The Portland Home Energy Score (HES) Ordinance took effect on January 1, 2018, enabling newly built homes that receive an EPSTM through Energy Trust of Oregon’s EPS New Construction offering to be eligible for a waiver under the ordinance. This waiver will no longer apply to homes listed for sale on or after January 1, 2020.
Energy Trust has added new functionality to AXIS that will enable the EPS New Construction program to produce a HES in AXIS. This upgrade aims to reduce data entry for verifiers planning to offer HES services to their builders as they adapt to new requirements in compliance with the HES ordinance.
Verification companies that plan to offer HES services must ensure that their modeling staff become authorized as HES assessors. Anyone who models or uploads an HES must be an authorized HES assessor.
The required steps to become an authorized HES assessor with the Portland HES program are detailed in the City of Portland’s Roadmap: Becoming an Authorized Portland Home Energy Score Program Assessor, and are listed here:
Step 1: Obtain and verify qualifying credentials
Step 2: Complete Home Energy Score Simulation training
Step 3: Obtain and verify home energy assessor CCB certificate
Step 4: Complete the home energy assessor participation agreement
Step 5: Attend mandatory orientation
Step 6: Obtain pre-construction assessor designation
Step 7: Successfully complete required mentoring session
Step 8: Authorization
Two in-person HES assessor orientations have been scheduled. The first occurred on October 16, and the next is on November 14. Interested parties should register for the November orientation.
Verifiers who intend to become an HES assessor, but are not already listed as a pre-construction HES assessor, should work to become an HES assessor as soon as possible. Many of the beginning steps take time and must be completed before attending the mandatory orientation.
Energy Trust will not require Home Energy Scores. Energy Trust simply provides an option for EPS verifiers and builders to use EPS systems to produce an HES for compliance with the city ordinance.
For additional information about the ordinance, visit the Portland HES website. If you have questions about the process for producing an HES in AXIS, email eps@energytrust.org or call 1.877.283.0698.