Chicago Energy Consultants offers a wide range of Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Consulting services to home and small business owners in Northeast Illinois . Areas served include Cook, Lake , DuPage and Kane counties.
Our offerings include:
- Home Energy Audit Walkthrough-
An on-site visual inspection of your home, including energy bill analysis and a written report of recommended improvements. Suitable for multi-unit buildings, and can be paired with Infrared Imaging services at a discount. - Blower door test with leak detection walk-through and report-
For those who only want to retain the use of our blower door to isolate and quantify leaks. Photos of problem areas will be included in the delivered report. - Full Home Energy Audit-
Our premier service, please see the explanation below for a full listing of services the provided. - Home Energy Ratings-
Home Energy Ratings provide a “HERS Index value” that can be used by builders for tax credits, or towards certifications such as LEED, EPA Energy Star for Homes, or Chicago Green Homes. - HVAC duct leakage testing-
Forced air systems can cost their owners serious money, especially when they have serious problems. Chicago Energy Consultants can detect ducts that leak ‘to the outside’ with our HVAC duct pressure pan testing; this service must be conducted during a blower door test. - Infrared Imaging-
Our infrared camera can help to see what is going on inside of walls to detect a multitude of problems, including: air leaks, plumbing leaks, moisture or water penetration, missing insulation, disconnected HVAC supply ducts, even termite infestations! Using the camera with the blower door exaggerates air leaks and insulation problem areas, the two together are a highly reccomended combo! - Green Building Design / Greener Rehab Design-
One of the best times to involve energy upgrades to a home is during construction or remodeling. Energy smart improvements are always much cheaper to build in initially rather than retrofitting into an existing home; and some energy smart building practices can actually save you money during construction! - Computer Datacenter audits-
Is your computer server room or datacenter power bill shrinking your budget? Are you paying out the value of your installed systems to the power company every three years? An inefficient or under-utilized datacenter can cost you more money to run than you think. Let Chicago Energy Consultants talk to you about techniques to improve the efficiency of your data center through server and storage consolidation, as well as smart energy choices.
Please contact us directly regarding inquiries on pricing for these services.
Why a home energy audit
Interested in a home energy audit? You should be!
Why would I want a home energy audit?
A Home Energy Audit is a multi-layered analysis of your home and all the systems in it that use (and lose) energy. An energy consultant will visit your home armed with knowledge as well as precision diagnostic equipment. A Full Home Energy Audit includes the following services:
- Owner interview to discuss comfort and / or utility expense issues
- Energy Bills and Water bill historical baseline assessment
- Lighting inventory (detailing number, wattage and type of lighting in home)
- Appliance inventory (larger appliances like refrigerators / entertainment centers / computers)
- Water consumption inventory (checking flow rates on faucets, and gallons per flush for toilets)
- Major mechanicals review (hot water heater, furnace / boiler, AC unit(s))
- Building envelope assessment ( this includes examining windows, doors, insulation levels, and construction practices)
- Air infiltration (leak) testing with a computer controlled blower door, including leak survey conducted with IR thermometers and / or smoke sticks
- HVAC duct leakage testing with a pressure pan (if a ducted system is in use)
- Clients may also use handheld infrared thermometers or smoke sticks during blower door testing to help detect cold drafts and areas with missing insulation.
- A written report detailing findings is provided, with a listing of recommended items to improve, photos of problem areas, and possible local, state and federal tax credit information, and a listing of local contractors with the know-how to fix your problems.
Check out the results from one of the many tests that we will perform during an audit: the computer controlled blower door test. See just how much money Jane D. Homeowner is losing from air leaks alone!
Download PDF here
A Selection of our Diagnostic Equipment
- Minneapolis Blower Door, model 3, with DG-700 Pressure and flow gauge
- The Energy Conservatory, Duct Blaster, with DG-700 Pressure and flow gauge
- IBM Thinkpad, model 390 – computer control system for blower door test
- Fluke Thermal Camera, model TiR
- EDTM Low E window glass detector, model AE4600
- Thommen digital handheld pressure gauge, model HM 35
- Chicago Steel Tape (CST/Stanley) laser measure, model TLM100
- Kintrex non-contact infrared thermometer, model IRT0421
- Kill-a-Watt power meter, model P4400
- Raytek non-contact infrared thermometer, model MT-3
- Pressure Pan for HVAC duct leakage testing
- Stanley steel tape measure
- Maglite flashlight, model 2xAA, with LED bulb upgrade
- Sanyo Eneloop AA rechargeable batteries x 20
Questions? E-mail us at info@ChiEnCon.com, or call us toll free 866-466-6697
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