Performance rating for new homes

Performance rating for new homes is equivalent to the Miles Per Gallon (MPG) rating for a car.  Whether you chose your next car specifically because of it’s MPG rating or not, in most cases it at least makes up some part of the decision making process.  Especially, if you were buying a car last summer.  The building industry believes that energy efficiency, utility costs and environmental impact are factors to consider when buying or building a home.  They can affect the real and perceived value of a home.  The Energy Performance Score (EPS), developed by Energy Trust of Oregon, provides a clear and quantitative way to compare a home’s energy use and costs.  The lower the score, the more efficient the home is and the lower your estimated utility costs. 

A home energy rating involves an analysis of a home’s construction plans and onsite inspections. Based on the home’s plans, the Home Energy Rater uses an energy efficiency software package to perform an energy analysis of the home’s design. Upon completion of the plan review, the rater will work with the builder to identify the energy efficiency improvements needed to ensure the house will meet ENERGY STAR performance guidelines.  A home’s EPS is based on many factors such as the home’s size, level of insulation, air leakage, heating and cooling systems, major appliances, lighting and water heating.  The rater then conducts onsite inspections, typically including a blower door test (to test the leakiness of the house) and a duct test (to test the leakiness of the ducts). Results of these tests, along with inputs derived from the plan review, are used to generate the EPS for the home.

Marnella Homes, as an Energy Star and Earth Advantage Certified Master Builder, is using this rating system.  Our homes have an EPS of 42 which rates our homes as some of the most efficient new homes built in Oregon (as Compared to an average home score in Oregon of 81). Our homes have an estimated average monthly energy savings of $70.  Our home owners realize that choosing an energy-efficient home not only benefits the environment, but can also help you save money. 

We see this as a “separating the wheat from the chaff” on the over used “Energy Star Certified” claim that too many builders use.  We see many builders that state that they are building homes to Energy Star Certification.  A consumer doesn’t know whether they build 100% of their homes to this certification or 10%?  Do they just meet the bare minimums to achieve the certification or are they truly committed to Green Performance building and exceed the minimum.  As I have stated in an earlier post, whether a builder is doing just the minimum or much more, their homes usually have quality controls that are inherent to building to any level this certification.  Which makes a “Certified” home in most cases still a better value than any “Uncertified” home.  However, this rating system will clear away this confusion.  The score will tell a consumer, if educated on what it means, all they need to know.

So, whether a low EPS score is the deciding factor in the purchase of your next home or just “a” factor, it will be made available to you by participating home builders.  Our industry hopes that this rating system will be easy to understand and will be adopted by consumers much the same way as the MPG rating is in the auto industry.  As this becomes more main stream it will become one more tool that consumers can use to make informed decisions on their home purchases.