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3rd Party Evaluation Ranks Earth Advantage’s Energy Modeling Tool #1

Last week, the Energy Trust of Oregon released a thoroughly researched and well-documented report summarizing their efforts to establish an “asset-based” energy performance metric for existing homes. The study tested and compared the most highly regarded modeling tools from around the country, including Earth Advantage’s. (Spoiler alert: Earth Advantage’s modeling system was ranked first overall.)

The Energy Trust report analyzes energy performance scores that are“ asset‐based”, meaning a scoring system that removes occupant behavior and considers only the home’s physical structure, the applicable climate, and a standard set of operating parameters (e.g., thermostat settings). A useful analogy to an asset-based home energy score is the Miles per Gallon (MPG) rating on a new car. MPG ratings for cars are determined using a set of controlled conditions. While individual car owners’ actual driving behavior and circumstances rarely match these conditions exactly, the rating allows buyers to compare cars. Homes, of course, are more complicated than cars; they differ substantially in vintage, square footage, climate, heating systems, architecture, and fuel types. However, based in part on Earth Advantage’s work, the country is inching closer to a scoring system that would have broad applicability and allow for true comparisons between homes.

For several years, companies and organizations nationally (including Earth Advantage and the US Department of Energy) have been developing and pilot-testing asset-based modeling tools. The concept is that a simple, consistent, and reasonably accurate home energy scores will tell homeowners and buyers how their existing or prospective home performs relative to others, and that this information will motivate them to make decisions regarding efficiency improvements and purchases that result in broad energy savings.

Because of the region’s status as an energy policy leader and the strong movement toward asset-based energy performance scoring tools, the results of the Energy Trust study have truly national implications. It is extremely gratifying to see Earth Advantage’s hard work supported in the results of the study. Energy Performance Score Modeling Comparison (from Energy Trust’s analytical report): 

About the Author

Anthony Roy

Anthony is the policy & business development director at Earth Advantage Institute (EAI). At EAI, Anthony works on energy benchmarking and disclosure policy as well as the implementation of residential energy performance scoring efforts. Prior to joining EAI, he was a senior consultant with YRG sustainability consultants in New York City and Seattle. While at YRG, he was the primary sustainability consultant on several large-scale community development projects in the United Arab Emirates and South Korea. Anthony began his career at the City of Portland before moving to Ecos Consulting (now Ecova) where he was a senior manager. He received a BA degree from Northwestern University and a degree in international environmental law from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland (UK). He is a LEED Accredited Professional.