Architects and Building Performance

In today’s rapidly changing building environment, just providing a set of plans is no longer enough. Today, energy codes and increasing customer demands are beginning to challenge conventional ways of building, paving the way for performance based homes. Green building and energy efficient home design isn't just about low VOC paints or energy efficient windows. It's about taking an integrated approach before the contractor swings the first hammer. That's where we come in. We can help clarify and pin-point myths, perceptions, whether positive or negative, and help deliver solutions for your customers that provide lasting value.

Here's what we deliver:

• HVAC Design (manual J and manual D)
• Code Compliance checks (RESchecks) to meet performance path for all new codes (2009 and beyond)
• NGBS (National Green Building Standard) Certifications and Verifications
• Energy Modeling to identify cost saving measures and “value engineering” the home for performance

Contact us at Elm Energy Group to learn more about intergrating home performance into your design process. With experience in thousands of existing and new construction homes it's your first and best step towards designing a high performance home.

Suggestions for further reading

• The importance of air-sealing

Builders

At Elm Energy Group we see the building industry through the eyes of building performance specialists but we also have experience in lending, real estate,and in general contracting. This gives us the unique ability to understand the challenges of the industry and take a needs based approach to help you improve your product’s marketability while reducing your overhead costs. Sounds bold? We think so too. But don't just take our word for it, let us put you in touch with our clients to hear their feedback from our evaluation and consulting. Here are some of the services we offer.

Energy Code Compliance: We can help you meet Energy Codes for both South Carolina and Georgia (including Performance path, Duct Blaster® test  and blower door testing) - New energy codes can be confusing. Let one of our building science technicians sit down with you and your superintendents to help you better understand ways you can meet or exceed these requirements, improve your buildings quality and reduce costly warranty callbacks.

Infra-Red Scans: Infrared thermal imaging is high tech non-destructive way of pin-pointing areas of improper insulation, air leakage and moisture intrusion. It shows exactly where your problems are occurring while eliminating the guess work.

Green Building: Elm Energy has certified Green homes in over 6 different markets and has seen the development of Green building over the years.  While there are many myths around green building, we find that we can clarify most of them; including the big one about costs. Contact us at Elm Energy Group to hear more about what we can do help you build a marketable and efficient home. It's your first and best step to building a high performance home.

Suggestions for further reading

• 3 Biggest Health and Safety Concerns
• What does BPI certified mean?

Commercial Solutions

Commercial Buildings

You Can’t Afford to Overlook Your Building’s Performance

If you’re the owner or manager of a commercial building, finding new and creative ways to impact your bottom line can be a challenge. Which is why it makes sense to identify areas of inefficiency in your building’s performance, and fix them. For instance:

• Do you know what percentage of your overhead goes toward electricity?
• How much money do you spend lighting or cooling an empty building?
• What is the current state of your building’s envelope?

Finding the answers to these and other questions like them gives our building performance technicians the insight they need to provide you with actionable solutions. These solutions are designed to increase energy efficiency and lower operating costs while promoting the long-term sustainability of your building. The benefits of our service will be obvious for years to come, especially on your bottom line.

Areas of Focus and Expertise

When we assess your commercial building, we’ll focus on the following areas:

HVAC Diagnostics & System Optimization: The National Comfort Institute, a leading HVAC training organization, estimates that most commercial systems operate at only 57% of their intended performance. That leaves a lot of room for improvement/savings. Optimizing your system’s performance can provide more comfort for your tenants, improve air quality and reduce your maintenance costs.

Lighting Improvements: The right lighting equipment for your building will use less energy, last longer, and require less maintenance, all while improving your facilities appearance and security. We can help you find the right lights whether it's an LED light solution or other energy efficient lighting solutions.

Building Envelope: Especially for older buildings, assessing the condition of your building envelope is a crucial element to delivering improved performance.

For more information about our Commercial Solutions, and to schedule an assessment of your building, contact us at Elm Energy Group. It’s your first and best step toward having a higher functioning commercial building.

Investing in building performance is more affordable than ever

• In both South Carolina and Georgia there are utility rebate programs available through power companies and municipalities.
• Federal and State grant money is set aside specifically for energy efficiency in commercial buildings.
• Numerous financial institutions are offering low interest loans to fund efficiency projects

Investing in building performance is more affordable than ever

• In both South Carolina and Georgia there are utility rebate programs available through power companies and municipalities.
• Federal and State grant money is set aside specifically for energy efficiency in commercial buildings.
• Numerous financial institutions are offering low interest loans to fund efficiency projects.

Suggestions for further reading

• What is my building's envelope?
• Want to know more about the condition of your ducts? Read about Duct Blaster® test

Energy Efficient Windows

Window Treatment

If you’re reading this, you’re obviously thinking about installing energy efficient windows to increase your home’s efficiency and lower your monthly bills. And that might work. However, it could also be quite pricey. Before you buy expensive energy efficient replacement windows, make sure you’re spending your money wisely by answering the following questions:

• How much energy will I save on my bill after replacing my windows? (i.e. what is my ROI (return on investment) from replacment windows?) Can you provide me written proof of such claims?
• What windows are right for me? Are Energy Star windows a good investment? How about vinyl replacement windows?
• Will installing new windows help improve my home’s comfort and stop drafts?
• Are there alternatives to replacement windows that can help improve my window’s efficiency?

Using the principles of building science, along with the appropriate diagnostic technologies, we can help provide answers to these questions. After we do, you’ll know whether investing in new windows is the right move for your home’s performance, or if another option makes more sense.

Contact us at Elm Energy Group to speak with a building performance technician. It’s your first and best step toward having a higher functioning home. 

Resources/Further Reading:

• FTC Rattles Window Companies over Energy Savings Claims
• How do I prioritize energy efficient improvements? Look into a home energy audit

Home Energy Assessments

The Path To A Higher Functioning Home

A Home Energy &Performance Assessment is our version of a home energy audit. We use a variety of scientific means to bring your home’s performance problems to light, so you can understand them and we can fix them. Sometimes, the solutions are obvious: “Hey, you need a new energy efficient water heater.” But in many instances, they aren’t nearly as clear: “Hey, your home needs air-sealing to strengthen it's envelope.” Regardless of your individual scenario, a home performance assessment will tell us what needs to be done to provide you with a higher functioning home.

Protect Your Investment

We recommend a home performance assessment for anyone considering a common performance “fix” for their home like new energy efficient windows, spray foam insulation, or even a geothermal HVAC system. Before you make that type of financial commitment, you’d better be sure that you’re investing in the right solution. Our scientific, data dependent approach will help set your mind at ease.

Insulation

Surround yourself with the right information.

Whether you aim to have an Energy Star Home or just a home that is consistently comfortable year-round, insulation will play a major role. However, there are many different insulation solutions out there, and it’s important to make the choice that best fits your house. The age of your home, when it was built, and what it was built from are all factors that will impact your insulation decision. That’s why it makes sense to have a responsible professional helping you along the way. Elm Energy Group’s building performance technicians are well trained and will provide you with the information you need to make the most effective and affordable choice.

Some of the questions about insulation that an Elm Energy Group building performance technician can answer include the following:

• Will this solve my comfort, energy, or air quality problem?
• What type of insulation is best for my home? Do I need spray foam insulation?
• What are some common pitfalls of insulating homes?
• How much blown insulation do I need?
• Where should my insulation go?
• Do you plan on air sealing or draft stopping your home before insulating?
• What should I know before hiring an insulation contractor?

Contact us to speak with a building performance technician about your insulation needs. It’s your first and best step toward having a higher functioning home.

Suggestions for further reading:

• Importance of Air Sealing
• Infra-Red Inspections: Inspecting your Homes “Shell”

Mold Testing

We have the CIE Certification (Council-Certified Indoor Environmentalists).

Realtors and Lenders

Have you maximized your marketability to today’s home buyers? More and more today’s home buyers are coming to recognize the value of a high performance and efficient home. A better performing home has an advantage in a deeply competitive market with an evermore more knowledgeable consumer. A better performing home also has less durability issues and can lower a mortgage holders electricity bill helping homeowners better afford mortgage payments.

3 Biggest Health and Safety Concerns

Health & Safety is one of the pillars of Home Performance, and here at Elm Energy Group, we find it to be the most important. According to the EPA, Americans spend close to 90% of our time indoors. Knowing this, it is imperative to have high performing homes as a way to ensure that the air we breathe isn't doing serious harm. The EPA also estimates that the air we breathe in our homes and buildings has been found to be four to five times more harmful than the air outside. Here are some of the most common issues we have found throughout our Home Energy Audits, in addition to hundreds of other evaluations on homes and buildings.

Radon is an odorless gas, and is the second leading cause of lung cancer and upper respiratory issues. While the average home is not generally considered a high risk area, it can be worth testing with an in-home test kit. More information can be found here.

Building Envelope

The building envelope is an important factor to be aware of during an Home Energy Audit. It is the boundary line that separate the indoors from the outdoors, and recognizing its function can be critical in maximizing green efficiency. Ultimately, the Building Envelope consists of three layers:

• The outermost layers – siding or cladding, house wrap (felt) and sheathing. These components all serve the system by diverting bulk water and moisture away from the building. This layer is what is seen on the outside of the building.
• The middle layer – This contains the structure (wood or steel), and normally the insulation. This is your thermal barrier/protection.
• The interior layer- is the finish that people see on the inside of the building (drywall, wood slats, plaster, etc.). This normally serves as your air barrier.

The building envelope effects your whole house, therefore on the road to energy efficiency the first step is addressing your building's envelope, keeping it tightly sealed, and making sure your thermal barrier and air barrier are in constant contact is vitally important.Taking care of the building envelope from the onset allows you a fuller grasp on air leakage, moisture intrusion, and heat transfer.

Although properly identifying your building's envelope can be complex, we're here to explain everything and provide you with recommendations for proper sealing systems for your specific needs. Many are tempted or advised to make quick fixes, like new windows or solar panels we strongly recommend testing your building's envelope with an home energy audit before these improvements. This could save you thousands of dollars by pin pointing less costly and more effective solutions.

Contact your local Elm Energy Group office if you are interested in learning about the condition of your building's envelope. It's your first and best step toward a high performing building.

Interested in finding out more? Start conversation with us or call us and we'll wire you over to home performance technician right away to help answer your questions. In the meantime, check out articles below for further reading.

Suggestions for further reading

• Want to learn the condition of your building's envelope? Learn about a blower door test
• Interest in hearing about how your whole building is performing? Look into an energy audit

HERS (Home Energy Rating System)

The Home Energy Rating System is a nationally recognized certification that has been developed as a standardized numerical system to help inform homeowner’s about the energy efficiency of their current or prospective home.

A detailed analysis of the home’s features (design, materials, orientation, etc…) is entered into a software program along with diagnostic data (air-tightness, duct leakage, insulation levels, etc…) and produces a numerical rating number that is compared to a house built to the IECC standards (International Energy Conservation Code).

The rating number allows you to understand how your house stacks up vs. Energy Star qualified homes and the standard construction of the past. The HERS rater can also offer expert recommendations on the best way to improve and reduce energy costs of the rated home. This can also be used to compare homes you are thinking about buying as HERS ratings are available on some MLS sites.

Elm Energy Group uses Energy Vanguard as their HERS rating provider. Energy Vanguard oversees all of our ratings and does the quality assurance that adds the extra level of confidence and control in our industry.

Further information about HERS and Resnet can be found at: www.resnet.com

Suggestions for further reading

• Want to know how well you home is performing? Look into a home energy audit
• Whats the next step after a HERS rating? Read more about Energy Star for new homes

Cold floors in the winter

This might just be the surface being naturally cool to the touch in case of wood, stone, or laminate flooring. But if it is overly cool in the winter this may be a sign that you have some air leakage from the basement or crawlspace into your home. Keep an eye out for other problems such as mold, mildew or musty smells or high energy bills and if you have these issue you should consider getting a home energy audit. A home energy audit like our Home Energy Performance Assessment will determine if you have a good seal around your home’s envelope.

Some things to consider when trying to fix cold floors

• Do you notice a difference seasonally?
• Are you experiencing other issues regarding your home’s performance?
• Have you considered a home energy audit?
• Have looked into the importance of air sealing?
• Have youn considered crawl space encapsulation?

Contact your local Elm Energy office to schedule a home energy audit and/or to discuss the possible cause of your cold floors in the winter. It's your first and best step toward having a high performance home.

Suggestions for further reading?

• What is a home energy audit?
• Want to know how tight your home is? Consider a blower door test

Drafty Rooms

Do certain parts of your home always seem to have chill to them during the winter? Can you feel air-moving in rooms your house but can't pin-point where the air might be coming from? Drafty rooms can be caused by many different problems. If you've looked and can’t find the leaks or just don’t know where to look a building technician can help. Don't invest in products like energy efficient replacement windows without knowing if their are other more affordable options. Using diagnostic tools like a blower door test or infra-red thermography Elm Energy Group will find the source of your drafts and develop a plan to correct these problems in the most cost effective way.

Somethings to consider when trying to fix drafty rooms

• Is the problem isolated to one room in your home?
• Would a home energy audit help you develop a home performance plan?
• Do you know how well sealed your duct work is? Have you considered a Duct Blaster® test?
• Have you considered the importance of air sealing in your home's overall performance?

Contact your local Elm Energy office to learn more about draft rooms and discuss whether a home energy audit is right for you. It's your first step and best step toward having a high performance home.

Suggestions for further reading

• Want to know the tightness of your home? Consider a blower door test
• Have you consider a home energy audit?

Dry Indoor Air in the winter

If you are experiencing dry indoor air that is causing discomfort for you and your family your home is under-performing. Dry indoor air is caused when warm humid air in your home is escaping your home and being replaced by the dry air from outside. This can also be a tell-tale sign that your heating system is wasting electricity compensating for the escaping air. Before you consider products like a humidifier or fixing your hvac system we recommend speaking with an Elm Energy Group building technician. Using diagnostic tools like a blower door we can pin-point where the dry outdoor air is getting into your home and causing you problems.

Some things to consider when trying to fix dry indoor air

• Do you know how tightly your house is sealed?
• Are you aware of any other indoor air-quality issues?
• Do you know the importance of air sealing to a home's performance?
• Do you know how tightly your ducts are sealed?

The best way to rectify this problem is with the air sealing of your home’s envelope using foams and caulking. To better understand how well your home is air sealed we recommend a home energy audit like our Home Energy Performance Assessment that includes a blower door test. This test will reveal how much your house is leaking and from where.

Contact your local Elm Energy Group office to learn more about dry indoor air and other indoor air-quality issues. It's your first and best step towards having a high performance home.

Some suggestions for further reading

• The importance of air sealing
• What is a home energy audit?
• Want to know how tight your home is? Consider a blower door test

Infra-Red Technology

“Jamie's review of our spray foam saved me about $10,000 dollars in related construction costs – all for the small amount of $300. I felt like I took him for the ride!"

Infra-Red Technology is cutting edge for the home improvement industry. Its non-destructive ability to find and identify problems is only overlapped by a experienced technicians ability to interpret it. Don't hire just anyone and be wary of those offering "Free IR scans", Elm Energy Group has conducted over 400 Infra-red inspections to date and has industry leading training.

Infra-Red Scans can help solve or identify the following issues:

• Spray Foam insulation jobs not yielding proper performance
• Identify leaky HVAC ductwork
• Identify areas of poorly installed or missing insulation
• Identify areas of air leakage or heating and cooling loss
• Identify areas of exterior moisture damage or rot
• Identify trouble windows that have lost their performance or identify costly air leak

If you are considering making the following improvements Elm Energy group can help

• Insulation (spray foam, fiberglass, cellulose)
• Air Sealing or Draft stopping
• Moisture or Mold mitigation
• Window Replacements or Energy Efficient Windows
• Air Duct Cleaning

Duct Blaster Test

In over a thousand Duct Blaster® tests rarely did we find a system that did not leak, in fact on average we found that most systems lose over 20% of their air through leaks. This is a huge performance issue as roughly half of all energy costs are from heating or cooling. In the end Leaky duct-work not only costs you money on energy, it can drastically reduce the life of your HVAC. This can also contribute to poor air quality if it is pulling air from the garages, attic, crawlspace, or basements.

Having a Duct Blaster® test done either individually or as a part of a Home Energy Audit can help solve the following problems:

• Excessive dust
• Poor Air Quality
• High Energy bills
• Drafty Rooms
• Hot and cold rooms
• Mold, mild, or musky smells
• Dry indoor air during the winter
• Condensation on windows

If you are considering making the following Improvements or additions to your home you should call us:

• HVAC system upgrade or replacement
• Air purifiers
• Air Duct Cleaning
• Insulation Upgrades (spray foam, fiberglass, cellulose)
• Air Sealing or Draft stopping
• Crawlspace encapsulation or moisture mitigation
• Window Replacements or Energy Efficient Windows
• Tankless water heater or heat pump water heater replacements
• Free Home Energy Audits
• Utiliy rebates
• Indoor Air Quality Testing
• Green Remodeling
• Solar PV or Photovoltaic
• Geothermal HVAC

Blower Door Test

A Blower Door Test can help pinpoint areas of drafts and give you a better understanding of how well your home's envelope is performing. Draft stopping or air sealing, as it is referred to in home performance contracting, is the best way to stop uncomfortable drafts, save money, and improve air quality. A Blower door is one of the 3 diagnostic tools used on every Home Energy Audit.

A Blower door can help identify and pinpoint the following problems:

• Dust
• Poor air quality
• High Energy Bills
• Drafty rooms
• Musky, mildewed, or mold smells
• Dry indoor air during the winter time
• Condensation on windows

If you are considering making the following Improvements you should call us to have a blower door test done or a Home Energy Audit:

• Insulation
• Air Sealing or Draft stopping
• HVAC system upgrade or replacement
• Crawlspace encapsulation
• Energy Efficient Windows
• Air duct cleaning
• Free Home Energy Audits
• Utility rebates
• Indoor Air Quality Testing
• Green Remodeling or any remodeling job
• Solar PV or Photovoltaic
• Geothermal HVAC