Home Energy Score Getting Started Packet: Important information for Partners and interested Assessor Candidates

Transcription

1 Home Energy Score Getting Started Packet: Important information for Partners and interested Assessor Candidates Version: April 28, eere.energy.gov

2 Getting Started This presentation covers the following items: Overview for Partners and Assessor Candidates Details for interested Assessor Candidates Information on the Home Energy Score 2 eere.energy.gov

3 Overview for Partners and Assessor Candidates 3 eere.energy.gov

4 Getting Started Packet: Overview The Getting Started Packet for Partners and interested Assessor Candidates contains: Getting Started for Partners and Candidates (for Partners and Candidates) 1.1 Submitting Candidate Info (for Partners) Assessor Candidate Info Template (for Partners) 2.0 Partner Portal Data Download Instructions (Part 1) (for Partners) 2.1 Partner Portal Data Download (Part 2) (for Partners) Assessor Candidate Folder: (for Candidates) A1 Training & Testing Procedures v.2015 A2 Sim Instructions A3 Tool Data Collection Form v.2015 A4 HEScore Definitions 4 eere.energy.gov

5 Home Energy Score: The Basics What is the Home Energy Score? A tool that provides a standardized method for quickly assessing a home s envelope and major energy systems Allows comparison between homes regardless of location in the U.S. Who provides it? Home Energy Score Partners: Local and state governments, utilities, non-profits, and other home performance industry organizations Assessors working under Partners conduct home assessments and produce the Home Energy Score What does a homeowner get? Asset Score Home Facts: List of data collected and energy use calculations Improvement Recommendations What is the cost associated with providing or getting a score? The Assessor or Partner determines the price for providing the score There is no set fee for providing a Score There is no cost associated with using the Scoring Tool 5 eere.energy.gov

6 The Home Energy Score Assessment Takes an hour or less to complete Can be generated by home inspectors, contractors, utilities, others On-line tool can be used directly or linked to other software tools No reporting requirements, all automated Free to user 6 eere.energy.gov

7 Home Energy Score Partners The Home Energy Score Program is administered by local and national Partners: local and state governments, utilities, non-profits, and other home performance industry organizations Partners will: Incorporate Home Energy Score into the local program or offerings Partner describes how the Score will be integrated into other efforts in their Implementation Plan (IP) submitted to DOE for review Provide on-site quality assurance Re-score five percent (5%) of homes Provide oversight and support to Assessors Create and provide marketing materials, etc. Report to DOE whenever an Assessor leaves their program 7 eere.energy.gov

8 Home Energy Score Assessors Assessor Candidates must have at least one of the following active certifications: Currently individual Assessors are not eligible for Partnership with the Home Energy Score. All individuals must work through Partner organizations in order to participate. 8 eere.energy.gov

9 Support for Partners and Assessors DOE will support the local Partners and Assessors through: Technical support Online training and testing Data review Website support Supporting materials Ongoing maintenance and improvement of the Home Energy Scoring Tool including changes based on Assessor feedback Periodic webinars, conference calls, and other methods for interactive discussion among Partners and/or Assessors 9 eere.energy.gov

10 Details for Assessor Candidates 10 eere.energy.gov

11 To become an Assessor 1) Provide your contact info and proof of certification to your Home Energy Score Partner 2) Complete the two-part online training and testing Once your Partner submits your info to the Technical Team you will receive detailed instructions for the training and testing Part I of the training and testing is conducted on a simulation program (Sim) that allows the candidate to practice assessing homes in a 3D-like virtual environment a self-administered test completes Part I Part II of the training and testing consists of a presentation followed by a short multiple choice test, accessible on the Sim after Part I is successfully completed 3) Once both parts of the training and testing are successfully completed the candidate will be activated as a Home Energy Score Assessor and provided with access to the Scoring Tool Currently individual Assessors are not eligible for Partnership with the Home Energy Score. All individuals must work through Partner organizations in order to participate. 11 eere.energy.gov

12 The Online Training and Testing is Free There is no fee for the training and testing becoming an Assessor only involves a small investment of your time The testing and training is conducted online and is available 24/7 The training Sim allows you to go at your own pace - once you have completed the training successfully and are comfortable with the Sim, you can proceed to the testing You have three chances to score each of two houses in the practical testing portion of the Sim tests are self-administered, and you can return to the training for more practice at any time After passing Part I of the test there is a study presentation and a short multiple choice test (Part II), which is also self-administered access to the test is automatically provided by the Sim once Part I has been successfully completed After gaining access candidates can take the test at any time, and are allowed two attempts to pass this test The test is electronically graded and the candidate will be informed of the results immediately upon completion of the test session Passing grade for the multiple choice test is 80% Candidates must successfully complete both parts of the training and testing in order to become a Home Energy Score Assessor 12 eere.energy.gov

13 Maintaining Your Assessor Status Assessors need to score homes on a consistent basis in order to maintain an active status; each Assessor must score at least one home every four months (120 days) in order to be considered active Any Assessor who has not scored a home in 120 days will lose their active status and be changed to inactive Inactive Assessors will be required to complete a training refresher exercise on the Sim training and testing site in order to be re-activated The Assessor s status will be re-activated once they have completed the exercise by correctly scoring a Challenge Home in the Sim Tool Access to the Sim Tool will be provided to eligible inactive Assessors upon the Partner s request only Once access has been provided the assessor can train and test at any time no direct oversight or proctor is required to complete the Sim refresher training exercise If an assessor is unable to correctly score the Challenge Home after three attempts the assessor will be required to re-take and pass Part I of the Home Energy Score exam before being re-activated 13 eere.energy.gov

14 Information on the Home Energy Score 14 eere.energy.gov

15 Home Energy Score Report The Home Energy Scoring Tool produces three separate documents: (1) Score the numerical score for the house on a scale of 1 to 10 (2) Home Facts the data entry values entered by the Assessor (3) Recommendations customized recommendations based on the data entry for the house These documents are listed as tabs at the top of each page of the comprehensive Home Energy Score report. 15 eere.energy.gov

16 Document #1: The Score Each tab is a separate document: Score, Home Facts and Recommendations The Score with Improvements assumes all recommendations will be implemented The Estimated annual savings reflects the gross yearly savings associated with the improvements (i.e., a reduction in utility bills) Assessment type is an indication of whether the assessment should be considered official or not and is dependent on the selection made during the data entry Assessment date is the date that the in home assessment was performed. Qualified assessor # - id number of the person who performed the assessment Score ID is the unique number assigned to every session created in the Scoring Tool. Version reflects the tool version used to provide the Score. This feature allows the homeowner to know whether an updated version of the Tool is available and can request an updated Score from an Assessor. 16 eere.energy.gov

17 Document #2: Home Facts (page 1 of 3) Total (MBTUs) is the amount of source energy* that the home is expected to use over the course of one year, given certain standard operating conditions. This number is provided in terms of million BTUs (MBTUs). *Source Energy is the amount of energy necessary to produce and deliver the energy to the home which powers the systems in the home. HEScore uses a national average conversion factor to calculate source energy from the site energy use calculated by the software. Score basis is the calculated amount of source energy* in MBTUs used by the home s assets. This includes energy used to heat, cool and provide hot water to the house. It is the number on which the Score is based. The estimated site energy use is shown as energy estimates for the specific fuels used in the home. 17 eere.energy.gov

18 Document #2: Home Facts (pages 2 & 3) The Home Facts pages provide the customer with the information that was entered by the Assessor and used to calculate their home s score 18 eere.energy.gov

19 Document #3: Recommendations The customized recommendations are divided into two types: Improvements to be made now ( Repair now or tier 1). Improvements to be done when it is time to replace certain equipment ( Repair later or tier 2). The recommendations are ordered according to payback. Recommendations with the shortest payback are listed first and those with the longest payback are listed last. Recommendations are only provided for improvements that have a simple payback period of 10 years or less. Payback is not displayed The payback calculation is based on a nationally averaged estimated installation costs and state average utility rates. Carbon reduction is based on a database of estimated average carbon release from power plants in the home s region. 19 eere.energy.gov

20 Document #3: Recommendations The Assessor can provide a different set of recommendations IF the assessment is being done as part of a more comprehensive home energy audit; AND the energy upgrade recommendations generated from that software is provided to the homeowner If the Assessor provides different recommendations, they must also -- Provide a blank version of the Home Energy Score Recommendations page. The blank version will not list any improvements and will direct the customer to the recommendations that are being provided by the Assessor. All three documents must be included in the report so that the customer recognizes they are receiving a complete packet (all 3 tabs). 20 eere.energy.gov

21 Explaining the Score/Answering Questions How is the score calculated? The Tool estimates total energy use for the home based on the assessor inputs and assuming certain standard conditions, such as thermostat settings, number of people, etc. The Tool then translates the total energy into a score ranging from 1 to 10, where 10 is the best. Does the scale adjust depending on house size? No. The 10 point scale is not adjusted for size, so if all things are the same a large house will score worse than a small one. Does the score take into account the weather? Yes. The 10 point scale corresponds to different energy values, depending on the local climate. A house in San Diego, CA that scores a 5 will not use the same amount of energy as a house in Bangor, ME that also scores a eere.energy.gov

22 Explaining Savings Estimates Does the score take into account how much energy the current homeowner uses or recent utility bills? No. It does not account for the behavior of the home s current occupants. Thermostat settings are standardized and baseloads such as lights, appliances and laundry use are based on house size or number of bedrooms. The score is an asset rating score. The home s assets are the factors used in the calculation of the score and include the following: the house structure (envelope); heating, cooling and hot water systems; and location/climate. How are the dollar savings estimated? The tool calculates what a typical homeowner living in this house will save on their utility bills annually if all the recommendations are implemented. The cost savings are based on state average utility rates. Actual savings will vary depending upon actual utility rates, occupant behavior, number of people in the house, etc. 22 eere.energy.gov

23 FAQs Does a Home Energy Score assessment require a blower door and a combustion (CAZ) test? No. The Home Energy Score assessment does not require any testing, although if a blower door test is done the result can be entered as part of the data entry; there are no data entry fields for any other test results (CAZ, Duct Blaster, etc.) What special tools or equipment is required to perform an assessment? No special tools are required. A Home Energy Score assessment can be performed using a measuring tape, a flashlight, a calculator, and a clipboard with data sheet and pencil. Can the data be entered directly while in the field doing an assessment? Yes. The data can be entered directly using a computer with an internet connection, or through a mobile device utilizing a third-party API which has been designed to work with the Home Energy Score. Does the climate and location make a difference in the score? Yes. The tool utilizes local weather data based on the home s address to determine energy usage which is directly reflected in the score. State average utility rates are used to calculate the estimated utility bill savings in the Recommendations section. 23 eere.energy.gov

24 Adding Home Energy Score to your services and the API Most Assessors who provide the Home Energy Score incorporate the information into other reports and services (e.g., home inspection reports, energy audits). Please note the following opportunities, and limitations, regarding modification or alternative methods for generating the Home Energy Score. Opportunities The Home Energy Scoring Tool can be incorporated into other software tools by licensing an application programming interface (API) from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This is free of charge. Software that makes use of the API to provide a Home Energy Score MUST be pre-approved by DOE. Once tested, DOE will unlock access to the Home Energy Score via the approved software tool. Use of the API eliminates the need for double entry of data and may allow the Assessor to seamlessly incorporate the score into other reports generated by their software. Limitations Any modifications to the 3 part Home Energy Score package must be pre-approved by DOE. DOE s policies regarding modifications to the Score materials are outlined in the Addendum to the Partner Agreement. API: For more information, and to register to receive information on the API, visit In the center column Scoring Tool, click Sign up to register 24 eere.energy.gov

25 Questions or comments? Contact the Home Energy Score team at or contact your Account Manager directly. For questions about Assessor training and testing, or for technical questions concerning the Home Energy Score Tool, contact: homeenergyscore.gov Thank you. 25 eere.energy.gov