RESNET and Hoosier Energy have entered into an agreement to inform consumers of the benefits of energy efficient homes by marketing the RESNET HERS® Index Score for newly constructed homes. All builders participating in the Hoosier Energy’s Touchstone Energy Home Program will have all of their homes energy rated according to RESNET standards and market their homes’ HERS® Index through the partnership. Hoosier Energy is a generation and transmission cooperative providing wholesale electric power and services to 18 member distribution cooperatives in central and southern Indiana and southeastern Illinois. The member distribution cooperatives are: Bartholomew County REMC Clark County REMC Daviess-Martin County REMC Decatur County REMC Dubois REC, Inc. Harrison REMC Henry County REMC Jackson County REMC Johnson County REMC Orange County REMC RushShelby Energy South Central Indiana REMC Southeastern Indiana REMC Southern Indiana Power Utilities District of Western Indiana REMC Wayne-White Counties Electric Coop Whitewater Valley WIN Energy The Touchstone Energy Home Program offers incentives to residential builders and co-op consumers to construct new homes that are significantly more efficient than standard homes. The program includes builder training and specifies energy efficiency standards that homes must meet to achieve certification. Compared to a standard home, a Touchstone Energy Home costs approximately $1 per square foot more to build but are on average 25% more efficient than an Energy Star home. Fifteen of Hoosier Energy’s 18 member cooperatives participate in the Touchstone Energy Home Program. To date Hoosier Energy’s Touchstone Energy Program has certified 184 homes. In order to be designated as a RESNET Energy Smart Program a program must require that a builder has all of the homes participating in the program are energy rated and that the builder markets the homes’ HERS® Index Score. Besides Green Built North Carolina, Louisville Gas & Electric, Blue Grass Energy, Kentucky Utility, ecoHome and Green Built North Carolina have been designated as RESNET Energy Smart Programs. If you have a program that you would like to be considered for designation as a RESNET Energy Smart Program e-mail Steve Baden at sbaden@resnet.us
