Local Home Inspection, Audit, and Rating Services in Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Windsor, Estes Park, Boulder, Longmont, Larimer, and Weld 970-430-1819 Home Energy Ratings Most home energy ratings are performed on new homes to determine if they meet specific requirements for the mortgage industry, ENERGY STAR, or Energy Code compliance. Energy audits are typically performed on existing homes. Home energy ratings provide a standard measurement of a home's energy efficiency. . Homeowners who want to upgrade the home's energy efficiency can use the energy rating or audit to evaluate and pinpoint specific, cost-effective improvements. An energy rating allows a  new homebuyer to easily compare the energy performance of the new homes being considered. Similar to an MPG sticker on a new car. Below is a sample Home Energy Rating Certificate. A home energy rater reviews the home to identify 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. Performance testing, such as a blower door test for air leakage and duct leakage, is usually part of the rating. The data gathered by the home energy rater is entered into a RESNET accredited computer program like REMRATE and translated into rating score. The home receives a score that compares the home to the 2006 IECC energy code. A home that matches the 2006 energy code will have a score of 100. A home that is 10% more efficient than the 2006 energy code will recieve a HER score of 90. So a lower  score is better. An estimate of the home's energy costs is also provided in the report. The home's energy rating is then equated to a Star rating ranging from one star for a very inefficient home to five stars for a highly efficient home. ENERGYSTAR for New Homes To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2006 International Residential Code (IRC)ENERGY STAR Label, and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20-30% more efficient than standard homes. This label identifies a home as having earned the ENERGY STAR. And with homebuyers increasingly interested in green building, energy efficiency is the place to start. That's because the energy used in homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and risks of global warming. So, the less energy used, the less air pollution generated. And the easy way to make sure a new home is energy efficient is to look for the blue ENERGY STAR mark, the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency. Any home three stories or less can earn the ENERGY STAR label if it has been verified to meet EPA's guidelines, including: single family, attached, and low-rise multi-family homes; manufactured homes; systems-built homes (e.g., SIP, ICF, or modular construction); log homes, concrete homes; and even existing retrofitted homes. ENERGY STAR qualified homes can include a variety of 'tried-and-true' energy-efficient features that contribute to improved home quality and homeowner comfort, and to lower energy demand and reduced air pollution