Home Energy Efficiency Rating

Near Zero Ontario– Homes for the Future

The concept of Zero Ontario housing is a hot topic. Calling it a concept is a bit misleading, as it’s now been proven many times over, that a home built in the right manner can produce all the energy it could ever use. The key is in creating a home that uses very little energy to start, and the goal of Zero Ontario becomes much easier to obtain. For some, the goal and challenge of Zero Ontario seem too far-fetched, too expensive, too out of reach, or too Passive House. Near Zero Maine, and took that challenge straight on with well-documented results.

You may know what Zero Ontario is, but what about Near Zero? As the name likens, it’s the goal of getting as close to Zero Ontario as possible within a certain budget. From a cost perspective, reducing monthly home energy expenses is attractive to anyone.

Getting Information On Home Energy

Getting information on the relative energy efficiency of washers, dryers, heating systems, computers, and cars is easy for a consumer – just check the product efficiency label on the product. Ironically, when buying a home, the largest single purchase and by far the biggest source of energy bills for most families, consumers do not have such a reference. A home energy rating, comparable to checking the miles per gallon sticker on a new car, fills that need.
The home energy rating is a standard measurement of a home’s energy efficiency. An energy rating allows a home buyer to easily compare the energy costs for the homes being considered.

A homeowner who wants to upgrade the home’s energy efficiency can use the energy rating to evaluate and pinpoint specific, cost-effective improvements.

Home energy ratings involve an on-site inspection of a home by a residential energy efficiency professional, a home energy rater. Home energy raters are trained and certified by the operating home energy rating system. As a rule, home energy raters come from either the housing or energy fields. Their backgrounds include experience as home inspectors, appraisers, energy auditors, low-income weatherization contractors, and energy-efficient home builders and designers.

The Home Energy Rater Inspects The Home And Measures Its Energy Characteristics

Insulation levels, window efficiency, wall-to-window ratios, the heating and cooling system efficiency, the solar orientation of the home, and the water heating system are major characteristics to inspect. Diagnostic testing, such as blower door for air leakage and duct leakage testing, is often part of the rating.
The data gathered by the home energy rater is input into a computer program and translated into points. The home receives a point score between 1 to 100, depending on its relative efficiency. An estimate of the home’s energy costs is also provided. The home’s energy rating is then equated to a Star rating ranging from a 1 Star for a very inefficient home to a 5 Star for a highly efficient home. Along with the rating sheet, a homeowner receives a report listing cost-effective options for improving the home’s energy rating.

Five Star + + Extremely Efficient
Five Star Very Efficient
Four Star + + Efficient
Four Star Good
Three Star + + Above Average
Three Star Average
Two Star + + Below Average
Two Star Fair One Star + + Poor
One Star Extremely Poor

Home Energy Ratings Are Valuable To The Housing Industry

One of the major differences between a home energy rating and an energy audit or weatherization assessment is that the rating is a recognized tool in the mortgage process. Home energy ratings are valuable to the housing industry and can be utilized in a variety of ways. The information derived from the home energy rating provides all of the information about home performance that is provided by an energy audit plus the economic analysis necessary to support lending decisions