Healthy Indoors Magazine
Issue link: https://hi.healthyindoors.com/i/958488
32 | HOUSE WHISPERER — February/March 2018 W hile Home Performance Special- ists are often Energy Auditors, their work is far more than an en- ergy audit. An energy audit is like an MRI test. It gives valuable in- formation for the diagnosis, but it does not tell you what to do to solve the problem, nor does it actually solve the problem. Home Performance Specialists and Energy Auditors may also call themselves Building Scientists (I do). That simply means their work is based on Building Science. Definitions Home Performance: The art and science of making your home more comfortable, healthier, longer lasting, and more efficient. 99% of the time it is multidisciplinary: multi- ple contractors are required. It is focused on solving home- owner problems within their budget. It requires measuring multiple characteristics to diagnose a problem, then plan- ning to figure out how to solve root causes. Building Science: The physics of how your home works. Most importantly, it deals with the flows of heat, air, and moisture. Home Performance is built on a foundation of Building Science. Building Scientist: One who uses building science to solve problems in a building. There is not a certification program for it, so anyone can call themselves one. Multi- ple trades may use this term, particularly energy auditors, architects, insulation contractors, and various consultants. Energy Auditor: One who tests and inspects a home to find root causes of client problems. They almost always do a test in on a project, and sometimes do a test out. Of- ten, they are not heavily involved during a project (which is where mistakes can be best caught). Home Performance Specialist: An individual or company that guides a project from start to finish. They use multiple measurements to help not only diagnose a problem and fig- ure out what to do, but also help develop a budget, find con- tractors, get bids, and get the work done. Most importantly, they follow up to see if it worked, and why. (Or why not.) A Home Performance Specialist is to your home like a doctor is to your body. They often tend to be generalists like a family doctor. Some will have different specialties, such as solving mold problems, Indoor Air Quality prob- lems, icicle problems, etc. Nothing is certain. Have you ever heard of a doctor say- ing, "This is 100% guaranteed to work?" Of course not. Bodies are very complex and we all treat them differ- ently. Instead, doctors tend to think in odds. 50% odds of success isn't great. 80% is good. 90%+ is as good as you can expect. Home performance works the same way. A Home Performance Specialist is much more than an Energy Auditor. Some key differences with a Home Perfor- mance Specialist are that they: • Are involved from start to finish with a Home Perfor- mance project. • Make predictions. They predict budget, air leakage at Separating Energy Auditors from Building Scientists from Home Performance Specialists By Nate Adams Home Performance Specialists are pretty rare, as it takes a rare mix of core competencies to be a good one. One of the aims of this column is to educate consumers like you on what it takes to truly solve problems, thereby creating more demand for them.