The EnergySmart Home Scale (E-Scale) is a standard applied to homes in the USA that meet the

Builders Challenge The Builders Challenge''is a high-performance housing recognition initiative led by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy through its Building Technologies Program.https://www.energy.gov/5985.htm The ...

program requirements. The E-Scale visually shows the energy performance of the labeled home. Homes need to score a 70 or less on the E-Scale to qualify for the Builders Challenge. The E-Scale is based on the 2004

International Energy Conservation Code The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) is a building code created by the International Code Council in 2000. It is a model code adopted by many states and municipal governments in the United States The United States of America (U ...

, with a 100 equating to a code built home. A home that scores a 70 on the E-Scale is 30% more energy efficient than a code built home. The E-Scale allows for an easy comparison between homes, very similar to a MPG sticker for a car but for a home. Homes meeting the Challenge will receive an E-Scale with a Sunburst displaying the E-Scale rating of the home, enabling home buyers to easily compare the energy performance of homes. The E-Scale ends at zero, which equates to the Builders Challenge goal to provide a “

net zero Carbon neutrality is a state of net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. This can be achieved by balancing emissions of carbon dioxide with its removal (often through carbon offsetting) or by eliminating emissions from society (the transition to the " ...

energy home (NZEH) anywhere in the United States - a grid-connected home that, over the course of a year, produces as much energy as it uses” The

program and E-Scale requirements are based on years of research results from the

United States Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and manages the research and development of nuclear power and nuclear weapons in the United Stat ...

’s Building America program. Building America research “is expected to achieve cost-neutral Net-Zero Energy Homes by 2020. "Cost-neutral" means that the added first costs of system enhancements (when amortized over a 30-year period) are equal to the monthly energy cost savings that result from these enhancements. While the Building America program develops and field-tests the technologies needed to cost-effectively move to higher levels of efficiency, the Builders Challenge will promote the implementation of proven strategies that builders can implement in any climate region.” http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/challenge/initiative_goals.html

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See also