On July 29th, the Building Performance Institute (BPI) announced that its most recent Standard Requirements for a Certificate of Completion for Residential Energy Efficiency Upgrades is complete and will soon be published as a BPI standard. BPI develops guidelines to promote energy efficiency in buildings. This specific upgrade to BPI’s standards targets the real estate sales process.
When you look to buy a new home, the first things your real estate agent will most likely show you are the authentic granite countertops, the versatile office space, and the walk-in closet. What they often fail to mention is an accurate valuation of energy efficiency in your potential new home. BPI’s goal for the most recent standard is to regulate the way that energy efficiency improvements are represented.
These new guidelines identify a standard set of information certificates that document the completion of a whole-house energy upgrade or individual energy conservation measures in existing homes. The certificate documents all of the energy conserving measures taken in a home, or the lack thereof. This way, you will know the complete history of a home’s recent energy upgrades.
The whole idea behind these certificates is for the real estate professionals to be able to provide you with credible information, along with helping to assess the home’s value. Universal criteria simplify comparing energy savings. The certificate must meet the standards set by BPI; all certificates will present the same fields of information about each home, completed to accurately represent the home’s energy efficiency.
If you are looking to sell your home, you should first acquire a certificate for a home, through home energy upgrade programs or by any nationally recognized third-party quality assurance program for inclusion. If you are starting or are in the middle of the re-sale process, look into getting a certificate to validate your home’s energy standard. Don’t worry if your home energy efficiency is low—it’s never too late to install new insulation and air seal your home.
Not only will insulating and air sealing your home make it more comfortable and desirable, but it also makes your home more appealing when evaluated by BPI’s new certificate. Boosting the energy efficiency in your home raises your home’s value.
BPI’s new standards aim to eliminate any transparency in the real estate, appraisal, and energy efficiency programs by issuing a common certificate. These national standards ensure that the home performance and weatherization companies obey top quality, consistent protocols. With a universal certificate format, you can easily compare energy efficiency between homes. Make sure your home performs well when it is put under the eyes of this new certificate.
