Energy Audits & Savings in Phoenix

An energy audit is instrumentation, not opinion. We set a calibrated blower door in an exterior doorway and depressurize the house to measure total air leakage — the single number that tells you how much 110°F outside air your AC fights all summer. With the house under pressure, a thermal imaging camera makes every leak visible: glowing can lights, hot top plates, the chase behind the fridge nobody has seen since 1987.

Then we go where the losses live. We pressure-test the duct system to measure leakage directly, inspect the attic and photograph what is up there, measure insulation depth and calculate its true effective R-value, and check the big offenders — kneewalls, sunken-room transitions, whole-house fan openings, and weather stripping. Every finding goes in the report with a photo.

Sealing and insulating a leaky Phoenix envelope typically cuts cooling costs 20–40%, which on an average Valley home works out to $600–$1,200 per year. The audit tells you where your house sits in that range before you spend anything: a tight 2015 build with good ducts will land at the low end, while a 1978 ranch with R-11 insulation and leaky attic ductwork is a top-of-range candidate. Most insulation projects here pay back in 3–7 years, and attic roof-deck jobs with ducts in the attic tend toward the fast end.

Rate plans amplify the result. SRP's EZ-3 and APS's time-of-use plans reward shifting load away from peak hours, and a tight envelope is the cheat code — you pre-cool the house on cheap off-peak power and it coasts through the expensive window instead of bleeding the cool air back out. The audit report includes plan-fit notes because insulation and rate strategy work better together than either does alone.

The deliverable is a written report with photos, measured numbers, and a ranked action list — not a brochure. And the ranking follows building-science order, because sequence changes what you get for the money: air seal first, because leaks undercut any insulation laid over them; insulate second, once the ceiling plane or roof deck is tight; seal the ducts third, so the cooling you make actually arrives; and only then talk about shade screens and glazing.

Just as important is what we will tell you not to buy. Powered attic fans get pitched hard in Phoenix, and in a sealed attic they are actively harmful — they depressurize the space and pull conditioned air out of the house. Radiant paints and gadget fixes rank below every item on the list above. If a product does not move your measured numbers, it does not make the report.

A 1970s block ranch is the classic Valley audit: R-11 or thinner attic insulation, original ductwork, leaky can lights, and single-digit effective R-value over the hottest rooms. These homes are the 30–40% savings candidates — a sealed attic with the ducts brought inside the boundary transforms both the bill and the 4 PM comfort cliff.

A 1990s frame production home usually tests better on paper but hides a two-story problem: bonus rooms over garages with open kneewalls, long duct runs, and attic bypasses at every chase. Targeted sealing plus attic work typically lands these in the 20–30% band. A 2010s build tests tighter still, and the audit often finds its money in duct sealing and rate-plan strategy rather than bulk insulation — which is exactly what the report will say, because the instrument readings, not a sales quota, decide the recommendation. Call 844-967-5247 to book your audit.