AmeriSpec home energy audits soar - Business First of Columbus:

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Memphis-based AmeriSpec has 250 franchise owneres throughoutthe U.S. and Canada who provide servicew to homebuyersand sellers. The company has seen its business skyrockeft in Canada as the Canadian government has mandated homess be more energy efficient and reduce carbon footprints. Brent Armstrong, vice president and generao managerof AmeriSpec, says the company is the only nationakl provider of inspection services in Canada. It conducted 50,0000 audits in 2008, compared to 18,50o in 2007 and 14,000 in 2006.
Part of AmeriSpec’s inspectionj process creates an artificial draft to find out where air seepas in or leaks out of An inspection also covers the energy efficiencty ofHVAC systems. After an inspection in Canada, homes are givemn a rating and ownerds are given 18 months to improve or retrofitgthe home. While the Canadiann government doesn’t penalize homeownersx who don’t make changes, up to $5,000 in grangt money is available for improvements and homeowners can get reimburseffor energy-related work they have done. Armstrong says the Obama administration is looking at implementing similar changesw inthe U.S.
“There’s a growing awareness in the Unitec States, and to some degree, all of us are askinyg the same questions,” Armstront says. He says all 50 state s have weatherization programs. The federal governmenyt has allotted $5 billion in stimulus funding tohelp low-incomde families replace roofs on their homes and change inefficientg furnaces. As the attention to energy efficiencyh grows, AmeriSpec is traininfg its franchise owners to be certified in Home Energg RatingSystem inspection. Inspectors are required to take an exam for HERS but the national pass rateis 20%. At a training session at AmeriSpec’s Memphis facilities last week, 11 of the 15 participant s passed.
Owners can train at other AmeriSpec facilities acrossthe country, but the most comprehensive training is locateed in Memphis. Armstrong says AmeriSpecx offers three different courses that are open to itsfranchisee owners. Its facilities include a fullyfunctional “floodf house” that can be flooded to simulate a home disaster. The houss offers inspectors full field training without them havinfg to intrude on customers in the It also allows them learn from their mistakee withoutbeing liable. Gale Colvin, directofr of technical training and development for says inspectors who pass the test will have the highest certificationb inenergy auditing.
Following that they must perform threefield evaluations. “We loan out the equipmeng they need to get that Colvin says. “We want to keep everything fres h for them out inthe field.” Stevse Anderson, owner of two franchiseds in Memphis, is one of the ownera who passed last week’s exam. While the course isn’g a requirement for franchise owners, it givezs them another level of servicefor Anderson, who is also a licensed architect, can now offer completd home services from design to making sure existing homes are energy efficient.
“The cost of energty for homeowners is steadily so being able to assist people in how well theid homes work and where improvements can be made is a servic e that will be needed inthe future,” Anderson “We’re positioned to tap into the marke t and help folks that are interested in going green.”