What is the EMPRESS Project

The Energy Metrics to Promote Residential Energy Scorecards in States (EMPRESS) is a State Energy Office-led project, supported by funding from the U.S. State Energy Program of the U.S. Department of Energy and private sector partners. The states’ objective in undertaking the project is to advance large-scale home energy labeling, and harmonize various energy scoring programs to better support the market valuation of energy efficient homes. The EMPRESS project is led by the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, and includes as project partners the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, the Missouri Division of Energy, the Arkansas Energy Office, the Oregon Department of Energy, the National Association of State Energy Officials, Earth Advantage, Energy Futures Group, and Vermont Energy Investment Corporation.

How to use this website

1. Start with the the "Energy Labeling" section

This section is the home of the EMPRESS Guidebook and Key Labeling Components. It also provides an overview of home energy labeling and its benefits. If you are a local or state official, the EMPRESS Guidebook provides detailed recommendations for establishing a home energy labeling program in your jurisdiction.

2. Review the Guidebook and Key Labeling Components Documents

The Guidebook and Key Labeling Components document can also be found in the "Energy Labeling" section of this website. 

3. Consider Mandatory vs. Voluntary Approaches

Determine if a mandatory or voluntary approach is right for your jurisdiction after reviewing the benefits and potential challenges of each approach. 

4. Explore the case studies to see examples of approaches from other states and cities around the U.S.

The EMPRESS team examined efforts by 12 jurisdictions and wrote short case studies of each. The "Case Studies" section also includes sample legislation and ordinances, as well as sample labels

5. Explore background material and additional resources

The "Resources" section contains additional information related to connecting with Real Estate Multiple Listing Services (MLSs), Home Energy Labeling Tools, Home Energy Score, Home Energy Rating System, Privacy Concerns, and other resources, including key stakeholders, energy codes, and local energy planning. 


Watch the EMPRESS Webinar

The EMPRESS team hosted a webinar on the project on November 1, 2018 from 2:00-3:00pm ET. To view the recording, please register here. To view the slide deck, please click here.

If you would prefer to download the entire completed report, click here

If you have additional questions, please contact Ed Carley.