EnergySmart Home Scale (E-Scale)

The E-Scale is an easy-to-understand tool that helps homebuyers and homeowners make smart energy decisions when purchasing, renting, or updating a home. It is designed to provide clear, objective answers to basic questions:

- Will this home help me save money on energy bills?
- How many "miles per gallon" does this home get?
- How does it compare to a typical new home?
- How close is it to the "ultimate" a Net-Zero Energy Home?

The E-Scale was created for the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America Builders Challenge, which encourages and supports builders to build extremely high performance homes, with the goal of creating cost-neutral net-zero energy homes for all Americans.

A 70 on the E-Scale (the energy requirement to qualify for the Builders Challenge) indicates that a home is approximately 30% more energy efficient than a typical new home built to code. A 60 on the E-Scale would be 40% more energy efficient. The ultimate goal is to get to 0 a Net-Zero Energy Home.

Builders participating in the Builders Challenge may place the E-Scale on or near the home's electric panel to show potential homeowners the energy performance achieved by that particular home or model.

The E-Scale is based on the well established Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index, developed by RESNET, the Residential Energy Services Network. The energy rating for the home will be conducted by RESNET-certified energy raters for the performance pathway. RESNET has an established system for quality assurance for raters as well as providers (who oversee the raters). For more information, see the National Home Energy Rating Standards. This is the same system that underlies the Energy Star homes program. The Builders Challenge also requires that builders meet a set of quality criteria to ensure occupant health, safety, comfort, and building durability.

For more information about the E-Scale, or the Builders Challenge, visit www.buildingamerica.gov/challenge

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