Southern Home Performance Case Studies

Jeff and Amy’s Home

Situation:

Homeowners of a 8,117 square foot $1.3 million house in Atlanta were faced with energy bills up to $1000 per month. The two-story, six-bedroom home, built in 1981, features five bathrooms, two half bathrooms, a heated swimming pool, as well as a finished basement and crawlspace. Four HVAC systems and two water heaters are required to heat and cool the space.

In an effort to reduce monthly energy bills and create a cleaner, healthier, more energy-efficient home, the homeowners contacted Southern Home Performance to conduct a whole-house audit.

Problem:

A Southern Home Performance certified building science expert used diagnostic tools to evaluate the energy efficiency of the home and uncovered several areas in need of improvement. The diagnostic tests revealed air infiltration between the attic and the living space of the home, making each room difficult to heat and cool efficiently. The certified building science expert also identified inadequate insulation and ventilation in the attic, as well as an open chase, which allowed air to leak into the attic.

Solution:

Southern Home Performance presented the homeowners with a list of energy efficiency improvements in order of priority to allow the homeowners to invest in the most critical improvements first to receive the largest return on investment. A certified building science expert made the following improvements to increase the home’s energy efficiency:

Sealed all open chases to prevent air leakage
Re-installed displaced insulation in knee wall cavities
Improved attic ventilation
Increased the level of insulation to R-38
Sealed the crawl space with a vapor barrier to keep moisture levels low
Installed Reflectix® Foil Insulation wrap over existing insulation to reduce air leakage
Eliminated coverage gaps over knee wall with R-13 fiberglass batts insulation
Replaced second floor HVAC with an energy efficient model

Results:

As a result of the upgrades, the attic temperature was reduce by 15ºF, and the house now meets thermal barrier minimum standards. In addition, the energy bill was reduced from $1000 to $590 in August and $379 in September. Projected monthly energy bills estimated to average $425- $450.The initial investment for the homeowners is $29,640, including the purchase of the second floor $7,650 HVAC system, and projected annual savings are estimated to be $6,600. The homeowners will see a complete return on their investment in as little as 4.5 years.