Beginning January 1st, 2018, a new city ordinance requires that most Portland homes obtain a Home Energy Score before selling. A Quality Measurement is licensed, bonded and insured to offer Portland Home Energy Scores (schedule today). Four members of our company, including myself, have completed or nearly completed the required training. The certification process taught us a lot.
There are many factors that influence home energy use. Portland’s adopted Home Energy Score, developed by the Department of Energy, is a simplified model that, while not perfect, does score homes consistently. The score allows home buyers to make meaningful pre-purchase comparisons, like the MPG rating on cars, regarding a home’s estimated energy consumption, if buyers or their agents understand the context.
Follow this link to view the checklist of items that a Home Energy Assessor looks for when producing a Home Energy Score in Portland. (The last page includes a simple checklist.) The score is an asset-based system that looks at the home’s attributes, envelope, and equipment, but does not consider the electric load nor the behavior of the residents.
Here is a table of some surprising factors that will and will not change a Home Energy Score in Portland:
| Will Change Score | Will Not Change Score |
| Heated square footage | Detached units |
| Type, depth, and condition of insulation | Brand of insulation |
| Solar photovoltaic power | Solar thermal |
| Skylights | Light bulbs |
| Duct sealing and location | Door seals and sweeps |
| Professional whole home air sealing | Armature leak sealing |
| Direction home faces | Shade trees |
| Number of bedrooms | Number of baths |
| Exterior siding and roof material | Interior finish |
| Window quantity, size, frame, panes, and glazing | Door number and type |
| Type of water heater | Low flow faucets |
| Type of heating and cooling equipment | Washer, Dryer, Oven, etc. |
| Roof slope and ceiling height | Past heating bills |
| Historical average weather conditions | Current weather conditions |
Did I leave anything out or do you want to join in the conversation? Contact us and let me know or leave a reply in the comments below.
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Thanks for reading,
Gary F. Kristensen, SRA, IFA, AGA
