What is the best energy auditing software?

Hi:

I have been using TREAT software to do my energy auditing reports. While this software is a powerful tool, its seems that it is designed to work as part of a utility or weatherization program, and not for an independent energy auditing company, that is trying to make a great impression with their customers.

I am hoping to switch to a new software tool that will allow me to report all important information such as blower door numbers, minimum ventilation requirements, combustion safety information, as well as list all recommended improvements with SIR/ ROI information,and pictures from the audit, in an attractive and easy to understand report, with good graphics. I find TREAT too cumbersome and takes too long to produce a report, which is not really compelling for the customers. I would also like to be able to have the report finished in an hour and no longer than 1.5 hours.

Please share your experience with auditing software. I would like to hear what software works for you.

I am considering Energy Optimizer, Energy Guage, and RECURVE.

Thanks. Kevin Eigel, Ecohouse

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Robert Maloney on August 26, 2011 at 3:26am

How cool is that.

I'm going to spend some time this weekend checking this software out.

How do you get more info ?

What are the costs-- monthly ? yearly ? per report ? How to customize Etc.

I plugged in my home and the report was pretty accurate.

How best to run ? Ipod - Motion Tablet - laptop ?

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Permalink Reply by Bud Poll on August 27, 2011 at 8:23am

Hi Kevin

Did I hear Holy Grail in their? I've been looking for a long time and the ones that do it all are owned by the companies that use them. I followed up after your post to see what is happening with RECURVE and it seemed to be slow to penetrate the market and difficult to evaluate. Energy Gauge, I have played with, but the sample audit I looked at was 85 pages long and being 1,200 miles away there was no potential with them to move to doing HERS ratings. When I played they had a HERS version for Florida and a USA version for everyone else. Price was reasonable, but for me the complexity was not.

I'm not familiar with Energy Optimizer but may take a look.

Depending upon your location and audit intentions, have you looked at what is the preferred software around you. In my state the STATE created their own software so if I choose to submit any homes for rebates of other government programs, it has to be on their software. Yet, I'm not allowed to produce other non-program audits on it. Thus, I need another package. I do a lot of very simple audits to get people started so I'm hoping the new SCORE program can fill that gap.

I'll be watching to see what others recommend.

Bud

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Permalink Reply by Evan Mills on August 28, 2011 at 12:56am

Check out LBNL's Home Energy Saver PRO

http://hespro.lbl.gov

It doesn't have everything you're asking for but may help.

It's free and transparantly documented here:

https://sites.google.com/a/lbl.gov/hes-public/

We're also developing the tool for the "SCORE" program that Bud mentions.

You can find more about that at http://homeenergyscore.gov

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Permalink Reply by Matt Marshall on August 30, 2011 at 3:31am

I started a trial of Optimiser recently and I am impressed. It has the capability to be as complex as you would ever need yet it can be used even if you only have minimal data. It can provide estimates and detailed scopes of work in the report which is fully customizable. The report can be generated as a word doc and can include as much or as little information as you want. It takes some time to learn but I think after a few homes it should be a fairly quick and easy process.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Maloney on July 27, 2012 at 12:47pm

I just started a 30 free trial of Optimiser. It looks good and as Matt states it takes some time to get used to but has a place for all data and the reports look good. The start up cost is fair as is the cost per report .

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