The Navy SEALs may receive hardcore training, but what everything they learn has practical applications in our day to day life. Take the case of former Navy SEAL Chris Sajnog. He once served his motherland by being a sniper for the SEALs. Now, he is using the technology that was once part of his routine as a sniper to help the citizens of San Diego lower their utility bills.

Sajnog put up Home Energy Audit Technicians (HEAT), which conducts home energy audits by using thermal imaging technology to find insulation defects, leaky doors and windows and faulty electrical circuits. Energy audits are a wise investment for those who want to save money on utility bills long-term, since identifying energy wastage and fixing the problems that cause them will convert useless expenses into savings that can grow exponentially through time.

As a sniper, thermal imaging technology helped Sajnog identify targets as it produces an infrared image of changes in temperature across surfaces. This means that warm human bodies will be discernable from cold surfaces even if it is pitch-dark. In his new chosen career, this same technology now shows him where there are wet, damaged or missing insulation in his clients’ floors, ceilings and walls as well as where air leaks around doors and windows occur.

For a reasonable fee, HEAT will conduct home energy audits and submit a twenty to thirty page report describing thermal problems and recommending what actions need to be taken in order to rectify these issues. The report will also include the estimated savings that will be generated if each recommended action is complied with.

The other alternative to identifying specific problem areas and making appropriate improvements, which is the option some homeowners have already chosen to take, is to upgrade all windows altogether. While this will have the same energy-saving effect, it is a rather costly undertaking that will take years to recover.