Corporate Training By Zack Academy - Home Energy Auditing

Why Should You Take This Home Energy Auditing Course?

This Home Energy Auditing course will teach students about home energy auditing techniques and how to apply them outside the classroom in a real-world scenario. Against a backdrop of degree day theory, concepts behind calculating by measure, saving paybacks, building science, infiltration theory, and approved retrofits, class participants will learn home energy auditing techniques and apply them in a field exercise. Techniques include blower door guided air leakage tests, heat systems testing and analysis, material estimation, measuring and working with a field data collection form. A field trip to an actual house to conduct an energy audit is included.

Prerequisites: 

• Diagnostic Approaches to Weatherization
• Advanced Weatherization Diagnostics
• Introduction to Residential Heating Systems
• Combustion Analysis Retrofit (Oil)
• Combustion Analysis Retrofit (Gas)

Course Format:  This is a lecture-lab course in which topics are presented by the instructor utilizing handouts, presentations and hands-on demonstrations. Following instructor lecture and demonstrations, students will be monitored while performing skills and procedures at the home audit site.

Course Topics:

• Building Components
• Indoor Air Quality
• Building Science
• Air Leakage and Testing
• Advanced Diagnostics
• Carbon Monoxide
• Combustion Appliance Zone Testing
• HVAC Systems
• Calculating Energy Loss
• Baseload
• Comprehensive Building Assessment Process

Course Objectives:  Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

• Explain the principles of building science
• Identify the basic energy systems that impact a home's energy consumption
• Identify common building envelope and shell problems that reduce efficiency, air quality, comfort and occupant health and safety
• Analyze weatherization strategies to reduce energy loss
• Conduct safety testing on combustion appliances in relation to the whole house system
• Conduct an energy audit/comprehensive building assessment

Evaluation and Grading:  After attending the 12-hour Baseload Auditing Workshop students will receive a Certificate of attendance.

Classroom Rules of Conduct:

• Safety Glasses must be worn at all times while in the shop area.
• Leather-type work shoe or boot must be worn. NO open-toed shoes or sandals!
• All students are responsible for properly cleaning up their area, properly storing parts, and returning all tools at the end of class.
• No cell phone use during class, cells phones may be checked during breaks only.
• This is a smoke free school zone; smoking is not permitted on school grounds.
• Refer to the enrollment packet for school wide policies.

Syllabus

Syllabus:

• DCED field standards review
• Measure selection (PA priority list)
• SIR and simple payback
• Building science principles
• Principles of heat transfer – conduction, convection, radiation
• Principles of air leakage
• Principles of moisture and IAQ
• Calculating energy loss through building envelope
• Heat loss calculations
• R-value and U-value conversions
• U X A X ΔT = BTU Loss
• Building components
• Defining thermal and pressure boundaries
• Insulation properties and types
• Windows
• Air sealing
• PAWAP standards
• Air leakage testing (blower door)
• Building airflow tightness standards
• Pressure diagnostics
• Duct leakage
• PA WAP inspection protocol for weatherization auditors
• Meet and greet customer
• Conduct visual inspection of the outside of the house
• Conduct visual inspection of the inside of the house
• Turn all combustion appliances to vacation or pilot
• Conduct a blower door test
• Conduct zonals
• Conduct pressure pan testing
• o conduct CAZ and combustion analysis testing
• Lab exercise: CAZ and combustion analysis testing
• Determine overall recommendations (priority list)
• Document, document, document
• Develop estimate of materials needed
• Document a moisture assessment
• Determine/document if LSW practices should be followed
• Field trip: home energy audit
• Conduct an audit of real house in the field.
• Work in groups to discuss audit results and recommendations
• Work in groups/individually to compile audit report
• Written test