CMC Energy Services Home Tune-Up Energy Audit Course
http://www.homeenergytuneup.com/s.nl/sc.9/category.103/.f
What is your opinion of this training course?
Ben, ask Don Belmont. He went to this training last week. I’m hoping we hear from him. I am planning on taking BPIs building analyst training in a couple of weeks.
Ben,
I took the course last year. I thought it was not very detailed. In addition, I did a couple of the “audits” for neighbors for free. I could not charge a client for thie information I could provide. I have since become a RESNET Certified Energy Rater. This course is much more informative and I can actually provide my client with useful information. In addition, being a RESNET Rater allows me to do Energy Star Certifications and Energy Audits in other places like Austin, Tx.
Good, to the point, easy reading.
Not difficult, reports about 25 pages.
Terrific for existing homes, no major tools required.
Not for new homes, as that would need more expensive tools.
I’ve taken the Home Tune-up and the RESNET HERS training, the Home Tune-up was great.
Price vs. RESNET was great also.
Mic
CMC Energy Services Home Tune-Up Energy Audit Course
wants to come to NACHI.TV and do their course.
Did you find their course valuable?
Given the choice of having to do a Home Tuneup or a HERS rating. I’d pick the HT for an existing home. A 4 page checklist that you fill in with the data, takes just minutes to enter in the computer, does all of the calculations, you can add to the comments if you want to, spits out some useful tips (kinda basic nonsense filler material if you ask me, I could do without). Actual cost…$20.00 bucks, I guess a processing fee. After that you charge what you want. An IR camera on a temperature driven day works just fine for me. I just can’t see whipping out a blower door test for this.
A HERS, I’d pick for new construction, more detail oriented, blower door, duct-blaster, ya-dee, ya-dee.
But that’s just me.
Mic
How about blower doors?
Is it required in your work?
Only for new construction for the Energy Star requirements, but know, for the Home Tuneup not required which makes the Home Tuneup more user friendly.
Mic
A decent energy audit requires a blower door test. This is used to determine equivalent leakage area(ela), estimated heating costs, and air changes per hour(ACH). IMO, I wouldn’t waste my time or money getting an energy audit done if the auditor didn’t use a blower door.
Ben, I have heard that the government stimulus money earmarked for HUD grants will be distributed to those homes that have had a certified energy audit.
I agree, now that I know better. But up by me I have a non-profit group offering up FREE energy audits, now granted what people wind up with is a three page report with none of the bells and whistles the likes of Home Tuneup or HERS and with this group they are pretty much just looking at air sealing and insulation issues and none of the other mechanics. Now they work with other professioinal contractors who do this type of remediation for homes, so actually it’s almost like a sales pitch for the contractors.
Kinda of hard to up sell a Home Tuneup much less pay me extra for a Blower Door test when you have others ginving the stuff away. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind helping the less fortunate who can’t afford to pay me.
I guess it’s just a matter of consumer education and proper marketing and timing.
Mic