As states design policies and programs to encourage energy efficiency in homes, one challenge is lack of homeowner awareness and information on the energy performance of their properties. This makes energy efficiency hard to prioritize when making home buying and retrofit or upgrade decisions.
To address this challenge, several states have developed residential energy labeling programs and policies. Residential energy labeling programs produce an assessment of a home’s energy performance and compares it to that of other similar homes. They provide valuable information for homeowners, homebuyers, and other stakeholders such as real estate professionals, appraisers, lenders, and contractors. The energy label and supplementary information are used to inform real estate purchasing decisions or investments in energy efficiency upgrades. Numerous considerations go into state and local residential energy labeling programs, such as determining the best metrics to use when describing home energy performance and how to account for differences in new and existing homes.
NASEO is working with the State Energy Offices on several home energy labeling and home energy scoring initiatives, including:
- Residential Energy Labeling Coordination -- To better coordinate activities and assist states in leveraging resources, NASEO holds a Residential Energy Labeling Coordination call each month, and conducts periodic meetings in conjunction with the NASEO Annual Meeting and Energy Outlook Conference. The calls provide a forum for State Energy Offices, local governments, interested NASEO Affiliate Members, and other stakeholders active in residential energy labeling to elevate best practices, new approaches, and market concerns.
Resources
- The Value of Adding Home Energy Score to Low-Income Energy Efficiency Programs
This paper explores the value of documenting energy efficiency improvements completed in low-income energy efficiency programs and explains that the benefits participants experience can be enhanced by obtaining an energy label, which provides additional value to participants by documenting the upgrades and improvements to their home.
- Energy Metrics to Promote Residential Energy Scorecards in States (EMPRESS)
NASEO is also working with the Rhode Island Energy Office in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, the Missouri Division of Energy, the Arkansas Energy Office, the Oregon Department of Energy, as well as Energy Futures Group, Earth Advantage and Vermont Energy Investment Corporation on the Energy Metrics to Promote Residential Energy Scorecards in States (EMPRESS) project.
- Home Energy Labeling Information Exchange (HELIX)
NASEO is a subcontractor to the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships and is working with the Vermont Public Service Department, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, Energize Connecticut, and the United States Department of Energy.
- Past initiative: Multi-State Residential Retrofit
As part of a 2010 U.S. State Energy Program competitive award, NASEO worked with energy offices from four states - Alabama, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Washington - on a residential retrofit pilot program. Each of the states utilized a variety of strategies, including energy labels, innovative marketing approaches, financial incentives, and workforce development, to facilitate homeowner investments in residential energy efficiency upgrades.
- Home Energy Labeling: Steps states can take to support city-based home energy labeling initiatives
Earth Advantage (December 2019)
- Home Energy Information Accelerator (HEIA) Toolkit
A Product of the Better Buildings Home Energy Information Accelerator Toolkit, U.S. Department of Energy (August 2018)
- Residential Energy Use Disclosure: A Review of Existing Policies
ACEEE (April 2013)
- Session A 3: Transforming the Residential Energy Efficiency Market through Energy Labeling and Disclosure
ACEEE 2014 2014 National Symposium on Market Transformation (April 2014)
- Home Energy Labels: A Policy Playbook
Earth Advantage (July 2014)
- U.S. Department of Energy Home Energy Score
National residential energy labeling program. The Home Energy Score is mainly used for existing homes.
- RESNET
Manages the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index, which is a system for inspecting and calculating a home's energy performance. HERS scores are predominantly used in new construction.
- Energy Trust of Oregon: Energy Performance Score
One of the longest-running state energy labeling programs, the Energy Trust of Oregon implements the EPS (Energy Performance Score) program. The EPS is an energy performance score that rates the efficiency of a home and measures it against similar-sized homes in Oregon.
- Berkeley, California Building Energy Saving Ordinance
Berkeley’s Building Energy Saving Ordinance (BESO) “requires building owners and homeowners to complete and publicly report comprehensive energy assessments to uncover energy saving opportunities at the time of sale.
- Portland Home Energy Score
Portland’s Home Energy Score ordinance requires a Home Energy Score be obtained and disclosed prior to listing a home for sale effective January 1, 2018.