Residential and Commercial Energy Waste & Use
Heating and cooling the conditioned space accounts for almost 45% of a typical home or building's energy use. Property owners can realize significant savings if proper measures are taken to control unwanted air leakage, as air leakage relates directly to heating and cooling costs. According to ENERGY STAR®, sealing and insulating the "envelope" or "shell" of your home or building—its outer walls, ceiling, windows, doors and floors—is often the most cost effective way to improve energy efficiency and comfort.
The value of Infrared Thermography with Pinnacle Inspections
Air leaks and insulation issues in homes and buildings often go unnoticed simply because we cannot see them. That is unless infrared or thermal imaging is used. Thermal imaging with Pinnacle has become widely accepted as a 'must have' tool for energy auditing, forensic inspection and weatherization.
Pinnacle professionals utilizes infrared thermal imaging because it provides a fast and accurate way to pinpoint and document exact locations of problems. In an industry where speed and accuracy is vital, IR Imaging allows for faster inspections and more detailed documentation. Many traditional auditing tools provide a general idea of where problems are, but fall short of pinpointing them.
Perhaps the most valuable part of infrared inspection is the ability to document and report findings. All of our Reports include IR technology that combines an infrared image with a visual image for enhanced identification, analysis and reporting. By incorporating the visual reference image, clients and/or contractors tasked with making repairs can easily relocate problems after an audit is complete.
Thermal imaging can also be used to validate the effectiveness of repairs and improvements such as caulking, filling voids with spray foam and adding insulation by performing a follow-up infrared inspection.
Air leakage inspections
Controlled air exchange is necessary for occupant safety, but most structures waste significant energy through excessive, uncontrolled air leakage. Remedies for leaks can be simple, but finding them without the use of infrared technology remains a challenge. Significant air leaks tend to occur near attics and basements due to the stack effect. The stack effect occurs when warm air rising in a home creates an area of low pressure at the lower levels and high pressure near the roof. These pressure differences force warm air to escape from the top and cold air to enter near the bottom of the structure.
Our Air leakage inspections are greatly enhanced by the use of a blower door. Our auditors and inspectors have long used blower doors to measure the overall air exchange rate or air tightness of a structure. Blower doors create a pressure difference (usually negative) from the inside to the outside of the structure. By creating a pressure difference, air leaks are exaggerated and the effect of the moving air has on the surfaces around the leaks is exaggerated as well. When used in conjunction with blower doors, our thermal imagers more easily detect air leakage as there is greater difference in pressure and temperature on the surfaces surrounding the air leak source. This exaggerated pressure difference also allows infrared inspections to take place more often throughout the year as the blower door reduces the required change in temperature or Delta T.
Insulation inspections
Problems with insulation that lead to energy loss often include missing, inadequate, settled, and/or wet conditions. All of these conditions reduce the effectiveness of insulation and can lead to thermal and/or air bypass.
It's much easier to interpret findings if the type of insulation is known. Knowing the insulation type enables an auditor to prepare for issues commonly associated with certain insulation types. For example, cellulose blown-in insulation is notorious for settling over time.
Moisture Inspections at the Roof, Walls, Ceilings and Floors
Moisture and condensation often go hand-in-hand with air leaks in a structure, as air can provide a means for moisture to travel. Moisture, if not properly remedied, can lead to building damage, reduced insulation effectiveness and mold.
Thermal imagers are very effective tools for identifying the locations of moisture. Water has a high thermal capacitance, meaning that it efficiently absorbs and stores energy. The thermal capacitance of water or the effects of evaporative cooling help reveal the extent of moisture damage, even when the surface feels dry to the touch. All suspected moisture should be validated with a moisture meter.
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