When an Energy Advisor performs an audit on a building, there will be preparations and conditions required for the most accurate testing possible. The EA will review these requirements with a building owner before the audit takes place.

WHAT IS AN "ENERGY AUDIT"?

We know that the House-As-A-System is like a big puzzle, with many pieces linked together to form a great big picture of a building. The puzzle parts of the system include the building envelope, heating and cooling equipment, windows and doors, the occupants and appliances. All of these things affect the behaviour of heat, air and moisture in our buildings.

An ENERGY AUDIT is an in-depth investigation into how well (or how poorly) that house-as-a-system is working. An energy advisor will run tests and conduct inspections of a building to diagnose where, how, what and why energy is used and how it may be lost because of weak spots in the house-as-a-system.

According to Natural Resources Canada, an EnerGuide energy efficiency evaluation will include the following...

An energy advisor will assess your home from basement to attic. This will give you an EnerGuide rating for your home and an energy efficiency report to help you make decisions about possible upgrades.

An Energy Advisor will consult with a homeowner to set up the best time and day for an energy audit. They will follow protocols establish by NRCan and their Service Organization in relation to testing procedure, privacy and data collection.

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has identified some of the preliminary steps that will take place before an energy audit:

• The energy advisor will have a homeowner consent form for you, the Notice to Homeowner. Read, understand and, if you are comfortable with the terms, sign the form, which is required to authorize the evaluation to take place.
• Before getting started, the energy advisor will review the scope, intent and approximate duration of the evaluation, along with the general data collection process. All data and photos collected during the evaluation are strictly protected within the guidelines of all applicable privacy legislation.
• Photos will be taken of the outside portion of your home, its mechanical systems, the attic space and any wood-burning appliances, if present. These photos are for record keeping and quality assurance purposes only. One photo will be taken of the front of your house to appear in your customized report.
• During the evaluation, you and your energy advisor can discuss any plans and priorities you may have relating to energy efficiency upgrades to your home.
• If you are interested, the energy advisor will explain tools that are required to complete the evaluation, including the blower door testing equipment that is used to determine the airtightness of your home. If you have questions about any aspect of the evaluation, discuss these with your energy advisor.

A building owner should expect that their Energy Advisor will need access to the entire building, including attic spaces, closets, cellars and attached structures like carports and sheds. They may use ladders, probing cameras and flashlights to inspect spaces thoroughly, and in some cases they may need to move furniture away from walls, vents or access hatches.

According to NRCan, the data collected during the evaluation includes:

• the level of a home's airtightness, using a blower door test;
• the insulation levels of walls, ceilings and basement;
• the number, type and location of all windows and exterior doors;
• the size and efficiency ratings of space heating, space cooling (air conditioning) and water heating equipment;
• information about any ventilation equipment; and
• any other information relevant to a home's energy performance.
• The energy advisor will confirm the locations of attic, basement/crawl space accesses, mechanical equipment, etc. in the course of the evaluation. If clear access has not been provided in advance, they may request assistance in providing safe and unobstructed access to these areas.
• If there are fuel-fired space heating or water heating systems, the space heating system will need to be turned down or turned off and the fuel-fired water heating system will need to be turned down to avoid the firing of the equipment during the blower door test. This is because the blower door fan could impact the proper operation of gas appliances and cause safety issues during the evaluation. All equipment will be returned to pre-evaluation settings at the end of the test.