The number of homes that received a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index Score in 2021 continued to break records, reports the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET).
Last year, there were 313,153 homes HERS rated in the country, pushing the total number of homes rated in the U.S. to date to over 3.3 million. The previous record from 2020 was 299,775 homes rated.
“Home builders are increasingly seeing energy efficiency as a major selling point for buying a new home,” says Steve Baden, RESNET executive director. “To take advantage of this opportunity, builders across the nation are presenting their homes' energy performance in a way that every home buyer can understand, the home's HERS Index Score. I expect that this trend will continue.”
The 10 leading states in terms of homes receiving a HERS Index Score were:
The average HERS Index Score in 2021 was 58. “This is 42% more efficient than homes built as recently as 2006 and 72% more efficient than a typical home built in the 1970s,” continues Baden.
The top states with the lowest average HERS Index Scores were:
It is calculated that the 2021 HERS-rated homes will net over $227 million in annual energy bill savings, as compared with the HERS reference home. In addition, homes that were HERS rated in 2021 will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 1.24 million tons annually.
“RESNET, however, is not content with the current market share of homes that are HERS rated,” says Baden. “In 2022, RESNET is launching its initiatives that will include increasing the demand for HERS raters services through new opportunities in energy code compliance, water efficiency rating, and rating the installation of HVAC systems.”
