Glossary

Glossary

• The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT), signed by President Bush on August 8, 2005, offers consumers and businesses federal tax credits beginning in January 2006 for purchasing fuel-efficient hybrid-electric vehicles and energy-efficient appliances and products. Most of these tax credits remain in effect through 2007.

Air Leaks:

• Air leakage can occur in your home through an under-the-door draft.
• To assess the air leakage in your home, hire a qualified technician to conduct an energy audit, particularly a blower door test.
• A blower door test, which depressurizes a home, can reveal the location of many leaks.
• A complete energy audit will also help determine areas in your home that need more insulation.

Air Sealing:

• Air Sealing is one of the most significant energy efficiency improvements you can make to your home.
• Air sealing will not just reduce energy costs; it will also improve your home's comfort and durability.
• Air leakage, or infiltration, occurs when outside air enters a house uncontrollably through cracks and openings. Properly air sealing such cracks and openings in your home can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs, improve building durability, and create a healthier indoor environment.

Appropriate Ventilation:

• Moving air (changing) into and out of an interior space either by natural or mechanically induced (forced) means.

Approved Contractors:

• Contractors that are screened and recommended by Energy Reduction Services, LLC.

Blower Door:

• A blower door is a large calibrated fan that is temporarily mounted in a house door to measure the "leakiness" of the house and to assist in finding the location of the leaks.
• Modern blower doors have variable speed fans so that the pressure in the house can be adjusted.
• Modern blower doors have door mounting frames so that the fan can be sealed tightly into the door jamb.
• To measure the leakiness of the house, the blower door measures both the air flow through the fan and the pressure difference between the house inside and outside.

Current Energy Code:

• Energy codes are beneficial in residential and commercial buildings, as well as utility bills.
• Energy Codes provide builders with minimum building standards helping assure new homeowners that their home will be completed to these standards.
• For consumers, current energy codes also provide buildings that are comfortable.

Do it Yourselfers:

• Energy Analysis Software - REM/Design Home Energy Analysis Software
  Windows-based software that was developed specifically with the needs of homebuilders, remodelers, energy consultants and designers in mind, REM/Design™ calculates heating, cooling, hot water, lights and appliance loads, consumption and costs for single and multi-family designs in over 250 North American cities.
• This software automatically analyzes the energy and economic performance of insulation, air leakage control, duct leakage control, active and passive solar systems, heating and cooling equipment, mechanical ventilation and more.
• REM/Design™ helps you evaluate and promote the most cost-effective energy features for new home construction.
• REM/Design™ identifies cost-effective energy improvements to existing homes.

Energy Audit/Energy Analysis/ Home Comfort Audits:

• A home energy audit is the first step to assess how much energy your home consumes, and to evaluate what measures you can take to make your home more energy efficient.
• Audits determine the efficiency of your home's heating and cooling systems.
• An audit will show you ways to conserve hot water and electricity.
• Thorough audits often use equipment such as blower doors, which measure the extent of leaks in the building envelope, and infrared cameras, which reveal hard-to-detect areas of air infiltration and missing insulation.

Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM):

• A type of home mortgage that takes into account the energy savings of a home that has cost-effective energy saving improvements that will reduce energy costs thereby allowing the homeowner to more income to the mortgage payment. A borrower can qualify for a larger loan amount than otherwise would be possible.

Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER):

• The measure of the instantaneous energy efficiency of room air conditioners; the cooling capacity in Btu/hr divided by the watts of power consumed at a specific outdoor temperature (usually 95 degrees Fahrenheit).

Energy Star Rating:

• When you see the ENERGY STAR, you know the products and services meet strict
  energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Products in more than 40 categories are eligible for the ENERGY STAR. They use less energy and save you money save money, as well as protecting the environment.

Heat Loss Calculations:

• The heat that flows from the building interior, through the building envelope to the outside environment.

Home Energy Audits

• A home energy audit is the first step to assess how much energy your home consumes.
• An audit will evaluate measures needed to make your home more energy efficient.
• An audit will show you problems that may, when corrected, save you significant amounts of money over time.
• Audits determine the efficiency of your home's heating and cooling systems.
• An audit can outline ways to conserve hot water and electricity.
• You can perform a simple energy audit yourself, or have a professional energy auditor conduct a more thorough audit.
• Thorough audits often use equipment such as blower doors, which measure the extent of leaks in the building envelope, and infrared cameras, which reveal hard-to-detect areas of air infiltration and missing insulation.

Indoor Air Quality:

• Air Quality Standards, the prescribed level of pollutants allowed in outside or indoor air as established by legislation.

Minneapolis Blower Door™:

• A blower door is a large calibrated fan that is temporarily mounted in a house door to measure the "leakiness" of the house and to assist in finding the location of the leaks.
• Modern blower doors have variable speed fans so that the pressure in the house can be adjusted.
• Modern blower doors have door mounting frames so that the fan can be sealed tightly into the door jamb.
• In order to measure the leakiness of the house, the blower door measures both the air flow through the fan and the pressure difference between the house inside and outside.

REM Design Energy Software™ - Home Energy Analysis Software

Developed specifically with the needs of homebuilders, remodelers, energy consultants and designers in mind.

• REM/Design™ calculates heating, cooling, hot water, lights and appliance loads, consumption and costs for single and multi-family designs in over 250 North American cities.
• This windows-based software automatically analyzes the energy and economic performance of numerous energy design features including envelope insulation, air leakage control, duct leakage control, active and passive solar systems, heating and cooling equipment, mechanical ventilation and more.
• REM/Design™ sizes heating and cooling equipment, and determines compliance with the CABO Model Energy Code, ASHRAE 90.2, and the International Energy Conservation Code for both the prescriptive and performance compliance paths.
• REM/Design™ helps you evaluate and promote the most cost-effective energy features for new home construction. The software analyzes the energy and economic performance of traditional and innovative design features, including active and passive solar systems, infiltration and duct leakage reduction packages, high-performance windows, efficient heating and cooling equipment, and panelized construction.
• REM/Design™ identifies cost-effective energy improvements to existing homes.

R-Value of Insulation:

• An R-value indicates an insulation's resistance to heat flow.
• The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating effectiveness.
  The R-value depends on the type of insulation and includes its material, thickness, and density.
• The overall R-value of a wall or ceiling will be somewhat different from the R-value of the insulation itself because some heat flows around the insulation through the studs and joists.