To determine a home’s EPS, a third-party certified EPS auditor conducts verification tests (similar to those conducted for Energy Star certification) on the house. The auditor measures a home’s total energy use—electricity, natural gas, propane, or heating oil—accounting for home shape, size, insulation level, air leakage, heating and cooling systems, major appliances, lighting, and hot water heating. Standardized assumptions of occupancy, behavior, indoor temperature settings, and regional weather are used to establish normal energy use for the home. Home performance is modeled once before construction based on the home’s plans, verified in the field during and after construction, and modeled a second time based on the field tests and verifications to establish its actual energy usage and carbon emissions. Each EPS report shows actual energy use in kilowatt hours per year and carbon emissions in pounds per year.
Home Energy Labels Take Root
The federal government is considering a national building energy performance labeling program, but builders in Oregon are already getting firsthand experience with voluntary home energy performance scoring.
6 MIN READ
