Why an independent auditor?
A lot of companies offering “free energy audits” are also in the business of selling you insulation, replacement windows, new furnaces, or solar panels. That’s not an audit — that’s a sales call with a clipboard. A real energy audit is a diagnostic process, and you shouldn’t trust a diagnosis from someone whose income depends on selling you the cure.
What “independent” actually means
Home Star Iowa doesn’t sell insulation. We don’t install windows. We don’t replace furnaces, sell solar systems, or take referral fees from contractors. We test, we measure, we report — that’s the entire business.
The credibility of the rating depends on the rater having no stake in the outcome.
When we tell you where your home is losing the most air, that finding isn’t shaped by what we have in stock or which contractor cuts us a check. When we recommend air sealing before you replace the furnace, it’s because the building science says so — not because we’re trying to push a product.
This is the same separation that lenders, ENERGY STAR, and the IECC require for new construction: the rater can’t be the builder. That principle applies to existing homes, too.
What you actually get from an independent audit
The audit produces a written report, not a sales pitch. In that report:
Blower Door Test
A measured air leakage number — not an opinion, an actual cubic-foot-per-minute reading at 50 pascals. Blower door testing →
Infrared Imaging
Shows where insulation is missing or compressed and where air is moving through the building shell. Thermal imaging →
Combustion Safety Testing
Checks your gas appliances for carbon monoxide spillage and draft problems.
Whole-Home Assessment
How the envelope, HVAC, ductwork, ventilation, and moisture all interact as one system.
Then we hand you a prioritized list. The improvements that move the needle most go at the top. Because we don’t profit from any of them, you can take that list to whichever contractor you choose — or do parts of it yourself — and know the recommendations weren’t filtered through a sales funnel. And the price doesn’t depend on what we find: every audit is a flat $699, any size home.
The credentials behind the report
Independence matters, but so does competence. Anyone can claim to be an energy auditor — the field isn’t licensed in most states, including Iowa. The credentials that do mean something are the ones backed by national accreditation bodies:
Certified Building Analyst
Building Performance Institute — the national standard for whole-home diagnostics.
HERS Rater & QA Designee
Required for ENERGY STAR new homes and most utility programs.
Home Energy Score Assessor
The Department of Energy’s standardized rating, in use here for over 8 years.
BPI Testing Center
Home Star Training is accredited to certify other auditors — which means we’re held to the same standards we test others against.
Rob Novak has held BPI certification since 2009 and has over 15 years in home energy efficiency. The combination — independent auditor, BPI Testing Center, and RESNET QA Designee — is unique in the Eastern Iowa market.
What this looks like for builders
The same logic applies to new construction, with one extra wrinkle: it’s no longer optional. Iowa follows the IECC, and increasingly, code compliance is being verified by a third party rather than self-certified. Lenders require it for certain loan products. ENERGY STAR requires it. Utility incentive programs require it.
Results that hold up
- Documentation holds up at permit closeout because the rater isn’t financially connected to the build
- Your HERS rating is defensible for lender, MLS, and program purposes
A second set of expert eyes
- Insulation gaps, duct leakage, and air-sealing issues caught before drywall goes up — not as a punch list item afterward
- Serving builders across Eastern Iowa, from custom homes to production subdivisions
A short test for any auditor you’re considering
Before you book an energy audit — with us or anyone else — ask three questions:
Do you sell or install any of the improvements you might recommend?
If the answer is yes, the report is a sales tool. That doesn’t mean it’s worthless, but you need to read it that way.
What national certifications do you hold, and can I verify them?
BPI and RESNET both have public verification tools. If a credential can’t be confirmed online, it isn’t really a credential.
Will I get a written report I can take to any contractor?
The report belongs to you. If it’s locked to a specific company’s proposal or product line, it isn’t really a report.
One honest question, one honest answer
An energy audit should answer one question honestly: what’s actually going on with this house, and what’s worth doing about it?
Answering that honestly requires someone with the training to measure it and no financial reason to shade the answer. That’s what we do, and it’s all we do.
Ready to find out where your home is losing energy?
Schedule a home energy audit, Home Energy Score assessment, or BPI training course. Serving homeowners and builders throughout Eastern Iowa.