As a Pasadena Real Estate Broker, I believed obtaining my Eco Broker certification, would open my eyes and mind to many new ideas. The thought of going green is no longer out of reach or irrelevant in the average day to day world of homeownership. It  made me question ” How efficient, or more precisely how inefficient is my home?”, “If I made improvements where would I begin?” My newly acquired knowledge led me to an Energy Rater to develop an HERS (Home Energy Rating System) report on my home. The HERS report will tell me how efficient my home is as well as give me a cost estimate for improvements. It breaks down what improvements make the largest impact per dollar spent. This will be quite useful to direct me in making wise improvements to my home.  The awareness of home energy efficiency will not only be important due to energy cost and comfort, but  a tool in selling a home. I foresee that efficiency will be as marketable as sq. ft and lot size in our ecologically conscious state. 

An Average Pasadena Home

I live in a typical 1920’s vintage Pasadena home. It’s construction consists of plaster and lath with many original wood windows. It was built at a time when homes were meant to breathe. A time that did not have efficient heating and cooling systems. I admit  feeling a little strange about having a report done on a home that has a heating and cooling system, circa 1990, with single paned windows. Shouldn’t I be smart enough to make changes myself before calling someone out to tell me what I already know? I finally broke down and decided to find out what an HERS report would do for me.

I researched the web and called Energy Rater, Paul Kyllo, with Ohana Energy Services. The cost was reasonable at $300 for my  1,500 sq. ft. home. He spent about 3 hours investigating the perimeter of the home, the attic, the basement, the ductwork and the windows. He gave useful information regarding the systems in my home. It was much more in depth information than what I actually knew. I discovered that my furnace had a AFUE of .45. In comparison today’s furnaces are at least .92 AFUE. The air conditioner was discovered to be 9 SEER. That is in sharp contrast to the California specifications for newly installed central air to be a minimum 13 SEER system. I also discovered my water heater is working on borrowed time for it was installed way back in 1983. The same year Madonna released her first album “Madonna”.  I now call my water heater “Lucky Star” It sounds more hip but it is still not an Energy Star. Mr. Kyllo tested my ductwork by using a pressure test to see how much airflow is lost in my system. Technically, it was found to be only 520CFM which translates to 60% airflow through my ducts. This means my 3 ton air conditioner is working like a 1.8 ton. I now realize if I install a new system in the future, California Title 24 only allows 6% leakage in new ductwork installed and 15% leakage if using existing ductwork.

Recommended Improvements

Was it going to cost thousands to reduce my energy usage? How could I possibly make changes without budgeting a major remodel? These were questions I fought with beginning this quest for home efficiency knowledge. I could not afford to spend tens of thousands right now and was a bit apprehensive about the recommendations that were going to come from the report. I, as an Eco Broker, will be recommending this report to buyers and sellers. Is it all that they say it is? Could I spend a little and get any result? Could I make improvements in stages? I was pleased and relieved to find the answers to my questions favorable. Concerns were put to rest once I received the report which was well presented and easy to understand.  A comprehensive summary inside the front cover of the report told me what upgrade was most important and least expensive to perform…INSULATION. Yes insulation with the R-value of 30 in my ceiling was the key to making my home over 40% more efficient. This upgrade made the most difference and was the least expensive to perform. The report also suggests that I use R-13 in my walls, but the increase in energy efficiency points is not as impressive as the ceiling insulation alone.  The HERS report provided a cost estimate for the upgrade at $1,500 which is quite affordable considering the future savings that is in store over the life of my home. The thought of improving insulation in my attic was not even a thought in my mind. I had blown insulation in my attic and was unaware it is insufficient.

The HERS report has given me a better understanding of the age and the efficiency of the systems in my home. It helps me understand what improvements should be made now and in the future. This report has become a blueprint for change. I feel confident in recommending my buyers or sellers employ and Energy Rater to evalutate their current home or the home they intend to purchase.

Tags: Energy raters for the home, Home Energy Raters, Making you home more energy efficient