FLIR IN FOCUS COST JUSTIFICATION SERIES

Infrared Energy Auditing –

How Home Inspectors Gain a Competitive Edge

According to the U.S. Department of Energy,

the typical family spends close to $2,500 a year

on their home’s utility bills, and unfortunately, a

large portion of that energy is wasted due to

insufficient insulation and a lack of weather

stripping around doors and windows.

Professional home inspectors and energy audi-

tors have been using leading-edge infrared

technology to perform energy auditing of

homes and buildings to improve energy effi-

ciency, thus leading to savings on energy costs.

Howard Vics of Building Performance

Consulting in Schenectady, NY and Gary

Goodman of Energy Construction, LLC in

Ravena, NY rely on their FLIR Systems EX320

infrared camera for home energy auditing

assessments. Built for harsh environments, the

EX320 is a rugged yet flexible infrared solution

featuring; interchangeable optics, high-resolu-

tion imaging and extreme thermal sensitivity.

Feature-rich and affordable; the EX320 is the

smallest, smartest infrared camera on the

market today.

“We are thrilled to have this instrument,” said

Vics. “We use the EX320 on every job, whether

it’s for a comprehensive home energy audit,

heat loss analysis, or for a quality assurance

check of installed insulation. As I complete the

assessment, I can easily detect missing insula-

tion in walls and ceilings, or air leakage around

doors, windows and along the foundation. We

can then develop an insulation and air-

sealing strategy to address the problem. By

using an infrared camera, I am able to

instantly see and diagnose the problem, via

a nondestructive method, which is a defi-

nite competitive edge for our business.”

Both Vics and Goodman work with the

New York State Energy Research and

Development Authority (NYSERDA), and

have been certified by the Building

Performance Institute. The New York

Energy $martSM Program and Energy Star®

have partnered together to develop a

program to assist homeowners to make

energy efficiency improvements. Having a

qualified home performance inspector,

who has been trained in Building Science,

perform a comprehensive energy audit will

reveal where there is energy being wasted,

so improvements can be made to enhance

safety and comfort.

“We also use our FLIR infrared camera for

the Energy STAR® new homes program as

well,” Vics explains. First, I do an evaluation

of the building plans, followed by two or

three on-site inspections during critical

stages of construction and heating system

configuration. I t is at the final stages

(before and after drywall installation) that

the ThermaCAM thermal imaging camera is

key, because I can “see” duct leakage and

inconsistencies of insulation.”The final

energy audit takes place when the

construction is complete, just before the

owner gets their certificate. “We have

found that the IR camera is an invaluable

tool when doing building diagnostics of

newer homes.”

Goodman, who specializes in the applica-

tion and installation of insulation and air

sealing techniques, uses the infrared camera

before starting a job and after installation of

insulation as a final quality assurance check,

to make sure he hasn’t missed a bay or

some other source of cold air.

Infrared thermography is a well-accepted

method of imaging and evaluating the

thermal efficiency of home and building insula-

tion, doors, windows, and other penetrations,

along with the efficiency of heating and cooling

systems. Home energy auditors have been able

to proactively address the issue of wasted

energy by using infrared cameras, and in turn

help to make homes more energy efficient,

saving money and natural resources.

About FLIR Systems, Inc.:

FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) designs, manu-

factures and markets infrared imaging systems

worldwide. Commercial product applications

include non-destructive testing, research and

development, manufacturing process control,

predictive maintenance/condition monitoring,

and broadcast imaging. With over 30 years expe-

rience and more than 30,000 of its IR systems in

use, FLIR is the global leader in infrared cameras,

software, service, training and support. FLIR

ThermaCAM thermal imaging cameras are the

most widely used IR non-contact temperature

measurement systems worldwide. FLIR products

also play pivotal roles in such diverse applica-

tions as public safety, defense, navigation, and

search and rescue. For more information, please

visit our website at: www.flirthermography.com

or call 1-800-464-6372.

Howard Vics is certified by the Building

Performance Institute in Building Analysis and

is a Certified Thermographer with a specialty in

Building Science. He formed Building

Performance Consulting in 2004 and serves the

greater Capital region performing home energy

audits, infrared thermography and building

diagnostics. Gary Goodman is “triple certified”

by the Building Performance Institute with

specialties in Building Analysis, Shell, and

Heating Systems and has been insulating and

air sealing homes in the Capital region for over

25 years. For more information you can reach

Howard Vics at (518)368-4546 and Gary

Goodman can be reached at (518)756-9303.