Why you need

The Energy Audit

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Have a Look at Our unique 3-step Energy Audit process

What is an Energy Audit?

Before scheduling a GreenStreet Solutions Home Energy Audit, one of our team members will ask you a few questions about your home energy usage. We will also ask that you provide a year’s worth of energy bills so we can compare them with our audit findings.

Our team is unique. Yes, our experts are BPI-certified and professional—but it’s their passion that makes them most valuable to you. Our team members truly love what they do, and it shows in our exceptional service and unbiased, honest recommendations.

Step 1—Begins with The Audit

When we arrive for your energy audit, two or more of our efficiency experts will spend two to four hours conducting a range of visual inspections and completing a series of tests and measurements inside and outside the home.

During the auditing and review process, we’ll show you the things you can’t see, pointing out the sources of inefficiency and discomfort and then explaining how to correct them

We evaluate and test a variety of components and conditions to assess building performance. Some of the diagnostics we conduct include:

During the audit, we encourage our customers to actively participate in the process. By seeing and understanding the “before” scenario, you’ll be better able to recognize how the improvements will save you money, increase your home’s efficiency, and make your home more comfortable.

The audit is just the beginning…

See Step 2 for more details about how we present our energy audit findings to you.

Not only will a GreenStreet Energy Audit help you determine how to optimize your home’s energy efficiency and decrease energy usage and utility bills, improvements made as a result of your customized home energy efficiency plan may also:

Increase your family’s comfort by eliminating drafts and maintaining the desired temperature throughout the house year around
Create a safer, healthier home environment by optimizing air flow, identifying moisture and mold issues and improving overall indoor air quality
Increase your home’s value and market appeal
Help you do your part to conserve the earth’s resources and the environment
Entitle you to home improvement tax credits and government rebates
Educate you on utility and manufacturer rebates on energy efficient appliances and equipment
Contribute to our nation’s energy independence

Step 2

The Blower Door test is included in a GreenStreet Home Energy Audit. The Blower Door Test is a depressurization process used to identify total air leakage for the whole house. Click Here to see it in action.

Radon Testing

In addition to GreenStreet’s thorough home energy audit, our staff is a Licensed Radon Contractor in the state of Ohio. We are licensed to perform both testing and remediation services. Learn more about this process by contacting Keith Poole at 1-513-465-7573

The Report: Review & Recommendations
Upon completion of your GreenStreet Audit, you will receive a summary of the completed audit steps and a preliminary explanation of findings. We will schedule a meeting to present the GreenStreet Report shortly after your audit.

Between the time we leave the audit and return for our meeting, we’ll spend a significant amount of time and effort in analyzing, preparing, and modeling our recommendations. All of the data gathered during our visit is used to create a software model for your home. We’ll then use your prior utility bills to ensure that our model accurately reflects your typical energy usage.

Once we are confident in the accuracy of our model, we can “remove and replace” various components of the home and measure the relative changes. Using this information, we’ll then provide you with the most cost-effective and meaningful recommendations to achieve your goal. During this meeting, we’ll review the detailed report findings, discuss your options, and review the respective benefits of the proposal. Our team even takes it a step further, helping you to prioritize and manage the improvements based on your budget and time frame, and will discuss ways you can take advantage of available rebates and incentives where applicable and review our available financing options. We can discuss how GreenStreet provides the implementation services so you can rest assured that the expected benefits are realized.

Whether you need insulation or windows, air-sealing or improved mechanical equipment, ventilation or lighting upgrades, our team believes that you should be informed of the reasons, costs, and benefits of the recommended improvements.

Contractors? Don’t panic, yet.
See Step 3 for more details about the improvement and evaluation process.

Step 3—Post Audit Financing

We offer several different financing options including terms that range from 12 months at no interest financing, 3 years, 4 years, and 11-years terms. Rates vary so ask your Auditor for specific payment information. We can finance up to $20,000. of home improvements

The financing process is simple. With just a phone call we can get the process started. Once qualified, we can schedule the installation work and the rest is up to us. Once the work is completed, GreenStreet works with the finance company to receive payment. You will know the monthly payment amount before we start the work so there will be no surprises.

Following are a couple of sample terms using rates in effect during September 2012:

Sample Financing Options:
The grid represents estimated monthly payments

*Amount displayed represents minimum monthly payments. The balance must be paid in full at the end of a twelve-month term or the total amount is subject to interest.

Rebates and Incentives

Many rebates and incentives are available through federal, state, regional and/or utility program incentives for energy efficiency. In some areas, discounted energy audits are available and in others, implementation measures including air sealing, insulation, window, door and some roof replacements, lighting upgrades, heating, cooling and water heating upgrades and replacing old appliances with more efficient ENERGY STAR models are eligible for rebates or incentives. GreenStreet will work with you to assure that you are aware of the eligibility requirements for any of the rebates and incentives that qualify.

Ask our Energy Auditor for specific information about specific program rebates and incentives that are available in your area.

The Recovery Act also allows homeowners to take $1,500 tax credits each year through 2016 for up to 30 percent of qualifying “advanced greening” projects, including geothermal heating systems, wind-powered homes and solar water heaters or panels.

Another federal option for green improvements is the FHA Energy Efficient Mortgage program. This program allows homeowners to borrow money at very low rates to make ENERGY STAR upgrades, add solar or geothermal power, or make other specified green improvements to their homes. Many states offer property tax exemptions, free or expedited building permits and other benefits to homeowners who install green features.

Please visit DSIRE, a database of state incentives for renewables and efficiency, for more information on Ohio Residential Incentives.

STEP 3 Making Home Improvements

Making Improvements
The most important benefit of a GreenStreet Solutions audit is something you can’t put a price on peace of mind.

After making our recommendations, if you choose to proceed with implementation, we feel it is important that we perform the majority of the work ourselves to ensure that it is done properly and so that we can ensure the post-audit results. If improvements require specialized knowledge, skill, licensing, and certifications, however, we do have an established network of trusted, certified contractors to perform some of these more specialized tasks.

As an independent audit and home improvement firm, our unbiased recommendations are based solely upon the data we collect and analyze during our energy audit. Although our employees perform the majority of work that we recommend, there are some recommendations for which we rely on our contractor’s network for assistance. When we enlist the help of professionals to complete your home energy improvements, you can rest assured that our contractors have been thoroughly researched and screened by GreenStreet Solutions. Only the most highly qualified, experienced, and proven contractors are included within our network, and you will receive fair pricing and consummate quality. We will manage the relationship through the entire process—you’ll communicate directly with your GreenStreet representative. We desire to provide you with the most streamlined, efficient process possible when performing the recommended work.

Upon completion of any improvement, we test and inspect our contractors’ work—as well as our own—to ensure that it meets our rigorous quality standards, addresses the energy issues identified in your audit, and delivers the benefits we expect. After all, our success is measured by your satisfaction!

And we take it one step further, performing follow-up tests to confirm that all energy issues have been resolved. We also offer flexible financing options to accommodate all budgets.