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      • Section 1 Building Science Fundamentals >
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        • 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
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          • 4. Thermal Boundaries and Insulation Applications
          • 5. Basic Electrical Components and Safety Considerations
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          • 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
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          • 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
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      • What's What? Pa, CFM, CFM50, CAZ, Draft, Room Pressure
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    • BLOWER DOOR TEST >
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What is needed to start your own energy audit company? Part two

11/4/2015

5 Comments

 
Since many of our readers plan on starting their own energy auditing company this is the second part of our list of essentials you will need to get off the ground. The second part of the essential list starts out a little unconventional on purpose to help stress important highlights to help you avoid going out of business. You may be thinking, "What? You are trying to help us by helping us not go out of business?" My answer is yes, because I have seen a dozen of my peers close their doors as energy auditors and home performance contractors. Some of them were good energy auditors and good people, some of them weren't, but they are all out of business regardless.

This is more than a marketing and advertising plan. This post can help you avoid their mistakes and try new things and if you get nervous thinking about trying something new, it's probably something worth your full effort.

What is the difference between successful independent energy auditors and energy auditors that go out of business?

A willingness to do whatever it takes
I mentor a new energy auditor who started his own independent energy audit business. He is qualified with lots of experience and over 1,000 audits under his belt and does a good check up, is personable and has good customer service skills. We had talked about getting new business by acting as an independent energy auditor to home performance contractors in our Home Performance With Energy Star Program. He would have to call each contractor and solicit his energy audit services highlighting his independence and ease of gaining trust with homeowners, experience in the Energy Star program and flexibility and adapting to each companies process and requirements. He would have already set a set schedule of availability, how much he would charge per audit and what deliverables and services he would provide. That was all set so after a week of quitting his existing job, we met and I asked how his process was going? He replied that he hadn't called anyone yet. We were providing most of his leads thus far on overflow audits we had but I knew that it was going to eventually dry up and he would be up a creek if he didn't act fast. After discussing the inevitability it was clear his lynch pin was that he was very hesitant on picking up the phone and calling anyone. Cold calling is intimidating and scary, but what is more scary is not having any money in the bank account to feed the kids! This guy needed to get on the phone and start dailing, knocking on doors, connecting with managers on LinkedIn, showing up at home shows and introducing himself, writing letters and take massive action to put himself in front of companies. I knew his service was needed, he just needed to take the jump and put himself out there everyday.

That's where a lot of companies fail, they won't do anything that makes them uncomfortable and so when one marketing source dries up, they have nothing to fall back on to keep the money flowing in. A marketing plan is only as good as its implementation and back end execution. Too many energy auditors aren't willing to do what makes them uncomfortable out of fear of rejection,  being seen as pesky and annoying, and because of the negative connotations surrounding the action. I heard on my local news talk radio show during their news round up that any door to door sales people should be avoided because that way of marketing is outdated. I thought that was a stupid and ignorant thing to say that just makes it harder for companies to do what they do. Yes, there are companies that do door to door sales that are crooks but there are also ethical companies that offer good products and services that do door to door sales. That mindset of being an annoying pest keeps many energy auditors out of the game and leaving thousands of dollars on the table. If you practice ethically, there is no reason why you should be hesitant in promoting your energy audit services in any way possible. Energy auditors offer a service that is needed by the public and with a clean conscious you have given yourself the green light to promote yourself to the masses.

Are there times you will have to do things that take you out of your comfort zone? Sure, but the more you practice and build up your "muscles" the easier it gets and the more effective you get. Don't become paralyzed in a state of inactivity or comfort.

Will you maybe not hit the mark every time and have to go back to the drawing board to alter course? Maybe, but an imperfectly executed plan is far better than a perfectly planed non executed plan.
5 Comments
Benny Hani
11/22/2015 05:36:37 am

Greeting David
Thank you for the nice article. Allow me to explain my situation and please help me if possible
I have taken the course and passed the exam and have my rater certificate. I did all that to start an energy rating company.
My provider which is the same as the company I took the class with is not willing to help, even though I have paid them so much including $400/day just for ride along to watch blower door test done.
Please be kind enough to tell me the procedure,
I know how to calculate the Rem/Rate and how to use the equipment.
But as far as the load calculations I don't have any idea.
Do I need to do that as a rater? Are there companies who can do the calculations for a fee? Are there courses I can take to learn this .
Is there a book that has a step by step procedure .
I would really appreciate your help.

Reply
vbe anjibabu link
3/23/2018 04:42:09 am

Nice information about energy audit,we are also providing the service on energy audit.<a

href="http://www.vbengg.com/energy-audit-services.html">Visit Our Website</a>

Reply
Benny Hani
3/24/2018 04:37:24 pm

I sent the request to you for some information in 2015 I just received a reply from you! Mar-2018
If it takes almost 3 years for you to reply there is something definitely wrong

Reply
venkat link
4/23/2018 03:38:29 am

Nice information about energy audit,we are also providing the service on energy audit

Reply
Marilyn link
4/22/2019 08:35:41 pm

Great blog David, thanks for sharing.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    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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