The initial home energy audit

TXU Energy and TexEnergy Solutions conduct a comprehensive home energy audit to determine the energy performance of each contestant's home. The audit process includes examining the exterior of the home and performing an interior room-by-room analysis to understand current home performance and evaluate options for improvement.

Once the home energy audit is completed, the results, analysis and modeling are reviewed with each homeowner. This consultation provides contestants with their current Home Energy Rating System (HERS) index and a written report consisting of the findings, recommendations, priorities, cost estimates and analysis of their home. The home energy audit helps:

• Locate and quantify energy waste and comfort issues in each contestant's home
• Prioritize recommended energy performance solutions
• Quantify the energy savings for each energy performance solution

With this information, homeowners identify improvements they wish to make to their homes to increase energy efficiency potential, lower their HERS index and compete to win the challenge!

Contestant introductions and the home energy audit are videotaped and shown on this site.

The contestants' home improvements & second audit

After the contestants review their individual home energy audits, they have two weeks to perform their energy efficiency improvements within the $5,000 budget provided by TXU Energy. Upon completion of their improvements, TXU Energy and TexEnergy Solutions will re-audit the homes to determine the effectiveness of the improvements made.

Beginning the week of September 8, 2008.

Winning the contest

Upon completion of the follow-up audit, the $30,000 Grand Prize Winner was selected based on the following judging criteria.

• (40%) Improvement in HERS (Home Energy Rating System) index
• (20%) Online vote total*
• (20%) Ingenuity and problem solving
• (20%) Energy-saving behavior changes

*Online voting begins the week of October 6, 2008.