What’s the Score? Lessons Learned from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Home Energy Score

摘要

Despite growing efforts to reduce residential energy consumption, many efficiency programs are not realizing their energy savings potential due to lack of demand, high audit costs, and other factors. A number of utilities, states, and efficiency organizations have turned to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Home Energy Score as a simple and low-cost means to motivate homeowners and homebuyers to invest in energy efficiency. During the Home Energy Score’s first year of implementation, nearly 7,000 homes were scored and DOE learned a number of lessons that are leading to significant improvements in the program’s offerings. This paper provides an overview of those lessons learned, including trends identified from analysis of the first year’s score data; emerging implementation models; the Home Energy Score’s added value as a data collection mechanism for utilities and state and local governments; and the need to expand the pool of Qualified Assessors, among others. This paper also discusses program improvements that resulted from those lessons learned, including significant updates to the Home Energy Scoring Tool; research efforts underway to better understand the tool’s effectiveness in motivating homeowner investments in energy efficiency; a new 3D simulation training and test for assessors; the addition of national Partners; integration of the Home Energy Score into state rating efforts; integration with Home Performance with ENERGY STAR; and outreach to the real estate community concerning use of the Score in the real estate transaction process.