Undersecretary of Energy Cathy Zoi drew similar comparisons  between the new Home Energy Score (HES) initiative  and the efficiency-rating system the U.S. Department of Transportation uses to grade vehicles. Qualified inspectors will examine the homes and enter their findings into an online program designed to do three things: (1) generate a ranking for the home on a one to 10 scale, (2) predict how much a home’s score could be improved if energy efficiency upgrades are made, and (3) calculate how much money homeowners will save by making the improvements.

Officials told the USATODAY that the new audits will be tested in nine communities before going national in summer 2011. They will cost less than half of what the current private audits cost now, which can sometimes top $350. After going through the audit, homeowners will be eligible for federally insured Power Saver loans of up to $25,000 for energy efficient upgrades. The loans will run under a two-year pilot program beginning in 2011, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that 24,000 households will qualify for an average loan of $12,500 during the two-year test run.

The loans will cover energy efficiency improvements such as duct sealing, insulation, doors and windows, water heaters, solar panels, geothermal systems and HVAC systems. Both the new energy audit system and Power Saver loans are part of the Obama administration’s attempt to improve home energy efficiency across the nation. The loans were born out of Vice President Joe Biden’s Middle Class Task Force intended to expand green job opportunities and energy efficiency nationwide. According to Vice President Biden, over 200,000 U.S. homes have already been retrofitted through the program.

A detailed audit system that shows homeowners cost savings could go a long way toward boosting that 200,000 figure. Earlier this month, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy issued a report saying that homeowners will trim their energy use only if they know how much energy they use, receive feedback on their consumption and are given incentives to cut back.

What does all this mean? Potentially huge savings — for homeowners and the nation as a whole. A few years back the consulting firm McKinsey estimated that energy efficiency measures could save the U.S. $1.2 trillion over the course of the coming decade.

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Going solar is an exciting decision to make, but you should take certain preliminary measures before you install a system. An energy audit is one of those measures and arguably the most important. Reducing your energy usage means that a solar energy system will offset a greater percentage of that usage: you’ll save more on electricity costs in the long run, and your home solar system will pay for itself more quickly. Some states even encourage energy audits by rewarding homeowners who do them with a higher solar rebate level.

The HERS rating is essentially a total analysis and diagnosis of how energy efficient a home’s construction plan is. What comes out of the HERS inspection is an index scoring, which is established by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET).

The index score (0-100) is given by comparing the inspected home to a HERS Reference Home: the HERS Reference Home has a score of 100 (least energy efficient), while a net-zero energy home has a score of 0. Each one point score reduction is equal to a one percent reduction in energy consumption compared to the reference home. For example, if a home receives a HERS score of 70, that means it is 30 percent more energy efficient than the HERS Reference Home.

An energy audit that gives your home a HERS rating is an important step to take before investing in a renewable energy system because once you receive your initial score, the auditor will work with you to make energy efficiency improvements–the lower your score after the improvements are made, the more energy efficient your house is and the better prepared you are for solar. And incidentally, a solar installation or other on-site power generation won’t reduce your HERS score.

To find out other steps you should take before going solar on your home or business, check out 5 Things To Do Before You Get Solar.

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So if you want your solar array to keep supplying as much of your electricity as possible, it’s important to make sure your home is energy efficient. How do you do this effectively? The best first step is to get a home energy audit. Sometimes free through local state or utility-sponsored programs, they never cost more than a couple hundred dollars and can save you thousands in the long run. A professional energy auditor can identify not just where air leaks occur and tell you if you need a new water heater (for instance), but can provide solutions on both the small and large-scale investment levels. If you need new appliances or HVAC components, they can even help you figure out which ones might be eligible for state rebates.

Many states offer free energy conservation resources. Here’s a few major ones on the East coast:

• Massachusetts: Mass Energy Consumers Alliance
• New York: NYSERDA’s Get Energy Smart program
• New Jersey: Clean Energy program, which offers $125 energy audits

So if you have a solar installation in New Jersey or anywhere in the New England area, get started with a home energy audit to make sure you’re getting the most out of solar.

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