Comments on: New Startup Essess Is Making a Mashup of Google Street View and Zillow, to Perform Efficient Home Energy Audits

By: Kevin D Brown, Calgary AB

Kevin D Brown, Calgary AB — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 01:31:00 +0000

Thermographic imaging is a good quick take. But imagining that a ROI statement and energy plan for a building can be built from a quick view of the front facade is a little like snake oil. Good luck to them, though; they certainly will spark awareness on the part of building owners…
ALSO: sealing leaks without providing adequate ventilation will mean that a lot of buildings become mould factories. This is a huge issue. Condemning and replacing buildings due to misunderstanding this fact will not be green. I am looking for more awareness of this on the part of the “50 Easy Ways to Be Green” type of story author…

By: New startup measures your home’s efficiency just by taking a picture | Grist

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 18:11:47 +0000

[…] a reasonable, cost-effective solution may have appeared in the form of a start-up called Essess (guys, maybe next time pick a name where reporters don’t have to fall all over themselves […]

By: Jojo

Jojo — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 02:19:00 +0000

I guess it’s a starting point and not much after that. The blower door test will still be needed because it will make precise recommendations and not just “you’ll need to air-seal your home.” And the blower door test can be done rather quickly if you get a guy that knows what he’s doing.

By: EnergyChick

EnergyChick — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 18:52:00 +0000

As an Energy Systems graduate student at Northeastern, I’m wondering how it’s possible for Essess to know the R-value of the walls without knowing the indoor temperature? It seems unlikely that you could calculate this without having far more data about the state of the house.