Home Greenhouse Audit Manual
Prepared by the Moreland Energy Foundation Limited for Cool Communities
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INTRODUCTION
PURPOSE OF THE MANUAL
Home energy audits provide a unique opportunity to engage with households on the connections between energy use and greenhouse, in a manner that responds to their individual needs. While audits are a logical thing to do, there are many different ways of auditing and a certain level of skill is required. If you want to do large numbers of audits, training interested volunteers can be the best option, and this training requires a significant amount of forethought.
The Manual has been designed with two key objectives in mind:
- as a "train the trainer" style of manual, to assist with the process of training potential energy auditors
- as a resource guide which contains a range of tools to be used by auditors and/or households
It is not intended to be used by householders directly.
While some of the sections are aimed at influencing the design of the training program, other sections can be distributed directly to the trainee auditors.
It should be noted that as a national manual it is not intended to present a comprehensive set of information for each state and territory. Key differences between states/territories are identified throughout the manual and, in many instances, resolved. In some areas however, further research or material may be required to conduct an actual audit in a particular community.
HOW BROADER SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES FIT IN
Home energy auditing is a powerful way that we can engage members of the community in activities that fit directly within the broader principles of sustainability. Relying on fossil fuels as a primary energy source has often been pinpointed as a central issue within global sustainability due to the limited nature of fossil fuels and the wide array of direct and indirect social and environmental impacts associated with fossil fuel consumption.
Definitions of sustainability vary widely but generally we can understand sustainability to involve working towards simultaneously achieving environmental, social and economic goals. Home energy audits can apply sustainability principles in the following ways:
Table 1: How sustainability principals can be applied to Home Energy Audits.
| Economic | Environmental | Social |
|---|---|---|
| Reduce energy bills | Reducing fossil fuel consumption has numerous environmental benefits, including a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. | Empower residents to have greater control. Improve the comfort of householders. |
Household energy usage is affected by three key factors - the design of the house structure itself, the appliances and facilities within the house, and the behaviour of the occupants. While design and structural issues can usually be easily identified and measured (using tools described in section 2), human behaviour varies widely and, if not properly understood and factored in, can lead to unexpected outcomes.
For instance, telling people how much an appliance costs to run may make them use it less - or it may encourage them to use it more if the dollar level does not appear significant enough. Draft blocking may help a householder use their heater less frequently or they may decide to take the benefit as a comfort increase and use the heater as often as before.
A good auditor should have a broad understanding of the greenhouse emissions of house technologies, as well as insight into the way people behave with energy and how best to influence their behaviour. The manual addresses all three factors.
This publication has been prepared by the Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd for the Australian Greenhouse Office. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and completeness, no guarantee is given, nor responsibility taken by the Commonwealth for errors or omissions in the report, and the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility in respect of any information or advice given in relation to or as a consequence of anything contained here.
