Additional Information

Energy Efficiency Records
Austin Energy will provide homeowners or prospective buyers with information on the energy-efficiency improvements received by a home through Austin Energy programs. This information includes dates of energy-efficiency improvements or rebates, and dates and details of free energy-efficiency improvements. Call 974-7827 or email Austin Energy with the address of the home and your telephone number.
ECAD Exemption List
Austin Energy also makes available to homeowners a useful ECAD Exemption List.
Single-Family Home Audit
If the home is not exempt or does not qualify for a variance, it needs an ECAD audit.
ECAD Auditors
The ECAD audit must be performed by an auditor who is a certified Building Performance Institute (BPI) Building Analyst Professional or a Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) Rater. See a list of certified ECAD auditors who have registered with Austin Energy.
What the Auditor Does
An ECAD audit takes about one hour per thousand square feet of property. The ECAD auditor:

• Inspects and measures the attic insulation in multiple areas
• Pressure tests the duct system and assesses its condition and adequacy
• Examines heating and cooling equipment
• Inspects weather stripping around exterior doors, plumbing penetrations beneath sinks, and air tightness of attic entries
• Identifies and measures the amount of glass in windows that receive more than one hour of direct sunlight each day

Audit Costs
ECAD audits are comprehensive and require specialized equipment for testing the duct system. The estimated cost of an audit is from $200 to $300 for a typical single-family home, 1,800 square feet or smaller, with one air-conditioning system. Auditors set their own prices.
Audit Results
After the audit, the auditor provides the homeowner with the audit report. It includes:

• Condition and estimated R-value of the attic insulation
• Percentage of air leakage from the duct system and the system’s general condition
• Age, efficiency, and overall condition of the heating and cooling equipment
• Air leakage around exterior doors, plumbing penetrations beneath sinks, and attic entries
• Total square feet of glass and location of windows receiving more than one hour of direct sunlight each day
• Opportunities for improving the energy-efficiency of the home

Within 30 days, the auditor sends the audit to Austin Energy, and we enter the information into a database. Austin Energy also runs spot checks of ECAD audits to ensure the quality of the program.
Energy-Efficiency Improvements
The ECAD ordinance does not require homeowners to make energy-efficiency improvements. However, Austin Energy offers rebates and low-cost loans to homeowners who want to improve their home’s energy efficiency.
Enforcement
Non-compliance with the ECAD ordinance is a Class C Misdemeanor. Reported violations will be forwarded to the City of Austin Legal Department for review and action.
Information about Austin Energy and the ECAD Ordinance is from the Austin Energy website http://www.austinenergy.com