Residential
Energy Code
of Alabama

Getting information on the relative energy efficiency of washers, dryers, heating systems, computers and cars is easy for a consumer - just check the U.S. Department of Energy/EPA 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 have no similar reference they can turn to. 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 home owner 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, such as 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. Diagnostic testing, such as the use of blower door equipment to measure building shell and duct leakage is part of the rating.

The data gathered by the home energy rater is inputted into a computer program and translated into points based upon national consensus developed by the U.S. Department of Energy and adopted by the national mortgage industry. 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 home owner 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

One of the major differences between a home energy rating and a 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 national mortgage industry in conjunction with the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) and the National Association of State Energy Officials have adopted the Mortgage Industry National Home Energy Rating System Accreditation Standard. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have adopted the national accreditation standard for its energy mortgage programs. In order to be accredited operating home energy rating programs must be evaluated by the respective state energy office and a mortgage industry review committee.

Besides qualifying more buyers through energy efficient mortgage incentives, home energy ratings offer a great opportunity for a builder to document energy code compliance.

Click on Certified Alabama Home Energy Raters for a listing of certified home energy raters in Alabama.