The Salt Lake City Deseret News recently featured a story on the HERS® Index, “How Energy Efficient is Your Home? Utah Moves to Energy Ratings Option”. The paper reported that “Utah is among only 10 states in the country where homebuilders may incorporate energy ratings in new construction, allowing would-be homebuyers to make a more educated decision about energy-efficient features that will shave utility costs.” The article explained RESNET’s HERS® Index. According to the paper, Utah adopted the Energy Rating Index option to their energy code as part of Utah Governor Gary Herbert’s Clean Air Action Team. Organized two years ago, the team identified moving to more energy-efficient building codes as one of the top ways the state could address its persistent air quality problem. The story stated, “With Utah’s population to nearly double by 2050, state air quality regulators predict homes will replace cars as the dominant source of pollution.” The paper also quoted several Salt Lake builders: Glenn Hoggan with Garbett Homes believes understanding the Home Energy Rating System Index is an educational process that will catch on with the public as it becomes more prevalent among homebuilders. “Consider it the miles per gallon for your home,” he said. “People can more easily understand energy efficiency if they think about the miles per gallon they can expect to get out of their home in terms of savings on utility bills.” James Jonsson of Ivory Homes — the state’s largest builder — is incorporating components of the index in some of its new housing stock. “Energy efficiency is a selling feature,” he said. The Salt Lake City Desert News is Utah’s oldest continuously published daily newspaper and has the largest Sunday circulation in the state. To down load the story, go to Utah Moves to Energy Ratings Option
