AS OF JANUARY 1, 2018, sellers of single-family homes in Portland, Oregon are required to obtain and disclose a Home Energy Score and Report.
What is a Home Energy Score?
The Home Energy Score (HES) is a measurement of the energy efficiency of a home based on an onsite evaluation of the physical characteristics of the house. The HES is an asset based rating of a home’s efficiency. An asset rating seeks to quantify the energy efficiency of a building based solely upon the inherent components of the house. The homes assets include the area of conditioned space, unconditioned space, insulation quality, windows, mechanical systems, construction type, and ducting. The Report itself presents the following information:
➢ A Home Energy Score on a scale of 1 to 10 (where a “10” is a home that uses less energy than 90% of homes in the U.S.), presented with clear and simple graphics to help homeowners understand their home’s energy performance and how it compares to other homes;
➢ An estimate of how much money could be saved on energy bills by making the recommended energy improvements; and
➢ An individualized list of recommended energy retrofit improvements that are estimated to payback in ten years or less.
The Home Energy Assessment is conducted by an authorized Home Energy Assessor and takes about 90 minutes to complete in the field and another 30 minutes to generate the required Home Energy Report. We strive to make the report available the same day on the Green Building Registry.
The report provides a snapshot of the energy efficiency of the home and how it compares to an average home in Portland in terms of energy use. A low score doesn’t indicate that home is built poorly or that it suffers some major deficiency. It merely means that there is room for improvement. A new home might have a low score simply because of the homes size, while a small home that has been retrofit with improved attc insulation may score an 8.
Who needs to comply?
The policy applies to home sellers that are listing or advertisinga home for sale publicly in any manner starting on or after January 1, 2018 and within Portland’s jurisdictional city boundary. That doesn’t mean that a home outside of the City will not benefit from an energy score for comparison.
For More information:To learn more contact Inspectek West, Inc.
Book an inspection online at www.inspectekwest.com
Chris Aldridge, RPP
HES Assessor US-ASHI-0171. OR-PDX-0136
CCB#118865
