OCEANSIDE, Calif. — The National Renewable Energy Research Laboratory (NREL) has been researching the penetration of the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index Score in the U.S. housing market and discovered that in 2016, 22 percent of all completed new homes in the U.S. were HERS-rated, according to David Roberts, NREL residential buildings research group manager.

Homeowners in Massachusetts, Indiana, and Iowa topped the nation last year in pursuit of home energy efficiency with the most homes receiving a HERS Index Score.

Developed by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), a HERS Index Score provides homebuyers with a way to compare the energy performance of a home in the same fashion as miles per gallon does for auto buyers.

The state rankings were calculated by NREL with data from RESNET’s national building registry of HERS-rated homes, and the number of completed homes by state from the U.S. Census Bureau.

“RESNET wants to thank the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for these findings, which show how the HERS Index is fast becoming mainstream in the U.S. housing market,” said Steve Baden, executive director, RESNET. “Much like consumers rely upon the MPG to gauge the performance of autos they are considering to purchase, homeowners are increasingly looking to the HERS Index to consider the energy performance of a home. RESNET lauds the high-performance states that are blazing this path.”

For more information, visit www.resnet.us.

Publication date: 8/30/2017

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