ShareThis$11M DOE Award for EPS Builds Retrofit Momentum
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It’s not often that you see a concept get traction fast, but the Energy Performance Score (EPS) is an idea that has gained considerable interest and a growing track record.
The most recent milestone for this residential energy labeling system – a miles-per-gallon style indicator that enables home-to-home comparisons of energy consumption and related carbon emissions -- is a multi-state award from the US Department of Energy for $11 million to roll out an EPS infrastructure for locales in Massachusetts, Virginia, Alabama and Washington.
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The project will eventually audit about 24,000 homes and is designed to boost the “conversion rate” of audited homes to actual energy upgrades, a holy grail for many cities and states seeking to reduce energy consumption and create jobs. The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and Earth Advantage Institute will coordinate the project, with $1.4M coming to us.
We’re excited for a couple of reasons. First, it’s a validation of our emerging focus on market mechanisms as catalysts for change in the built environment.
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Second, the award is also part of a growing “convergence” toward an energy labeling system at state and federal levels that began in the Northwest. Concurrent with our larger Seattle and Bellingham pilots, DOE embarked on the development of its own voluntary national energy labeling standard, due out in October. While the federal version may or may not look like the EPS, we hope that the momentum gained through the Northwest and multi-state award will serve to establish EPS in the same way that California clean air and auto emissions legislation set the bar for the auto industry.
Last but not least, we hope to see that the development of a scoring system infrastructure that includes web-based bidding on energy work and preferred financing options will remove the barriers that prevent homeowners from acting on the audit recommendations.
While the roll-out will no doubt require lots of work and while we will certainly encounter bumps in the road, we’re looking forward to learning more about the best ways to get people involved in seeking out greater energy savings and healthier homes.
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