Are your energy bills higher than expected? Do certain rooms feel stuffy in summer or cold in winter? These are signs your home may not be running as efficiently as it could.
You could go about resolving these home performance issues through blind upgrades like HVAC replacement, but the best way to find out how your home is wasting energy is with a professional home energy assessment.
At ARC Insulation, we specialize in helping Chicagoland homeowners understand and improve their homes’ performance. In this blog, we’ll cover everything you need to know about energy assessments: what they are, how they work, when to schedule one, and why they’re an essential part of any home efficiency upgrade.
What Is a Home Energy Assessment?
A home energy assessment can also be called a home energy audit. It’s a comprehensive inspection of how your house uses and loses energy, especially when it comes to insulation, air sealing, and your heating and cooling equipment.
Conducted by trained professionals, an energy assessment provides data-driven insights into where your home is wasting energy and what improvements will make the biggest difference.
The goal is simple: to make your home more comfortable, more affordable to heat and cool, and more environmentally responsible.
Key benefits of an energy assessment:
- Identifies sources of air leakage and insulation failure
- Helps lower utility bills
- Improves indoor comfort
- Pinpoints HVAC inefficiencies
- Prioritizes upgrades for maximum ROI
What Happens During an ARC Insulation Energy Assessment?
Our team follows a proven process using building science principles and advanced diagnostic tools to evaluate your home’s performance from top to bottom:
- Exterior Inspection
- We assess your home’s windows, doors, siding, eaves, and roofline for visible issues affecting energy loss.
- Attic and Insulation Review
- We check the depth, condition, and coverage of your attic insulation and look for gaps, moisture issues, or thermal bypasses.
- HVAC and Water Heater Evaluation
- We examine the age, efficiency, and condition of your furnace, air conditioner, and water heater.
- Ductwork Inspection
- We look for disconnected, leaky, or poorly insulated ducts that might be reducing airflow and wasting energy.
- Blower Door Test (Key Diagnostic Tool)
- A blower door test reveals where air is leaking in or out of your home, helping us target air sealing improvements.
- Infrared Thermal Imaging (When Applicable)
- A thermal camera helps us detect insulation gaps or hidden air leaks behind walls or ceilings.
- Lighting & Appliance Check
- We look at your lighting systems and major appliances to identify outdated fixtures or inefficient models that may be driving up energy use.
At the end of the audit, you’ll receive a detailed report with actionable recommendations, prioritized based on impact, cost, and potential savings.
When Should You Schedule an Energy Assessment?
You don’t have to wait for a problem to schedule an assessment. But if you notice any of the following, it’s time to act:
- High heating or cooling bills
- Hot or cold spots in your home
- Drafty rooms or hallways
- Excess dust or humidity
- Ice dams in winter
- HVAC runs constantly without maintaining comfort
We also recommend scheduling an assessment before major seasonal shifts, like early fall or spring, so upgrades can be completed before peak energy use. And if you’re considering new insulation, HVAC replacement, or a remodel, start with an assessment to ensure your investments deliver maximum results.
Why Work with ARC Insulation?
ARC Insulation has more than 25 years of experience helping Naperville, Romeoville, and Chicagoland homeowners make smart energy upgrades. We are:
- BPI-certified building performance professionals
- Experts in whole-home energy systems
- Trusted installers of air sealing, insulation, and ventilation improvements
- A participating contractor in rebate programs from ComEd, Nicor Gas, and others
We don’t just assess your home, we help you fix it. From identifying problems to implementing high-performance solutions like AeroBarrier air sealing and upgraded insulation, ARC Insulation is your one-stop shop for total home efficiency.
Maximize Your Savings with Rebates & Tax Credits
When you complete upgrades recommended in your assessment, you may qualify for:
- Federal tax credits (up to $1,200/year for insulation and air sealing). Act soon! These tax credits expire after 2025.
- Utility rebates from ComEd, Nicor Gas, Peoples Gas, or North Shore Gas
- Local programs that offset the cost of professional energy assessments
ARC Insulation will help you navigate these incentives and ensure you get every dollar you’re eligible for.
