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As home-energy audits become a more important part of building and owning a home, more and more auditors are enter­ing the field. Free audits are available from local utility companies, but this avenue has its pros and cons (see the sidebar on the facing page). Independent auditors tend to offer various packages that can be […]

There are a number of reasons to have a new home audited as well, not the least of which is to ensure that the building envelope and mechanical systems are performing as they were designed to perform. The Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET®; www. natresnet. org), a not-for-profit member­ship corporation, has developed an index called […]

■ BY JEFFERSON KOLLE I n the bill from her gas company, Leslie MacKensie of Minneapolis learned that she could have a free energy audit performed on her house, so she made an appointment. After assessing the 1915 bungalow, the audi­tors showed her air leaks and other problems that resulted in a monthly bill of […]

I f there is one topic that has dominated the homebuilding field in recent years, it’s energy efficiency. But for all the headlines and airtime dedicated to the topic of trimming home-energy use, many of the discussions they generate don’t go any further than the admission that, yes, we need to work harder to save […]