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    • BPI WRITTEN EXAM >
      • Section 1 Building Science Fundamentals >
        • 1a. Basic Terms & Definitions >
          • 1. Airflow in Buildings
          • 2. Equipment Efficiencies
          • 3. Power and Energy
          • 4. Effective Leakage Area
          • 5. Area Weighted R-Value
          • 6. Baseload / Seasonal Energy Use
          • 7. Driving Forces (Including Natural and Mechanical)
          • 8. Behavior of Radiation
          • 9. Thermal Resistance / Transmittance: R and U Values
          • 10. Latent / Sensible Heat
          • 11. Total Equivalent Length
          • 12. Dehumidification / Humidification
          • 13. Convert Pressure Units
          • 14. Thermal Bridges
          • 15. Pressure Boundary
          • 16. Stack Effect
          • 17. Exfiltration and Infiltration
          • 18. Natural / Mechanical Ventilation
          • 19. Net Free Area
          • 20. Input & Output Capacity
          • 21. Peak Electrical Demand
          • 22. Permeability and Perm Rating
          • 23. Standby Loss
          • 24. IAQ (indoor air quality): Moisture, CO, Dust
        • 1b. Principals of Energy, Air & Moisture Thermodynamics >
          • 1. Thermodynamics: Conduction, Convection, Radiation, ΔT
          • 2. Factors That Affect Insulation Performance
          • 3. BPI certification online with BPI practice exams and study guides.
          • 4. Heat Gain / Loss
          • 5. Power and Energy
          • 6. Moisture Transport Mechanisms
          • 7. Identify Areas of Highest Relative Humidity
          • 8. Principles of Combustion
        • 1c. Combustion Safety >
          • 1. Combustion Analysis
          • 2. Carbon Monoxide (CO) Testing
          • 3. Combustion Appliance Venting, Draft, Combustion Air & Sizing
          • 4. Understand Combustion Safety Issues
      • Section 2 Buildings and Their Systems >
        • 2a. Building Components >
          • 1. Identify basic duct configurations and components
          • 2. Identify Basic Hydronic Distribution Configurations and Components
          • 3. Identify Basic Structural Components of Residential Construction
          • 4. Thermal Boundaries and Insulation Applications
          • 5. Basic Electrical Components and Safety Considerations
          • 6. Basic Fuel Delivery Systems and Safety Considerations
          • 7. Basic bulk water management components (drainage plumbing gutters sumps etc)
          • 8. Vapor barriers/retarders
          • 9. Radiant Barrier Principles and Installations
          • 10. Understand Fenestration Types and Efficiencies
          • 11. Understand Issues Involved With Basements, Crawlspaces, Slabs, Attics, Attached Garages, Interstitial Cavities, and Bypasses
          • 12. Understand Issues Involved With Ventilation Equipment
          • 13. Understand Basic Heating / Cooling Equipment Components Controls and Operation
          • 14. Understand Basic DHW Equipment Components Controls and Operation
          • 15. Identify Common Mechanical Safety Controls
          • 16. Identify Insulation Types and R-Values
          • 17. Understand Various Mechanical Ventilation Equipment and Strategies: Spot, ERV, HRV
        • 2b. Conservation Strategies >
          • 1. Appropriate Insulation Applications and Installation Based On Existing Conditions
          • 2. Opportunity for ENERGY STAR Lighting and Appliances
          • 3. Identify Duct Sealing Opportunities and Applications
          • 4. Understand Importance of Air Leakage Control and Remediation Procedures
          • 5. Blower Door-Guided Air Sealing Techniques
          • 6. Water Conservation Devices and Strategies
          • 7. Domestic Hot Water (DHW) Conservation Strategies
          • 8. Heating & Cooling Efficiency Applications
          • 9. Proper Use of Modeling to Determine Heating and Cooling Equipment Sizing and Appropriate Energy
          • 10. Understand the Use of Utility History Analysis in Conservation Strategies
          • 11. Appropriate Applications For Sealed Crawlspaces Basements and Attics
          • 12. Identify / Understand High Density Cellulose
          • 13. Appropriate Applications for Fenestration Upgrades Including Modification or Replacement
        • 2c. Comprehensive Building Assessment Process >
          • 1. Determine Areas of Customer Complaints / Concerns in Interview
          • 2. Understand / Recognize Need For Conducting Appropriate Diagnostic Procedures
          • 3. Interaction Between Mechanical Systems, Envelope Systems and Occupant Behavior
        • 2d. Design Considerations >
          • 1. Appropriate Insulation Applications Based On Existing Conditions
          • 2. Understand Fire Codes as Necessary to Apply Home Performance in a Code-Approved Manner
          • 3. Understand / Recognize Building Locations Where Opportunities for Retrofit Materials
          • 4. Understand Climate Specific Concerns
          • 5. Understand Indoor Environment Considerations for the Environmentally Sensitive
          • 6. Understand Impact of Building Orientation, Landscape Drainage, and Grading
          • 7. Opportunity Potential Renewable Energy Applications: Geothermal, Photovoltaic, Wind
          • 8. Understand Impact of Shading on Heating / Cooling Loads
          • 9. Awareness for Solar Gain Reduction / Solar Gain Opportunities
          • 10. Understand Need for Modeling Various Options For Efficiency Upgrades
      • Section 3 Measurement & Verification of Building Performance >
        • Section 3a Measurement & Verification of Building Performance >
          • 1. Air Leakage Test Results
          • 2. Understand Building Shell / Envelope Leakage
          • 3. Apply Fundamental Construction Mathematics and Unit Conversions
          • 4. Calculate Building Tightness Levels (Minimum Ventilation Requirements)
          • 5. Calculate Heating Degree Days and Cooling Degree Days
          • 6. Identify Proper Appliance and Combustion Appliance Venting
          • 7. Ventilation calculations and strategies
          • 8. Proper methods for identifying / testing fuel leaks
          • 9. Blower door setup, accurate measurement and interpretation of results
          • 10. Combustion Appliance Zone (CAZ): depressurization, spillage, draft, Carbon Monoxide (ambient and flue)
          • 11. Carbon Monoxide (CO) evaluation: ambient
          • 12. Proper applications and use of temperature measuring devices
          • 13. Pressure pan and room to room pressure diagnostics
          • 14. Recognize contributing factors to comfort problems
          • 15. Inspect for areas containing moisture or bulk water in undesirable locations
          • 16. Understand and inspect for basic electric safety (e.g. frayed wires, open boxes, etc)
      • Section 4 BPI National Standards & Project Specifications >
        • 1. Understand applicability content and intent of BPI National Standards – Do no harm, make buildings more healthy, comfortable, durable and energy efficient
        • 2. Recognize need for a professional local/state/national codes evaluation
        • 3. Be able to specify appropriate materials and processes needed for building performance projects
      • Section 5 Analyzing Buildings Systems >
        • 1. Recognize need for air sealing measures and their impact on other building systems
        • 2. Recognize need for mechanical equipment improvements
        • 3. Understand blower door use for identifying critical air sealing areas
        • 4. Apply blower door test results and Building Tightness Limit (minimum ventilation requirements) in development of improvement strategies
        • 5. Using combustion analysis and safety testing results to develop appropriate recommendations
        • 6. Determine appropriate method for assessing wall insulation levels
        • 7. Equipment control strategies for maximizing occupant comfort and minimizing energy consumption
      • Section 6 Conduct and Communications >
        • 6a. Conservation strategies
        • 6b. Personal Safety & Work Practices >
          • 1. Locations in which to identify indoor air quality issues
          • 2. Material Safety Data Sheets
          • 3. Isolation procedures for household pollutants
          • 4. Practice building science within your limits of professional competency
          • 5. Precautions when working around chemical biological and other potential hazards
          • 6. Understand role and responsibilities of the building analyst professional
    • BPI FIELD EXAM >
      • How To Put The House Under Worst Case & CAZ
      • What's What? Pa, CFM, CFM50, CAZ, Draft, Room Pressure
      • What To Know In The Attic
      • What To Know In The House
    • BLOWER DOOR TEST >
      • Manometer Setup
    • BPI BUILDING ANALYST STANDARDS >
      • BPI Standards Decoded
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  • BLOG

Does Your Energy Audit Business Need A Thermal Camera?

9/10/2014

2 Comments

 
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For the first 2 years of my home performance business, I did resisted the itch to purchase a thermal camera. I think anyone starting their energy audit business wonders the same thing. Furthermore, I debated what type of thermal camera to buy.  There was the $10,000 thermal cameras, the $2,500 low end IR guns and then there were the manufacturers, FLIR or FLUKE. I wondered if I should I get certified to use them.  It can be hard to wade through all the choices for a potentially large investment.  While my home performance business survived fine without the infrared camera and now I have two low end FLIR cameras.  I sometimes sub out my overflow audits to another auditor who has a $10,000 FLIR camera and I can definitely see the difference between my cheap-o's and his high end camera.  


Looking back, my low end infrared cameras were the right choice for a boot-strapping solo-prenuer as I was, but more importantly for my business and anyone asking themselves the same questions was the preparation implemented before the cameras were ever purchased.  Specifically, it is imperative that processes and SOPs (stand operating procedures) are implemented for the IR cameras use.  An IR camera is a big investment and even if its just you using them, setting guidelines now help to increase conversions and ensure smooth transitions when your energy auditing business grows.  


Guidelines should be set for:
  1. Charging the camera the night before.
  2. It's use and how to work it (it's amazing how many newbies that are handed a camera leave the lens closed).
  3. Use during energy audits as a selling tool.  Do you let the homeowner use it, what do you take the time to show the homeowner, how do you explain winter vs summer use, do yo use it before or after you do your blower door or attic inspection.
  4. Use during energy audits as a diagnostic tool. i.e. telling the difference between looking at air leaks verses insulation misalignments, how much time will it add to your audits.
  5. Its safe return and sign off sheets.
  6. Picture guidelines, how to tell what you are looking at if you don't have picture-in-picture.  Also how do you differentiate between houses.

Once you have your SOPs and guidelines in order, it's time to pick a camera that's right for you.  If you don't have much capital to work with, I vouch for the cheap $1,500 cameras to use as a selling tool.  However I will add that I live in Phoenix where most of the homes have accessible attics and platform framing.  If you live in an area where most of the homes have cathedralized attics, no accessible attics or were balloon framing was common, a thermal camera can be a very valuable diagnostic tool along with a good knowledge of pressure mapping. If you live in more temperate climate, a good IR camera will be able to discern insulation misalignments and air leakage better than a cheap camera.  For example in the winter time in Phoenix, our IR cameras are basically paper weights. 

Does Having a Thermal Camera Increase Sales?

It is difficult to say that having the infrared camera has directly contributed to more sales but I can contribute increased audits and therefore sales to having the IR camera.
  • Many audits have been booked specifically because we offer a free infrared scan of the house and those audits have turned into sales.
  • Using the infrared camera adds to wow factor when doing the audit but good pictures in the attic showing misalignments are also just as effective.
  • Using a good thermal camera shows temperature differences much more vividly for homeowners.
  • Some homeowners like it when get get to use the thermal cameras themselves. It adds value to the energy audits.

However, if you do the thermal camera and never show the homeowner the pictures or the hot items you find live, having a thermal camera doesn't do any good.  The more you show the homeowner and promote and sell using the thermal camera, the more value it adds and that increases sales.

Where To Buy A Thermal Camera

Buying a FLIR and FLUKE thermal camera has to be done from approved distributors.  Distributors typically add a nice mark up to their costs but offer technical support.  Technical training may be best had by reading blogs and asking your peers.  I do not have any experience with the infrared certifications offered.  The cheapest way to buy a thermal camera and my preferred method is on eBay. There are i7 IR cameras regularly on sale for a flat rate of $1500.
Links:


iPhone thermal camera
FLIR TG165
FLIR E4
FLUKE TI9
2 Comments

    David Byrnes

    Owns and operates Green ID, a residential home energy auditing and contracting company in Phoenix, AZ. He is a BPI Proctor and has trained over 40 energy auditors.

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