY?

Many homeowners claim just that, “I have a draft, this room/floor is warmer/colder than the others, my furniture is fading, my utility bills are through the roof!”

Upon the completion of the Energy Audit we provide a plan on how to correct any defects with both short term and long term cost/benefits. Many corrective actions can be implemented immediately (we will have many cost effective products with us that can be easily installed) and other actions that may require the visit of a repair/installation technician.

WHAT CAN BE “GREENER” THAN REDUCING YOUR ENERGY USAGE?

By improving the energy efficiency of your home we not only make it more comfortable, but also reduce the amount of energy you consume. Good for your wallet and our environment. A true win-win!

To prepare for our visit:

• Make notes of any concerns i.e. drafts, uncomfortable rooms, defective windows, doors, etc.
• Remove obstructions from around water heater, furnace, AC units, and attic access.
• Close all windows and doors.
• Shut all fireplace dampers and doors.  Close wood stove air intakes.  Remove all ashes or cover with damp newspapers. (We will be pulling a large volume of air through your home)
• We will be going into every room, closet and into the basement and attic.
• Ensure that your heating/cooling system is set to maintain a minimum temperature difference inside vs. outdoors of 20 degrees.  This temperature differential helps in the infrared inspection
• Have one year of energy usage documented (Your current energy bills should have the information listed).

Infrared Inspection provides a unique perspective that conventional home inspection methods cannot produce.  While we can’t see through walls, Thermal images allow us to interpret what is behind them.  Used in conjunction with the Minneapolis Blower Door it helps us find air leakage from windows, doors and gaps or hole, which may have been too small to see.  We can also detect missing or poor insulation, water leaks, window issues, etc.

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Blower Door Test We use the Minneapolis Blower Door built by The Energy Conservatory of Minneapolis.  We measure the “airtightness” of your home by utilizing a powerful calibrated fan that blows air out of the house creating a slight negative pressure.  We measure the amount of airflow which helps determine the airtightness and if that leakage is adequate (yes, you need a certain amount of airflow to have a “healthy” house) or is excessive.  The air being forced through every hole and penetration help us (along with tools like a thermal camera) locate and correct air leakage and insulation issues.