CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – April 30, 2021 – Pearl Certification, a national provider of third-party certification of high-performing homes and the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), creator of the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index, announced today that they are extending and expanding their partnership. The two organizations will continue to work together to raise awareness among homeowners and homebuyers about the value of energy-efficient, high-performing homes.
Pearl Certification and RESNET, which have collaborated since 2018, will continue to work together to help homeowners understand how to increase their homes’ energy efficiency, reduce their utility bills, conserve resources — and capture the value of their high-performing home investments when they sell.
In select markets, Pearl will generate a Pearl Certification for homes that have had HERS Index Scores uploaded to the RESNET National Registry. Pearl has three certification levels — Silver, Gold, and Platinum — that vary based on the home’s energy conservation code and the presence of ENERGY STAR® heating and cooling systems, appliances, HVAC systems, water heating, and other smart devices.
The owners of these homes will be contacted and informed of the joint designation of their homes. They will have the opportunity to get a full Pearl-HERS Certification report. Those who plan to put their home on market will receive support to help ensure that they capture the value of their efficient homes, including, if necessary, connections to trained real estate agents who have expertise in marketing energy-efficient and Pearl Certified homes.
“Through this partnership, we’ll be providing homeowners with a powerful new marketing tool that will allow them to sell their homes faster and for more money than homes without energy-efficient designations,” said Pearl Certification CEO Cynthia Adams. “We know that when marketed properly, Pearl Certified homes can command a sales premium.”
By pooling resources, RESNET and Pearl hope to enhance the visibility of their brands in the market and reduce confusion about certifications by demonstrating how different rating systems can serve a complementary purpose.
“Our efforts to create a joint designation will give homeowners a truly comprehensive look at how well their home performs,” explained Steve Baden, RESNET’s Executive Director.
Through their combined efforts, Pearl and RESNET plan to educate a range of residential real estate professionals about the value of their certifications. Pearl, for example, may (with a homeowner’s consent) provide information about Pearl-HERS certified homes to home improvement contractors to enable those professionals to understand the high-performing features already in the home and to make additional improvements. Pearl certification data may also be included in RESNET’s appraiser registry, allowing residential real estate appraisers in the Phoenix housing market to undertake their own market analysis on those homes.
About RESNET
The Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) was founded in 1995 as an independent, nonprofit organization committed to helping homeowners reduce the cost of their utility bills by making their homes more energy efficient. RESNET is responsible for creating the national training and certification standards for HERS Raters, which is recognized by federal government agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. mortgage industry. For more information, visit www.resnet.us.
About Pearl Certification
Pearl Certification is a national firm that provides third-party certification of high-performing homes: homes with “performance assets” that make them healthy, safe, comfortable, and energy- and water-efficient. Pearl Certification was accepted into the prestigious National Association of Realtors Reach Accelerator program in 2017.
