What is the ECAD Energy Audit?

The ECAD audit is a comprehensive evaluation of your home. The audit will look at certain aspects of the home such as size, number of bedrooms, and type of utilities. Specific energy related items will include insulation levels in the attic and walls, windows types and solar screens, air infiltration, water heater, appliances, and the HVAC system including the duct system.

A special test is required for the HVAC duct system. This test will determine the amount of air leakage in the duct system. A Duct Blaster will be used to pressurize the duct system of each HVAC system in the home. This testing will not harm the ducts, but does require that the return air vent and the supply vents in each room be sealed with tape. Although the tape will generally not harm the vents, we do want to caution the home owner that if the vents have been painted with wall paint, some paint could be removed by the tape.

Does my home need an Energy Audit?

Only homes 10 years old or older are required to have an energy audit. Although most homes of that age would benefit from an energy audit, there are certain things that may have been done to the home over the last 10 years which would also exempt the home from the audit requirement. Austin Energy has a website that will help determine if a home needs an energy audit. To be absolutely positive that the home is exempt, we would recommend utilizing this resource. The link is:

 Austin Energy Website

What the auditor will need to know.

There is some information that will need to be gathered before calling 360 Home Inspection for an energy audit. This information is required for the audit, but some of the information is only available to the home owner.  Along with the obvious information (address, contact number, etc), the auditor will need to know the following information:

ü Austin Energy Electric Account Number

ü Tax Assessor’s Property ID  

ü The square footage of the home as defined in the tax records

ü The home owner’s email address 

ü A CBS code for the blue key box (Available from real estate agent) 

ü The year the home was originally constructed

 The following items are not required, but would be helpful to the auditor if they are available.

- Original building plans for the home

- Size of any additions to the property (heated and cooled space) that have been completed

What is the process?

To begin the audit, the auditor will generally start on the outside of the home, and end on the inside. During the HVAC duct testing, the HVAC system(s) will have to be turned off. If planning to be home during the audit, be aware that depending on the season, the home may get warm or cold for some period of time, so plan accordingly.

If any of the air supply or return vents in the home are covered by furniture or other obstructions, the furniture or obstructions should be moved prior to the auditor’s arrival. This will allow the auditor access to the vent and allow the vent to be sealed. The auditor will also need direct access to HVAC unit, the attic, and the water heater. If the HVAC unit or the water heater is in the garage, any stored items will need to be moved to allow access to these units. If the attic access is in the garage ceiling, stored items or cars will also have to be moved to allow access to these areas.

Once the audit is complete, the report will be sent to the client, Austin Energy, and the real estate agent should it be requested. Generally, the report will be sent via email and will normally be available the next day.