The Role of an Energy Consultant in Sustainable Home Upgrades

The focus on sustainability and renewable energy sources continues to grow as we learn more about our environmental impact. One of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint (and your home’s energy costs) is by working with an energy consultant to upgrade your home.

From installing solar panels to updating your HVAC systems, there are numerous ways to make your home more sustainable. Read on to learn about the role of an energy consultant in these sustainable home upgrades.

Conducting an Energy Audit and Efficiency Assessment

Even as an eco-conscious person, you may not realize how much energy your home uses. Energy audits and efficiency assessments are the only way to gauge how sustainable your home is. A certified energy consultant can perform an energy audit to assess your home’s:

• Patterns of energy consumption
• Areas of energy insufficiency in your home
• Average utility bills
• Health and safety opportunities

Energy audits and efficiency assessments help determine what needs improvement in your home. Your consultant can show you which factors increase utility costs and over-extend energy sources. From there, you can move forward with sustainability planning.

Creating a Personalized Sustainability Plan

Energy consultants work to make your home more sustainable, safe, and comfortable — and reduce your utility bills. To make all of this happen, a thorough plan should be in place. A personalized stability plan uses the information from your energy audit to develop a course of action that meets your needs. 

The sustainability plan could involve replacing your old air conditioner with a more energy-efficient model or adding solar panels to your roof to generate your electricity.

Your energy consultant guides you through this planning process.

Integrating Renewable Energy

An energy consultant’s main goal is to transition homeowners to renewable energy. Examples of renewable energy integration include wind turbines, solar panels, and geothermal systems. It may seem easy to just slap solar panels on top of a home, but integrating renewable energy sources involves several factors.

We need to consider your location, energy demand, and financial budget before implementing any of these things. Every home and homeowner is unique. What works for one family may not work for yours. For example, a house in heavy shade may benefit from solar panels less than one with no overhead coverage. 

Completing a Cost-Benefit Analysis

The role of an energy consultant in sustainable home upgrades includes cost-benefit analysis. Creating a more sustainable home is an expensive process for many homeowners. Working with an experienced energy consultant ensures you see an improvement from the upgrades you want without breaking the bank. 

Through cost-benefit analysis, your energy consultant offers a detailed look at how these sustainability upgrades will be worth the price tag so you can prioritize the upgrades with the highest return on investment.

Educating You About Sustainability

One of the biggest reasons residential and commercial buildings have sustainability problems is the lack of education. While there is more knowledge and information about sustainable practices than ever before, many property owners still need to be more informed on this topic. This leads to poor practices and increased utility costs.

To make the most of your sustainable upgrades, you need information about how to be sustainable. Informed homeowners who work alongside an energy consultant can save money and improve their energy efficiency. By providing thorough insight into renewable energy sources, carbon footprints, and sustainability, an energy consultant can educate those looking to upgrade their homes. 

Explaining Home Upgrade Policies

The world of renewable energy comes with quite a few regulatory guidelines. Most homeowners are unfamiliar with these guidelines when trying to upgrade. Energy consultants are well-versed in regulatory policy and government incentives by staying up to date on recent industry standards.

You may know that transitioning your home to renewable energy sources can have financial benefits and tax breaks, but do you know how to take advantage of these things? An energy consultant can help you navigate compliance requirements, grants, rebates, and any energy-related incentives you may be eligible for. 

Analyzing Your Carbon Footprint

The priority when upgrading your home for sustainability is lowering your carbon footprint. How many people truly know what their carbon footprint is? Energy consultants perform carbon footprint analysis that can give you insight into your impact. This helps you know what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. 

The goal is to reduce carbon emissions and save money simultaneously. Only a certified energy consultant can do this effectively.

Finding Your Energy Consultant in Residential Chicago

The energy consultants at RxSun are leading experts in the Chicago area. We work with both residential and commercial property owners to install solar panels in Illinois to lower energy use, reduce carbon footprints, and save money. Find out more about the role of an energy consultant in sustainable home upgrades by calling 800-607-9786.