What is an Energy Audit?

An energy audit, or more precisely an Energy Efficiency Assessment is an in-depth analysis of your home or building, in terms of how efficiently it uses energy. Using the data collected, I can help you understand exactly how your home or building is wasting energy and what you can do about it.

What is involved in getting an Energy Audit of my home?

First, I perform a complete visual inspection of your home, looking for signs of anything that is now or may soon be a problem for your home. I measure your home’s walls, windows and doors; assess the insulation levels throughout the home; and take note of any problems. Following that, I use specialized diagnostic equipment to provide data that no trained eye alone could achieve. This includes the blower door, thermal camera and duct leakage tools. For homes with gas appliances, a combustion analyzer will make sure those appliances are working both efficiently and safely. The whole test usually takes between 3 to 5 hours, depending on the complexity of your home.

What kind of outcomes can you expect from an Energy Audit?

After completing the full assessment, I enter the data into energy modeling software that pinpoints all the measures that can be done on your home in order of their cost-benefit priority. That means that not only do I tell you what work your house can benefit from but I can give you an estimate of how long the work will take to pay itself off in energy savings, as well as letting you know what the maximum cost of each measure will be while still being worth doing.

I will provide you a clear list of recommendations, both big savers like insulation and air sealing, and smaller ones that cost little but will start to save you money immediately.

Want to know if it’s worth replacing your windows or your old furnace? Our analysis can tell you.

To get a better idea of what your report will look like, click on this link for an example:

home energy assessment report 

Why choose Green Detective Energy Solutions?

I have been doing energy audits throughout much of this country since the beginning of 2009, and doing training and assessments with CHP Energy Solutions since 2011. Through my work with CHP, I became an expert in computer modeling software which is used to analyze the data from a home (or building) and provide concise recommendations on what measures would work best on that particular building. This skill, along with my years of experience with many different housing types, allows me to provide a level of service rare in the field of energy assessments.

Who is the Green Detective?

I’m Scott Katznelson – and for as long as I can remember I’ve had an obsession with making things work better.

This led to a 30 year career in specialist building, including a stint working for the detail-obsessed movie industry, before discovering energy efficiency industry was my true calling – back in 2009. It just seemed the perfect match for my deep understanding of construction and the desire I had to see a more energy efficient world. Since then I’ve performed close to 1000 home energy audits and quality control inspections.

I live in Floyd country, Virginia, deep in the Appalachian mountains, on a small homestead with my wife, son, and our dogs, cat and chickens.

What are Scott’s Credentials?

B.P.I. Building Analyst  (since 2009)

Certified Home Energy Professional Energy Auditor

Certified Home Energy Professional Quality Control Inspector

Certified Energy Manager (CEM)

B.P.I. Healthy Homes Evaluator

Certified Level 1 Thermographer

Virginia Residential Building Analyst Licence # 2722000058

What areas do I service?

I’m based in Floyd County. Typically I will travel within a 40 mile radius, but can travel further by request. Not sure if you’re too far? Just ask and I’ll let you know.

Generally, this will include all areas of the New River Valley, southwest Virginia and northwest North Carolina including Roanoke, Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Winston-Salem and of course my home base of Floyd County

Up to this point, I have performed audits and trainings throughout much of the country as far as Texas and Minnesota, as well as Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, and New Jersey.