A home energy audit is the first step to assess how much energy your home consumes and to evaluate what measures you can take to make your home more energy efficient. An audit will show you problems that may, when corrected, save you significant amounts of money over time. During the audit, you can pinpoint where your house is losing energy. Audits also determine the efficiency of your home’s heating and cooling systems. An audit may also show you ways to conserve hot water and electricity. You can perform a simple energy audit yourself, or have a professional energy auditor carry out a more thorough audit.

A professional auditor uses a variety of techniques and equipment to determine the energy efficiency of a structure. Thorough audits often use equipment such as blower doors, which measure the extent of leaks in the building envelope, and infrared cameras, which reveal hard-to-detect areas of air infiltration and missing insulation.

According to Energystar.gov, a tax deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot is available to owners or designers of new or existing commercial buildings that save at least 50 percent of the heating and cooling energy. The building must meet the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Standard 90.1-2001.

Partial deductions of up to 60 cents per square foot can be taken for improvements affecting any one of three building systems: the building envelope, lighting or heating, and cooling systems.

The deductions are available for systems “placed in service” from Jan. 1, 2006 through Dec. 31, 2013.

People taking advantage of these tax credits must have a Manufacturer Certification Statement to qualify.

A Manufacturer’s Certification is a signed statement from the manufacturer certifying that the product or component qualifies for the tax credit. The IRS encourages manufacturers to provide these certifications on their website to facilitate identification of qualified products.

Taxpayers must keep a copy of the certification statement for their records, but do not have to submit a copy with their tax return.

Improvements made in 2009 will be claimed on 2009 taxes filed by April 15, 2010.

All Energy Star geothermal heat pumps qualify for the tax credit. The credit is not available for expenses for swimming pools or hot tubs.

Article Credit: The Frederick News-Post Online, Frederick County Maryland