Study Finds HERS Drive a Majority of Utility New Homes Programs
Report published by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency
A recent report published by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) found that a majority of utility new homes programs rely on the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) ratings for compliance verification. The CEE's "The Overview of Residential New Homes Programs in the United States and Canada" summarizes currently active voluntary programs for the construction of new homes. The report is based on 71 utility programs located in 36 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.
The CEE study reported that new homes energy efficiency programs typically provide financial incentives to builders or consumers; the incentives vary greatly based on specific measures taken and other details. These new homes programs establish various guidelines for energy efficiency through a combination of measures, such as insulation, windows, ducts, heating and cooling equipment, lighting, and appliances. Through the application of either comprehensive performance approaches or prescriptive single end use specifications, voluntary programs are generally designed to deliver residential buildings that are more energy efficient than homes built to the local building codes.