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Green and Energy Audits
for Homes and Businesses
As a licensed architect, I have been
involved in green architectural design
energy conscious and energy efficient
design, I have designed several passive
solar heated, double-envelope, and earth-
sheltered homes in Idaho’s Treasure
Valley. One of the passive solar homes I
designed was named grand champion in
the Canyon County Parade of homes.
I am experienced in all phases of
architectural building design and
construction having designed several
homes, churches, chapels, day care
centers, medical buildings, commercial
buildings, and light industrial buildings.
As a LEED Accredited Professional, I
focus on sustainable, energy efficient,
and green building design. LEED stands
for “Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design” and is the
nationally recognized standard for
professional accreditation and green
building certification.
My experience and expertise make me
uniquely qualified to perform a low cost
and energy saving Green Audit of your
buildings which will result in immediate
energy and cost savings.
I would be pleased to talk with you about
the exciting green possibilities and the
money saving opportunities related to
your buildings.
William Jay Slabaugh, LEED AP
Architect
208-577-0773
Dear Mr. Slabaugh,
The City of Emmett is extremely pleased with
the recent green audit that you have
completed on several of the city’s public
buildings. The annual cost savings to the city
from this green audit will maintain and
increase services to our citizens in the
community. In this time of economic and
environmental concerns, the improvements
that you have identified in these buildings
will greatly enhance our quality of life. The
inexpensive corrections alone will easily pay
for themselves within the first years of being
implemented.
Thank you for your dedication to this cause.
Mayor Bill Butticci
City of Emmett
Green Audit Step #1:
Green Building Occupant Survey
The staff and employees who work in each of the buildings will fill out
the Green Building Occupant Survey . The Survey asks questions
related to their awareness and practices related to:
Solid Waste
Energy
Water
Pollution Prevention
Indoor Environmental Air Quality
The survey is used to get everyone headed in the right direction and
as an educational tool to help the employees and staff to think “green”
and to become more energy conscious. It surfaces potential issues
and matters that need to be addressed in each building. Employees
will copy, distribute, and collect the survey. Meetings are then held
with each of the department heads to discuss both the purpose and
insights gained from the survey. The survey helps facilitate the visual
inspection of the buildings and opens up dialogue with the staff.
Green Audit Step #2:
Visual Inspection of Buildings
With key personnel from each building, a walk-thru or visual
inspection is conducted checking items like, building insulation,
weather stripping, windows, mold and mildew, odors, water damage,
lighting, heating and cooling systems, controls, timers, detectors, etc.
The walk-thru gives another opportunity to dialogue with staff and
employees. It helps them know that they are a vital part of the process
and that both their health and input is important. They also come to
better understand the issues so that they can better implement the
retrofits, upgrades, and energy efficient measures identified in the
report.
Three particular matters are kept in mind during the walk-thru:
Identifying simple energy and cost saving measures
such as installing attic exhaust fans, control devices, repairing
dripping faucets, adding insulation and caulking, etc. These
types of upgrades can usually be done at relatively low cost
and most can be done in-house by city employees or
accomplished under the current maintenance budget.
Identifying upgrades, retrofits, and other measures
which qualify for Idaho Power’s
Easy Upgrades
which give
incentive rebates for many energy efficient measures. Some of
the incentives are as simple as replacing T12 fluorescent
fixtures with more energy efficient T8’s and T5’s and installing
programmable thermostats.
Identifying potential retrofits, upgrades, and building
additions and remodeling for the purpose of applying for
potential grants.
These include the replacement of windows,
the addition of entry vestibules, adding of insulation, changing
out heating and a/c systems, the addition of indoor vehicle
exhaust systems, and the cost of some of the more expensive
retrofits. This gives the city or county very specific items for
which they can apply for grant funding.
Green Audit Step #3
Green Audit Report
Recommendations related to Simple Energy and Cost
Saving Measures.
Recommendations related to Idaho Power’s Easy
Upgrades
Recommendations related to Potential Grant Items.
One of the great advantages of this kind of audit is that you will have
complete control over which retrofits and upgrades you want to do,
when to do them, and how you would like get them done. This process
works well during this time of economic uncertainty and municipal
budget restraints.
A Green Audit is much more than a standard energy audit because it
takes into consideration more than energy efficiency, cost, and savings.
It also considers such things as indoor environmental air quality, usage
and waste. These matters affect the productivity, efficiency, and the
general health of the staff and others who use the buildings. Green
building measures can increase productivity from 2 to 15 percent and
contribute greatly to positive public relations.
For the sake of cost efficiency, this kind of Green Audit identifies energy
efficient and green measures without having to rely on expensive
testing and detailed calculations such as blower door tests, infrared
imaging, and computer energy modeling. The Green Audit achieves the
same kind of goals and objectives, or better, than those which rely
heavily on testing because it involves the employees, staff, and people
who use the buildings on a regular basis. Their input and insight
contribute greatly to the future energy efficiency and overall
environmental quality of each building.
The cost to perform the Green Audit is kept relatively low because it
relies on your current staff and employees. They assist in the copying
and distribution of the survey while department heads participate in the
discussions related to the survey results and are a vital part of the
visual inspection of the buildings. Furthermore, many of the
upgrades, repairs, and other measures can be done in-house by your
staff and employees at relatively low cost.
Green Audit Advantages
Cost Effective Green Audit Steps
architect@buildforliving.com
William Jay Slabaugh, LEED AP, Architect, Emmett, Idaho