Building performance or home performance is a comprehensive whole-house approach to identifying and fixing comfort and energy efficiency problems in a home.
Energy audits are performed by energy auditors, also known as building analysts or consultants, which, in the United States, are usually certified by the Building Performance Institute (BPI) or the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET).
The United States Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy started a national program "Home Performance with ENERGY STAR" to offer a comprehensive, whole-house approach to improving energy efficiency and comfort at home, while helping to protect the environment. The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program has 40 programs, to date, across the country which are administered by various utilities and state energy offices.
Home performance applies building science to address the following issues:
- Efficient energy use
- Durability
- Indoor Air Quality
- Thermal Comfort
- Indoor Moisture sources and solutions
Diagnostic equipment includes:
- Blower door
- Duct leakage tester (DuctBlaster (R))
- Thermal Imaging camera
- Combustion analyzer
A home performance energy audit results in home energy retrofit recommendations to improve the comfort and efficiency of the home, the most common of which include:
- Sealing air holes and gaps in the building envelope and subsequently adding insulation.
- Sealing ducts.
- Upgrading heating and cooling systems, appliances and lighting by replacing them with energy efficient equipment such as ENERGY STAR appliances or devices, compact fluorescent lamps, or LED lamps.
- Adding heat recovery ventilation or other means to control and upgrade fresh air ventilation.
- Controlling moisture.
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