May 26, 2010

By Amy Kuntz (Projectline Services) This is an example of a Hohm Score, provided by a free online Microsoft service, that estimates a home's energy use and compares it to others.

This is an example of a Hohm Score, provided by a free online Microsoft service, that estimates a home’s energy use and compares it to others.

More than 60 million U.S. homeowners, by simply typing in their address, can now see how their energy efficiency compares with others in their neighborhood or state.

Microsoft Hohm, a free online service that gives tips on how to boost home efficiency, announced Wednesday a new feature that scores homes nationwide. Its estimates are based on public information about a home’s size, age and location and other data on an area’s typical weather and utility bills. 

By Hohm Score Homes in Honolulu are the most efficient, followed by those in several cities in California and on the East Coast, according to Microsoft's Hohm Score,

Homes in Honolulu are the most efficient, followed by those in several cities in California and on the East Coast, according to Microsoft’s Hohm Score,

“The big deal here is that we built the Hohm Score to answer a simple question: Am I an energy hog or an energy miser?” Troy Batterberry, Hohm Score’s general manager, says in the announcement. 

This new tool comes as companies increasingly compete in the home energy market, either by offering smart meters that connect a home’s appliances or — like Hohm and Google’s PowerMeter — online services. 

Which states have the most and least efficient homes? 

The average Hohm Score is 61, based on a 1-100 scale. Homes in Hawaii top the list, with an 81, followed by those in Delaware and Maryland (each 70), District of Columbia (68) and New Jersey (67.) 

The lowest score went to homes in Texas, Tennessee and Nevada, each with a score of 51, followed by those in Oklahoma (52) and Arkansas (53.) 

The scores are estimates unless a homeowner inputs more detailed information, which allows Hohm to provide customized tips for conserving energy such as caulking windows or adding insulation. 

Consumers can automatically link their energy bills to a private Hohm page if they’re served by these utilities: Seattle City Light, Sacramento (Calif.) Municipal Utility District, and Xcel Energy (eight states in the Midwest and West.) 

“Someone could easily save $200, $300, $400 a year just by taking advantage of some of the more basic recommendations we offer you with Hohm,” Batterberry says in the announcement. 

Hohm charges nothing for its reports, but it may at some point start charging contractors for consumer referrals and utilities for its software, Marja Koopmans told Green House in a March interview. Koopmans is general manager of marketing for Microsoft’s start-up business group, which includes Hohm.

Consumers will soon be able to replace the most common light bulb in U.S. households, the 60-watt incandescent, with an ultra-efficient LED, according to manufacturer Royal Philips Electronics.

This new 12-watt Philips LED light bulb, available to consumers later this year, will be able to replace 60-watt incandescents, the most commonly used light bulb in U.S. households.

CAPTION

By Royal Philips Electronics

The company unveiled its new LED at the Lightfair International trade show in Las Vegas, just two days after Home Depot announced it’s begun selling a $20 LED replacement for the 40-watt incandescent.

As incandescents begin their Congress-mandated phaseout in 2012, companies are scurrying to develop and market more efficient replacements.

Philips says its 12-watt Endura light bulb is the industry’s first to replace its century-old predecessor. The company says the LED delivers the same soft white light and dimmability but uses 80% less energy and lasts 25 times longer. The LED will be available to consumers later this year, likely in December, but its price hasn’t been finalized.

More than 425 million 60-watt incandescents are sold each in the United States, representing half the domestic incandescent market, according to Philips. The company estimates its new LED has the potential to save 32.6 terawatt-hours of electricity each year — enough to power the lights of 14% of U.S. households.