Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Residential Energy Services Network, were part of the Green Build process of a poorly insulated home.    

A reply to Steve Baden Director of Residential Energy Services Network regarding the results of an investigation filed in July 2008 are as follows. Some editing and comments from original were needed.

November 30, 2008

Steve Baden 
P.O. Box 4561   
Oceanside, California 92052

Re:  Complaint Case #08-001  (looks like the only one done all year)

This is an appeal of the findings and report of Energy Potential, Inc. It is appalling that so many errors have been made.  It is incredulous to think that the data for this investigation primarily came from the inspector you are supposed to be investigating.  Not once was I contacted.  Not once was my rater contacted.  It is hard to do an impartial investigation without all of the participants.

The following errors have been made (or copied) by Energy Potential:

1.  The Conditioned Area of my home is 4,543 square feet.  Your independent investigator used 5,548.

2.  The Conditioned Volume of my home is 41,163 cubic feet. Your investigator used 46,198.

3.  No duct blast test was performed on my home by your investigator. My rater performed a duct blast test on my home with a duct leakage number of 184.00 CFM.  Your investigator used 17.00 CFM.  Where did this number come from?  Obviously not from the investigator, since the investigator never came to my home.

4.  Ventilation System is shown as exhaust only at 94 cfm, 50 watts.  I do not have a working ventilation system in the master bath, because of local code enforcement.  Again, if I had been contacted by your investigator this information could have been provided.

5.  I do not have a programmable thermostat.  Your investigator checked that I do have a programmable thermostat.

6.  Investigator indicates insulation on my ductwork of R6.  I have none.

7.  Investigator shows that I have skylights.  I have none.

8.  The outside foundation insulation and waterproofing protection board is claimed by your investigator to be within six inches of grade.  It is 16 inches or two courses of block in most locations.  Perhaps an average of 10 inches is accurate.  Also it should be noted that the manufacturer of this protection board does not have any testing to support this alleged “R” value claim.  Top two courses of block are ice cold in the winter.

9. Your investigator showed attic knee walls of approximately 70 square feet. There is 527.46 square feet of attic knee walls, not 70.10. 

10. Insulation quality is graded at a grade of 1.  Are you kidding me?  Does this not totally ignore the pre-drywall pictures?  Does this ignore the fact that the TBC was not completed by the home builder?  Does this ignore the thermal imaging pictures we have to document the poor quality of insulation? 

You may argue that many of these problems have been taken care of. But the investigator has not been to the home.  Claudia finally provided a copy of the TBC inspection.  Item #3 has a “Needs Correction” check mark on something I did not even know was a problem.  Also one knee wall of the bonus room has not been addressed because of the difficulty of making the repair.  Now I discover an additional problem on the flooring of my bonus room that neither the inspector or the home builder addressed when they made their attempts of repair after they were caught!!

11.  Investigator showed that my oven was electric.  It is gas.

12.  Investigator showed that my home was built in 2008.  It was built in 2007.

13.  The front door is shown as wood solid core by your investigator.  It is steel and glass.

In conclusion, your investigation which I have so patiently anticipated is a sham. It is filled with errors, and lacks any credibility when all of the participants are not included in the investigation.  Imagine a police line-up with one suspect.  I was also disappointed that your investigator only has four years of experience.  I was expecting true quality control.

I was expecting truth.  Residential Energy Services Network provided and set NO Standard for Quality.