Real estate professionals
Review the information below to help make the Home Energy Score process as seamless as possible for your clients.
Which home sellers need to comply?
Most homes advertised in Portland will require a Home Energy Score at the time they are listed for sale.
Review the criteria for who needs a Home Energy Score
Find a Home Energy Score
As soon as the Home Energy Assessor uploads the data points into the modeling software, the report will be available on the Green Building Registry.
Look up a Home Energy Score and Report
How to disclose a Home Energy Score
The Home Energy Report should be easily available and accessible to any prospective buyer.
- It must be included in any listing or public advertising and include the Score and a link to the Report.
- Place printed copies of the Report in an accessible and central location in the home where buyers will see it, such as the kitchen counter or dining room table.
Including Home Energy Score information on RMLS
RMLS subscribers can populate Home Energy Scores and Report URLs directly into listings using a quick and easy feature to ensure that both the Score and Report URL can be seen by the general public. Follow the step-by-step instructions or watch the video on this page to learn how to use this feature:
***Adding a Report as a document or only including it in subscriber-restricted areas of RMLS does not allow the Score and Report URL to be visible to the general public and does not meet the disclosure requirements.***
Training resources
Online trainingis available through Earth Advantage and approved for continuing education units. The course costs $10 and a printable course completion certificate is provided at the end of the training.
Builders
New homes
When a builder is getting ready to sell a new home, they should work with an authorized Home Energy Assessor to produce a Home Energy Score and Report prior to listing. We recommend contacting a couple of Assessors to find scheduling and pricing options that best meet your needs.
The Home Energy Assessment occurs on-site and takes about 45 minutes to an hour to complete. The Assessor will gather information about the home's envelope (foundation, insulation, walls, windows) as well as its heating, cooling and hot water systems.
Pre-construction homes
If a home is advertised for sale before it is fully constructed, it still requires a Home Energy Score. The Score must be completed by a Pre-construction Certified Assessor. These assessors are included in the regular list of authorized Home Energy Assessors and identified with an asterisk. The Home Energy Score is generated based on design specifications and does not require an on-site inspection. The Report will note that it is a "pre-construction" assessment.
Energy Trust of Oregon EPS™ homes
Builders of high-performance homes through the Energy Trust of Oregon need a Home Energy Score when the home is listed for sale. Some EPS verifiers can also produce Home Energy Scores. Check with your verifier to find out if they offer this streamlined service.
Become a Home Energy Assessor
The City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) is working with Earth Advantage, to support a robust, fair, and open market for home energy assessors. BPS is committed to workforce diversity and to advancing opportunities for historically disadvantaged and underrepresented communities in its work. Though BPS has not mandated workforce diversity targets for the City of Portland Home Energy Score, BPS will be working with its partners to create increased opportunities for diverse and historically underrepresented communities in the field of home energy assessment.
“By providing the Home Energy Score, you can supply customers with reliable home energy information to help them save money on energy bills and live more comfortably in their homes. If you are an energy auditor, home inspector, or another type of residential energy professional, you can become a Home Energy Score Assessor.” — US Department of Energy