HERS Demand Increases in 2013

70% more homes received HERS (Home Energy Rating System) ratings in the US in 2013 than 2012! The number of homes rated grew to 218,000 from 128,000 in 2012. The chart below shows the number of ratings by year since 2008. The sharp increase in ratings in 2013 is likely attributable to the recovery of the construction industry as a whole since the recession which began in 2008 and the increased importance of HERS Ratings in codes, incentives and property listings.

HERS ratings chart

HERS Ratings by State

The state with the most HERS ratings in 2013 was Texas by far, with more than 45,000. Florida was next with more than 23,000 and North Carolina rounded out the top 3 with about 14,000. The state with the most ratings per capita was Delaware, with Colorado a close second. Idaho was the only state with no ratings and Hawaii had only 1.

Improvement in HERS Scores

The average score in 2013 was an impressive 64, indicating a 36% improvement in energy efficiency compared with a typical new home from 2006. The states with the lowest average HERS scores were South Dakota and Vermont, both with 53. Hawaii actually had a lower average but only a single house was rated, which received a score of 18. For the original post from RESNET, the administrator of HERS click here. Ekotrope is one of 3 HERS Rating tools.