Renew Missouri Announces Partnership on Home Energy Efficiency

Renew Missouri and Pearl Certification Announce New Partnership

Renew Missouri and Pearl Certification are excited to announce their new partnership and the launch of Renew Missouri Homes.

Renew Missouri, a 501(c)(3) focusing on clean energy policy, believes energy efficiency makes a home more valuable and that it should be a selling point in the real estate market. In collaboration with Pearl Certification, the national high-performing home standard, the comprehensive Renew Missouri Homes program will:

  • Help homeowners find contractors who can improve the quality of their homes.
  • Certify homes with an official Missouri Certification if they meet the program's energy-efficiency standards.
  • Make homes with Missouri Certification available on the Green Building Registry, an online registry to support proper valuation of high-performing homes.
  • Provide homeowners with a Pearl Certification Report that includes the Department of Energy's Home Energy Score at time of sale.

Every time a homeowner invests in energy efficiency, value is added. "The benefits of reducing a customer's demand has focused on environmental and immediate economic benefits,'' said Renew Missouri Executive Director James Owen. "Our state has been successful in pursuing energy efficiency under the goals of reducing carbon emission while lowering utility bills. But efficiency can do so much more. It should allow you to say: 'We have made lasting investments into this property that will improve the home's overall worth and make it attractive to buyers.'"

According to Pearl's President and Co-founder Robin LeBaron, Renew Missouri and Pearl will create a market infrastructure for improving Missouri homes and ensuring they are properly valued. "Through the Renew Missouri Homes program, we will recruit high-quality contractors to make improvements in homes, certify homes that meet the Missouri Certification standards, and train real estate agents and appraisers on how to use the Missouri Certification to market and value the home." 

Homes that meet high-performance standards will be listed on the Green Building Registry, a national registry for homes with green and home performance features. Renew Missouri and Pearl are exploring ways to coordinate the Missouri program with rebates offered by the state's leading electric utilities. "Our state's utilities have embraced the benefits of reducing customer demand," said Owen. "A lot of that is thanks to utilities and regulators listening to Renew Missouri and taking action." Owen also noted the partnership is working with the state's Department of Natural Resources - Division of Energy and municipalities, such as St. Louis and Kansas City, that are developing ordinances on building labeling.

When fully developed, the Renew Missouri Homes program will share space online with Renew Missouri's current website - www.mosaves.com - that helps customers find energy-efficiency programs by zip code. 

About Renew Missouri: Renew Missouri, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, advocates for clean energy policies that will benefit all Missourians. In support of renewable and energy-efficiency interests, the organization presents to the Public Service Commission, the Missouri Legislature, and county and city offices to advance energy policy and legislation. www.renewmo.org

About Pearl: Pearl Certification is a national firm that qualifies an elite network of home service professionals and certifies high-performing homes. They enable home sellers to capture the value of their investments and buyers to find the homes they want. www.pearlcertification.com

Press Contact
James Owen
417-496-1924
james@renewmo.org 

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Source: Pearl Certification