RESO Joins New Home Energy Information Accelerator Program

MORRISVILLE, NC--(Marketwired - Jun 16, 2015) - Imagine being able to find out the energy-efficiency of a home for sale the same way a homebuyer can learn how many bedrooms it has through the local multiple-listing service.

That day may be coming. The realty industry's Real Estate Standards Organization, or RESO, is working to create such an "energy-transparent" shopping experience for consumers by teaming up with the U.S. Department of Energy's new Better Buildings Home Energy Information Accelerator Program.

"Today, it's virtually impossible to compare accurate energy costs and energy efficient features on every home listed for sale," said Jeremy Crawford, executive director of RESO, a nonprofit trade organization.

"RESO, along with key industry partners such as the Council of Multiple Listing Services and NAR's Green REsource Council, wants to work within the real estate industry to develop replicable, sustainable approaches that make energy-related information -- such as energy certifications and estimated annual energy usage -- easily available through the MLS and other reports," Crawford said.

RESO and CMLS were among the 32 partner organizations that announced the launch of the Better Buildings program from the White House at the end of May. The program supports President Obama's Climate Action Plan, with a goal to accelerate investment in residential energy-efficiency improvement projects across the country.

Under Secretary for Science and Energy Franklin Orr invited both Crawford and CMLS chief executive Denee Evans to attend the inaugural event.

"By improving the efficiency of buildings across the country, Better Buildings partners are saving money by saving energy, creating more sustainable communities, and helping to protect future generations from the impacts of climate change," Orr said. "Expanding the program to include water savings and the residential sector means that American families can be a part of this successful partnership that cuts costs and pollution."

As a cornerstone of the President's Climate Action Plan, Better Buildings aims to make commercial, public, industrial, and residential buildings 20 per cent more energy-efficient over the next decade. This will result in saving hundreds of billions of dollars on energy bills, reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, and creating thousands of jobs.

More information about the Better Buildings Initiative and how to become a partner can be found at http://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/

About RESO
The mission of the Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO) is to create and promote the adoption of standards that drive efficiency throughout the real estate industry. RESO incorporated in November 2011, as an independent, not-for-profit trade organization that was previously a section of the National Association of REALTORS®. The RESO has more than 150 active members, including NAR, multiple-listing services, real estate associations, brokerages and industry technology providers. For more information, visit www.reso.org.