Home Energy Checks
Home Energy Rating Scheme (HERS)
What are Home Energy Ratings about? A Home Energy Rating is an assessment of the energy efficiency performance of a home. The Governments Home Energy Rating scheme is currently under development. It is aiming to make New Zealanders more aware of the energy performance of their homes. Essentially a qualified (HERS) Assessor can carry out an audit of your home. It will include the building itself and rates its energy performance, how well the building's design, materials, construction and orientation enables it to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature. Your qualified (HERS) Assessor evaluates the home, then generates a report containing star ratings showing the energy performance of the home, and professional recommendations as to the most cost effective ways in which your home's energy efficiency and therefore its rating can be improved. This report and star rating can then be used when selling your home to promote its energy efficiency and as proven overseas good star ratings have increased house values. The scheme may become compulsory in the near future for new homes and older homes as they are sold. Home Energy Ratings are about better information to help you bridge the gap into a warmer, healthier, and more cost-effective home whether buying, building, renting, renovating or otherwise. back to top
Infrared Home Energy Checks
Are the walls in your home properly insulated? Are you sure? By viewing the thermal patterns of an insulated wall with our Infrared Cameras we can know for sure. When a wall is properly insulated, surface temperatures on the wall should be at a relatively consistent temperature. In the winter, generally heat will be escaping from the interior to the exterior but it is important to remember that the opposite can also happen. In winter as heat from the interior escapes through the wall the temperature drops at the areas that have missing and/or poorly insulated. This temperature difference will be seen with the infrared camera as a cold spot or thermal anomaly at that area compared to the rest of the insulated wall. Knowing if and where any insulation is missing and correctly re installing the insulation can greatly improve the energy efficiency of the home and reduce power usage.back to top
Air Leaks
Do you feel drafts or have areas of your home that are never comfortable in? Depending on the age of the structure and the building practices at the time it was built, air leaks could be costing you more than you think. By allowing uncontrolled air to enter or exit the building envelope, you are greatly reducing the effectiveness of your insulation and any heating cooling systems must work harder to compensate for the loss to maintain your comfort level. Working harder and running more often increases costs and wear on the system. A heat pump for instance may have to run a 20% longer to compensate for air leaks. With our infrared camera we can identify these areas. Once you know where the air loss is occurring, rectifying the leaks can really improve the efficiencies and comfort level of the home. back to top
Appliance Checks
Want to know how much electricity your Appliances are using? It's easy with our "Centameter" electricity monitor. Our portable, easy to read, "Centameter" LCD monitor, displays the estimated cost per hour and energy being used by the selected appliance. The total amount of energy usage of the building can also be monitored. The "Centameter" helps you to save power by showing which Appliances use the most electricity. You can adopt new energy saving practices and reduce your power bill accordingly. The "Centameter" is an innovative new product designed to show you just how much electricity is costing in real time. back to top