Residential Energy Audit Assessment

What the Residential Energy Audit Assessment Is

A residential energy audit reviews how a home uses energy and where it is wasted. This assessment guides a certified energy auditor through a systematic evaluation of energy performance across lighting systems, HVAC equipment, household appliances, building envelope integrity, and occupant consumption behaviors. In the building envelope section, the checklist defines items that cover windows, roofing, attic insulation, doors, and exterior walls. Together they provide a consistent view of where a home is losing energy and where efficiency can improve.

Why the Assessment Matters

Cost savings, comfort, and efficiency all depend on understanding how a home actually performs. The checklist is designed to pinpoint energy waste, uncover cost-saving opportunities, and deliver actionable recommendations for improving overall energy efficiency. By capturing the average monthly energy cost, the homeowner's energy conservation awareness level, and whether the property is suitable for solar energy adoption, it supports recommendations that fit the specific home and household.

What the Checklist Covers

The Residential Energy Audit Assessment collects property and audit details, then evaluates the home's energy performance across five areas: lighting systems, HVAC equipment, household appliances, building envelope, and occupant consumption behaviors. Lighting assessment covers exterior and interior rooms. HVAC assessment covers the air conditioning system, boiler, system age, and efficiency rating. Appliance assessment covers the television, computer unit, computer monitor, ceiling fan, refrigerator, microwave oven, coffee maker, toaster, clothes dryer, dishwasher, clothing iron, and vacuum cleaner. Building envelope assessment covers windows, roofing, attic insulation, doors, and exterior walls. Behavior and consumption assessment covers lighting and appliance habits, HVAC-use habits, and cost and solar suitability data.

How to Perform the Assessment

1. **Set up the audit.** Record the location, the date the audit is conducted, and who prepared it. 2. **Assess lighting.** Evaluate exterior and interior lighting systems, room by room, and note observations for each group. 3. **Assess HVAC.** Evaluate the air conditioning system and boiler or heating system, note the estimated system age and overall HVAC efficiency rating, and record any observations and comments. 4. **Assess appliances.** Evaluate each listed household appliance and record observations and recommendations. 5. **Assess the building envelope.** Evaluate windows, roofing, attic insulation, doors, and exterior walls, and record structural assessment comments. 6. **Assess occupant behavior.** Answer the questions on how the household operates equipment, lighting, and doors and windows during HVAC operation. 7. **Compile the energy profile.** Record the average monthly energy cost, the homeowner's energy conservation awareness level, solar suitability, and any additional notes, then close out with the signature, finish time, and inspection start and end dates.

Frequently Asked Questions

This assessment covers exterior lighting (porch, garage, yard, and garden), interior lighting room by room (living room, dining room, kitchen, basement, attic, master bedroom, master bathroom, bedroom 2, bedroom 3, and guest bathroom), Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC), household electrical appliances, building envelope and structural elements (windows, roofing, attic insulation, doors, and exterior walls), and occupant energy consumption habits and behavioral practices. It also records property details, average monthly energy cost, homeowners' energy conservation awareness level, and the suitability of the property for solar energy adoption.

The assessment evaluates lighting systems, HVAC equipment, household appliances, building envelope integrity, and occupant energy consumption behaviors. Room-level lighting items run from the porch, garage, yard, and garden through the living room, dining room, kitchen, basement, attic, master bedroom, master bathroom, and additional bedrooms and bathrooms. HVAC items include the air conditioning system, boiler or heating system, estimated system age, and overall efficiency rating. Appliance items cover the television, computer unit, computer monitor, ceiling fan, refrigerator, microwave oven, coffee maker, toaster, clothes dryer, dishwasher, clothing iron, and vacuum cleaner. Envelope items cover windows, roofing, attic insulation, doors, and exterior walls.

Yes. Lighting, HVAC, and appliance items are assessed as either 'Energy Efficient' or 'Not Energy Efficient', so you can pinpoint where performance falls short and direct recommendations to the right areas. Interaction items capture the occupant's handling of equipment, lighting, windows, and doors, and the checklist also records average monthly energy cost, the homeowner's energy conservation awareness level, and whether the property is suitable for solar energy adoption.

The checklist records average monthly energy cost in dollars, the homeowner's energy conservation awareness level, an assessment of whether the property is suitable for solar energy adoption, and the status of behavioral practices such as turning off appliances and equipment when not in use, switching off non-essential lights during the day, turning off exterior lights in daylight, turning off all lights at the end of each day, and keeping doors and windows closed while HVAC systems are operating. Together these indicate where recommendations and follow-up will have the greatest effect.

Written by

Arne Reis

Founder

Process optimizer with 25 years of expertise, focused on operational excellence in quality, maintenance, EHS, and commissioning. Emphasizes innovative solutions and top-quality standards.

View LinkedIn profile