RESNET® Accredited Software Providers Energy Gauge, Ekotrope, and REM/Rate each support the RESNET® Carbon Index in their respective software. RESNET® Accredited Software Provider Energy Gauge’s Version 7.5 includes the RESNET® Carbon Index and has been available since November 2022. A CO2e report is included on the EnergyGauge HERS® Rating Certificate. RESNET® Accredited Software Provider REM/Rate® software also supports the RESNET® Carbon Index. It can be found in version 16.3.4 of their software. RESNET® Accredited Software Ekotrope recently announced that the RESNET® Carbon Index is now available in Ekotrope RATER in a beta version so that users can get Carbon Indexes for their projects. The RESNET® Carbon Index, introduced earlier this year, shows the climate change impact of a home relative to a reference home which is very similar to the HERS® reference home. The RESNET® Carbon Index provides a more accurate metric to measure emissions and addresses when energy is used in a home and how much can be reduced. The RESNET® Carbon Index is based on ANSI/RESNET®/ICC 301 2022 Addendum B CO2e Rating Index, developed in cooperation with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE), the California Energy Commission (CEC), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The RESNET® Carbon Index could be used for: • Local, state, and national climate change initiatives • Utility residential load-shifting programs • Utility incentive program • Consumer awareness; to factor decarbonization into the decision to purchase or upgrade a home • Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting • A basis for green bonds • Another metric for builders to attract home buyers concerned with sustainability Since the only change from a HERS® Index Rating and a RESNET® Carbon Rating is in how the software calculates the carbon production from the energy use of a home, there is no need for additional training for certified RESNET® HERS® Raters to produce RESNET® Carbon Ratings. HERS® raters can now begin producing the RESNET® Carbon Rating through all three RESNET® accredited software programs. For more information on the RESNET® Carbon Index, visit https://www.resnet.us/about/resnet-carbon-rating-index/
