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Iowa City staff reports HERS grant outcomes and commissions debate Pearl energy rating pilot
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Summary
Staff reported the HERS grant program has supported 11 builders and 39 properties and estimated a roughly $7 saved per $1 invested over five years; commissioners discussed Pearl home‑energy ratings, raised transparency concerns, and considered piloting an energy navigator to help residents document improvements and register solar arrays.
City staff updated the commission on several related energy-efficiency programs and a private rating tool under consideration. Staff reported that the city’s HERS grant program has awarded incentives to 11 builders covering 39 properties so far; using certificate‑reported annual energy savings extrapolated over five years, staff calculated about $7 in energy savings per $1 the city spent in the first five years of occupancy.
Staff recommended retaining the current HERS threshold of 52 for the program while participation levels are still growing; the commission asked staff to re-evaluate the threshold once participation reached roughly 50 percent. Commissioners noted at least one builder initially failed to meet the score, then implemented changes and subsequently achieved it, which staff said is a program strength because it helps builders learn to deliver higher performance.
Separately, staff recapped a recent presentation about Pearl, a private home-energy rating product that realtors have raised as a marketing tool. Several commissioners raised concerns about Pearl’s proprietary scoring and called out a lack of transparency. "I think that lack of transparency was concerning to me too," one commissioner said. Tom Martinez, who identified himself as a Greater Iowa City Chamber workforce‑development staffer, offered to review Pearl’s 25‑page methodology white paper and share findings with staff.
Rather than immediately endorsing a private rating, staff proposed testing an energy navigator model: hire or contract an individual to help residents collect documentation, upload data to rating tools, register solar installations so they appear in appraisals, and provide one-on-one guidance. Commissioners expressed support for a small pilot and asked staff to report costs and competitor options before pursuing a broader program. The commission did not make a funding commitment during the meeting.
