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 auditors have been using leading-edge infrared technology to perform energy auditing of homes and buildings to improve energy efficiency, 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-resolution 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 insulation in walls and ceilings, or air leakage around doors, windows and along the foundation. We can then develop an insulation and airsealing 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 definite 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. It 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 application 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 insulation, 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.