1. HES working group 6/23/2015 Page 1
Overview of the Home Energy Score (HES)
What is it?
The Home EnergyScore (HES) wasfirstdevelopedin2012 whenthe Departmentof Energy(DOE)
recognizedthe needforamore consumerand real estate industryfriendlymethodof defininghomes’
level of performance intermsof energyusage.The marketplace hashaddifficultyrecognizing(toany
level of scale) the value of energyefficiencyimprovementsinspite of widespreadutilityprogramsand
federal supportthroughthe ARRA funds*. (See0. DOE HomeEnergy ScoreOverview.)
DOE researchrevealedthatcurrenthome scoringsystems,while granularandaccurate,are costly,take
a highlevel of expertise toexecute andare difficulttocommunicate tohomeownersandthe real estate
community.Consequently,the DOEinstituted12pilotprogramsaroundthe country to testthe ideaof a
simplerscoringsystem, HES,whichassignsascore of one throughten,withtenbeingthe mostefficient,
interms of energyuse.Accordingtothe DOE theywantedto create a way to rate homesthat is“Similar
to milespergallonforvehicles,the Home EnergyScore providesastandardizedmethodforquickly
assessingthe energyperformance of ahome’smajorenergysystemsandenvelope.”
The DOE hastakenfeedbackfromthese 12 pilotprogramsand attemptedtoadjustthe algorithms
behindthe score toaddressissuesthatthe programs identified.Forinstance,inthe pilot,largerhomes
consistentlywere shownashavingtospendsubstantial sumstoimprove the score asmall amount,like
gettingfroma 5 to a 6, therebyhavingthe reverseof the intendedeffectbydis-incentivizingthe owners
to make improvements. (See“1.What’sthe Score?”forfurtherdetail on the adjustments.)
*(see Sheltongroup’s report http://sheltongrp.com/data-data-everywhere-nor-any-drop-to-drink/)
As the HES systemhasdevelopedandimproved,12 stateshave adoptedorare inthe processof
adoptingit,some as a statewide policy.

2. HES working group 6/23/2015 Page 2
Examplesof other states’adoption of HES:
1. Connecticut:
Afterlaunchingthe Home EnergyScore programon April 1st
2015 Connecticutplanstoscore between
12,000-14,000 homesannually.The efforthelpsthe state trackitsprogressinmeetingagoal of
weatherizing80%of homesby2030. http://energy.gov/eere/articles/connecticut-launches-nation-s-
first-statewide-home-energy-score-program
2. Vermont:

3. HES working group 6/23/2015 Page 3
The above is the certificate thatthe Vermontworkinggroupdesigned.Theychose toillustratethree
metrics:energyconsumptioninMillionsof BritishThermal Units(MMBTU) usage,whichresonatedwith
the residentsof Vermont(Massachusettsfollowedsuit),the DOEHome EnergyScore,and a pie chart of
annual energycosts.The HES producesall three metrics.One considerationwastomeetthe needsof
several independentauditprogramsoperatingacrossthe state (see2. “VermontEnergy Label Report”).
VermontCore WorkingGroup
● EfficiencyVermont
● VermontFuel EfficiencyPartnership
● EnergyFuturesGroup
● VermontGasSystems
● VermontPublicServiceDepartment
● BurlingtonElectricDepartment
● BuildingPerformance ProfessionalAssociation
● Sustainable EnergyResources Group
● VermontOffice of EconomicOpportunity
Thisis a diverse groupof utilitypartners,home performance contractors,governmentagencies,
advocacy groupsand non-profitenergyefficiencyorganizationswhoworkedtogethertoestablishthe
VermontHome EnergyScore.
3. Massachusetts:
New Approaches to Home Energy Efficiency: Energy Performance Scores
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER), in collaboration with Mass Save®,
is using U.S. Department of Energy grant funds in the Greater Springfield area to provide
interactive tools for homeowners to encourage more – or "deeper" – energy efficiency
upgrades. This initiative, called Home MPG (miles-per-gallon) is an enhancement to the Mass
Save home energy assessment program. Home MPG' provides an interactive web portal that
connects homeowners to their scorecard and links to their home’s thermal image (if available).
Core elements:
● An EnergyPerformance Score (EPS),similartoavehicle MPGrating,reflectsahome'sexpected
energyuse andcarbon emissions,andallowscomparisonbetweenareahomes.The EPSalso
providesdataonutilityincentivesavailable tohelppayforthe cost of energyefficiency
improvementsaimedatimprovingthe EPS.
● A web-basedtool thatallowshomeownerstoview the resultsof theirMassSave home energy
assessmentandtheirenergyscorecard.
● The webinterface alsoconnectshomeownerstoaninfraredthermal image of theirhome (if
available) tohelpunderstandthe potential fortargetedcost-effective buildingimprovements.

4. HES working group 6/23/2015 Page 4

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Main goals of this program are:
● Speed AdoptionofHigh EfficiencyProducts - Accelerate the adoptionof high-efficiency,quality
consumerandbusinesssectorlightingsolutions,electronicsandappliancesthatreduce total
home and buildingenergyuse andpeakdemand.
● Reduce Energy Use inBuildings - Make possible afuture inwhichall homesandbuildingsare
zeronet energy,throughincremental yetaggressiveimprovementstobuildingenergypolicies
and programs.
● Advance KnowledgeandBest Practices - Promote knowledge andthe use bestpracticesthat
supportthe expansion,implementationandevaluationof policiesandprogramsto increase and
accelerate energyefficiency.
● Make EfficiencyVisible- Positionthe NortheastandMid-Atlanticregionasthe national leader
for efficiencyasacritical and tangible resource tosupportenvironmental sustainability,arobust
economy,anda reliable andaffordable energysystem.
4. NewYork: NewYork State Energyand ResearchDevelopmentAuthority(NYSERDA)
NYSERDA has two pilotprograms:
● One isworkingwithinthe confinesof autilityprogram
● The other isexperimentingwithtraininghome inspectorstoconductHES assessmentson
homesinan attemptto broadenthe professional populationof energyassessorsandtosee if
the Home Energy Score can act as a leadgeneratorforenergyefficiencyimprovements.
● NYSERDA is alsoworkingwithlocal Multi-ListServices(MLS) tointegrate thisinformationinto
real estate listings.
ITHACA — Five TompkinsCountymunicipalitiesare workingtogethertodevelopaplanforscoringthe
energyperformance of local homes.The goal:touse marketforcesto improve the energyefficiencyof
existinghousingstockbyprovidingmeaningful homeperformance informationtofuture home buyers.
The Towns of Ithaca, Caroline,DanbyandUlysses,alongwiththe Cityof Ithaca,are partnersin the
Residential EnergyScore Project.TompkinsCountyandCornell Cooperative Extensionof Tompkins
Countyare alsoprovidingguidance tothe project,whichdrawsinspirationfromthe growingnumberof
successful energyratinganddisclosureprogramsacrossthe country.Like fuel efficiency“MPG”ratings
for cars, the energyefficiencyof homescanbe measuredina standardizedway. The projectwill study
such ratingmethodsandconsiderhowtocreate value forenergyefficiencyinthe local housingmarket.
At thisstage inthe discussion,participantsandstakeholdersinaTechnical AdvisoryCommitteeare
formulatingthe detailsof the program,whichisexpectedtobe developedbyspringof 2016. The
committee includesrepresentativesfromrealtors,builders, lenders,home performance contractors,
low-incomehousingadvocates,andutilitycompanies.

7. HES working group 6/23/2015 Page 7
“Home buyersnot onlyaskabout taxes,buttheywantto know aboutthe energyefficiencyof the
homestheyare considering,”saidMelissaMiller,2015 Presidentfromthe IthacaBoardof
Realtors®. “Thisiswhythe Ithaca Board of Realtors® developedaGreenFeaturesStatementtobegin
capturinginformationaboutthe homeslistedinitsmultiple listingservice.”
“Simplylookingatthe monthlyutilitycostsof a home isnotreliable,”saidGregThomas,CEOof
Performance SystemsDevelopment(PSD),the Ithaca-basedenergyefficiencyconsultingfirmthatis
managingthe project’sdevelopment.“One homeownermaysetthe thermostatlow,while another
keepsthe windowsopen.The energyefficiencyscore will be astandardizedratingbasedonthe
attributesof the home,notthe behaviorof the occupants (Known asan “asset”rating).These ratings
create a marketvalue forinvestmentsinenergyefficiency,allowinghomeownerswhomake efficiency
investmentstorecoversome orall of that costupon the sale of theirhome.”
The program is supportedbythe NewYorkState EnergyResearchand DevelopmentAuthority
(NYSERDA) Cleaner,GreenerCommunitiesprogram.“GovernorCuomo’sReformingthe EnergyVision
(REV) encouragesall mannerof cleanenergyandenergyefficiencyaroundthe state.Ratingthe
efficiencyof ahome will helpincreasethe value of these typesof investments,while helpinghome
buyerssave energycostsandincrease comfort,”saidJohnB. Rhodes,PresidentandCEO,NYSERDA.
“Thisis a great example of howaninnovativecommunityprogramcanhelppromote the value of energy
efficiencyimprovementshereandinotherregionsof the state.” http://psdconsulting.com/municipalities-
launch-residential-energy-score-project/
5. Colorado: BPI/MLS
The BuildingPerformance Institute (BPI),whichisnow anational HES Partner/Provider,hasteamedup
withthe ColoradoMultiple ListingService andthe ColoradoEnergyOffice tocreate a statewide inclusion
of HES intheirdatabase. OnSept17th
theylaunchedthe programat the ColoradoAssociationof
REALTORS convention.
As youcan see fromthese exampleseachregionisdefiningthe score intheirowntermsaccordingto
whattheyunderstandtoresonate withhomeowners.The DOEunderstandsthatall real estate islocal
and therefore expectseachstate andregiontocustomize itsownscore accordingly.
For example,inSouthwesternPa,experiencetellsusthathealthandsafetyproblemsare of major
concernfor homeownersandthatcomfortisa primary market driver.Thisaddsupto a qualityof life
issue whichisfurtheraugmentedbylocal conditions,suchasourpoor air qualityandhighlevel of
asthma- withindoorair qualitybecomingarecognizedpublichealthissue.Itisouropinionthatthe
score shouldbe broadenedtoinclude messagingthataddressesthese issuesaswell.
For a furtherdetailedanalysisandcomparisonof States’labelingefforts,includingNew Jersey,Nevada
and California, see3.“Residential Energy Labeling” by NASEO.Asthese programsdevelop,better
feedbackwill become available onbestpracticesandimpact.Clearly,there isatrendamongthe clusters
of neighboringStatestoadoptand developthe Home EnergyScore aswell asa national tendency
towardsadoptingthe score as part of a regional andstate wide scoringstrategy.

8. HES working group 6/23/2015 Page 8
Multiple ListingService (MLS)
Representationof “Green”homesinthe real estate industry’smultiplelistingservice (MLS) isan
importantcorollarytothe developmentof aHES program inPA.Concurrent withour effortsthere isan
MLS committee (formedbymembersof the ReEnergize Pittsburgh Coalition*) thatisbeingledbyPenn
Future and PennsylvaniaEnvironmentCouncil,PEC.Thiscommitteeisworkingtoincorporate
informationabouthome energyuse intoreal estatelistings,andhasspecificallyincludedthe needfora
Home EnergyScore intotheirpresentationtothe realtorcommunityinPA.Theyare followingElevate
Energy’s“blueprint”asaguide.See4. “unlocking theValue of an Energy Efficient Home”).
Thisissue isespeciallyimportanttoassigningvalue toenergyefficiencyimprovementsatthe time of
sale,because the appraiserusesMLSlistingstoidentifycomparablehomes,tojustifythe appraised
value.If the MLS doesnotinclude informationonenergyefficiencyandothergreenfeatures,there isno
wayfor the appraiserto justifytheirvalue.
One of the maincontentionsof the local MLS, however,isthatthere isnowayto quantifythe
“greenness”of ahome.Use of the HES couldsolve thisproblem.
Althoughthe HESis a stand-alone certificate,itsvalue shouldalsobe seeninthe contextof providing
informationanddocumentationatthe time of sale of a residential property,therebyinjectingthe value
of energyefficiencyimprovements intothe marketplace.Ona national level the NationalAssociationof
Realtorsunderstandsthis,butona local level inPA onlyone of 12 MLSs has made the effortto
incorporate GreenFieldsintotheirdatabase,irrespectiveof the HES beingincorporatedintothe Real
Estate TransactionStandard (RETS).
Hence the necessityof coordinatingoureffortswithPennFuture andPECwhoare leadingthe
ReEnergize MLScommittee.
“See 5. MLS Energy Project– case study”by Conservation ServicesGroup givesanin depthlookat issues
surroundingGreeningthe MLS.Atthe time itwaswritten,the HES wasstill initspilotphase soitsfuture
role isnot emphasized.
Results:
Althoughthere still isn’tenoughvolumenationwidetoaccuratelydetermine the efficacyof HES,the
DOE hiredthe Sheltongrouptoresearchand documentconsumers’responsestothe HES viafocus
groups(see 6. “DOE FocusGroup Findings”). Theybroughtupissueslike ‘howmuchdoI have to invest
to improve myscore’and‘to whatextentcan I raise itgiventhatinvestment’.Homeownerspreferredto
see energysavingsoveratwelve monthperiodasopposedtoovertenyearsbecause theywanteda
more short termpaybackscenariobut theywere curiousabouthow theirhome comparedtoothers,
whichisa provenmethodof encouragingpeopletotake action.Theyalsoappreciatedthe additional
informationpage whichwentintomore depthonROIonimprovementsetc.HEShas more value to a
home buyerthana seller,butif the score wastoo low noone wantedto disclose it.The group
discussioncenteredonenergysavingsorreducingenergycostsandthere wasinterestinhavingit
combinedwithahome inspection.

9. HES working group 6/23/2015 Page 9
The Sheltongroupalsopointedoutthatthe score alone isnot enough.TheysaidthatAssessors
(individualswhoare certifiedtoadministerthe on-site homeanalysis) needtobe able to“address
homeowner’soutstandingquestionsandconcerns.”
Role of assessor and provider:
The HES shouldnotbe seenas a silverbullet,butratherasa tool to encourage homeownerstotake
actionand an opportunitytoenable certifiedhome assessorstoopenupa broaderconversationwith
homeowners,beyondthe simplisticandineffective monikerof “save energy,save money,”whichseems
to be the mainfocusof the currentHES presentation.The assessorsneedtobe skilledandtrainedtodo
more than justpresenta score to homeowners.The presentationof the Home EnergyScore shouldbe
seenasan opportunitytoengage withhomeownersonalevel thataddresses theirconcerns.Boththe
certificate andthe assessorneedtobe attunedanddesignedtotake advantage of the opportunityto
have a face to face conversationwithhomeowners.
Providers,whoare certifiedpartnerswiththe DOE,provide administrativeoversight,qualityassurance
and data managementforassessorsconductinginhome HESscores.Theycan be ConservationService
Providers,UtilityProgrammanagers,non-profitsetc.whoare ina positiontodevelopandoversee aHES
program.
Conclusion:
There are manymovingpartsto thissimple score includingdatatransferprotocols,training,policy
supportetc.whichneedto be understoodandimplemented.The case studiesattachedtothis
documentoutline them.ButwithoutState leadershiponresidentialenergyefficiency,we have toface
the handicapof individual initiativesworkinginasilofashioninPA--Intelligentintheirownright,butnot
addingupto a strongenoughefforttoimpact marketadoption.Asthe DOE puts it“Statewide initiatives
can fostermore rapiduptake of the score.”
All referencestodocumentsinthisarticle are availableon ourarchives (homeenergyscorepa) onGoogle
Drive. Contactalisons@ccicenter.orgforaninvite toaccessthe files.
If you want to go fast, go alone
If you want to go far, go together
African Proverb
* ReEnergize Pittsburgh is a local coalition of energy efficiency partners dedicated to creatingmarket demand for
energy efficiency services in Southwestern PA.
PreparedbyTimCarryer