Are there similar requirements in other places?
Yes. Several other cities including Austin, Berkeley, Santa Fe, and Boulder have passed similar laws.
In 2015 the city of Portland passed the Commercial Building Energy Performance Reporting Ordinance which required energy scoring and tracking for commercial buildings greater than 50,000 square feet. In 2016 the threshold dropped to 20,000 square feet and encompased 80% of the commercial conditioned buildings in Portland.
In 2015 the city of Portland passed the Commercial Building Energy Performance Reporting Ordinance which required energy scoring and tracking for commercial buildings greater than 50,000 square feet. In 2016 the threshold dropped to 20,000 square feet and encompased 80% of the commercial conditioned buildings in Portland.
What does a Home Energy Score look at?
The Home Energy Score is based on the components of the home so you can use it to compare to another home. Some of the components include:
- Mechanicals: heating, hot water heating, cooling and ducting
- Envelope, windows, insulation, siding, roofing and foundations
- Attributes: local weather, number of stories, conditioned square footage, orientation and age
Enforcement
Any building owner or person who fails, omits, neglects, or refuses to comply with the provisions of this Chapter shall be subject to:
- Upon the first violation, the Director may issue a written warning notice to the entity or person, describing the violation and steps required to comply.
- If the violation is not remedied within 90 days after issue of written warning notice, the Director may assess a civil penalty of up to $500. For every subsequent 180-day period during which the violation continues, the Director may assess additional civil penalties of up to $500.
When will the energy score requirements take affect?
The proposed effective date for the policy is January 1, 2018. Rulemaking is proposed to begin in July, 2017.
What software is used for scoring?
The City of Portland allows the state to set the software allowed for Home Energy Scoring. Currently they accept:
- USDOE Home Energy Score Partner Software
- Energy Trust of Oregon Energy Performance Score for New Homes
- Energy Trust of Oregon Energy Performance score for Existing Homes
- Home Energy Rating System REM/Rate Architectural Energy Corporation