Developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Home Energy Score™ provides home owners, buyers, and renters comparable and credible information about a home’s energy use. Using a 1 to 10 scale (least to most efficient), the Score estimates a home’s energy use and includes a customized report that recommends cost-effective energy improvements for the home. A recent revamp of the Home Energy Score™ tool has reduced its calculation times by more than half, enabling Scores to be produced in under 30 seconds in certain scenarios. Previously, Score calculations could take up to two minutes, depending on the complexity of the data and modeling involved.
The entire process — from collecting and inputting the specifics of a home to generating a Score and report — can typically be completed by a Certified Home Energy Score Assessor™ in under an hour. For Assessors providing thousands of scores each year, the simplified and speedier process can make a big difference.
The improved calculations are one of several enhancements included in the recent update, but it’s the one most noticeable to the user. The most recent version of the tool also accommodates more simultaneous users, in anticipation of a greater demand for scores.
There have been many updates to the Home Energy Score tool since it was officially launched by DOE and its national laboratories in 2012, including accuracy improvements and integration of radiant floor heating, attics, and knee walls into Score calculations. Looking ahead, DOE plans to launch capabilities to enable Scores for multifamily units and manufactured housing.
Read more about Home Energy Score and find a partner in your area today. Email the Home Energy Score team at homeenergyscore@ee.doe.gov to get involved.