Background
This case study highlights Pearl Certification’s efforts to support public sector energy efficiency and climate initiatives in Charlottesville, VA, Albemarle County and across the state of Virginia. Pearl Certification, a leading provider of third-party certifications for new and existing homes, has made significant strides in empowering homeowners to capture the value of the efficiency upgrades they’ve made in the form of increased home equity. By increasing the demand for high-performing homes, Pearl is creating a template in Charlottesville for sustainable, long-term market transformation of the residential housing market.
State & Local Vision for the Future
The City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the State of Virginia have established energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and climate-related goals. In October of 2020 and in November 2022, Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville published their respective Climate Action Plans. The plans lay out a strategic framework for how both the city and county can reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and highlight the importance of energy-efficient buildings in meeting this goal. The 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) also includes a goal of 100% zero-carbon energy generation by 2050 while also recognizing the important role of energy efficiency.
The $188M allocated to Virginia through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) represents a massive opportunity to realize these statewide and local goals by providing rebates to Virginia homeowners to help them reduce their energy usage. A key element to the long-term success of the IRA in transforming the market for high-performing homes in Virginia and nationwide is establishing the connection between energy efficiency and home value, as enabled through third-party certification. Pearl Certification is actively engaging 3 real estate agents, 2 builders, 2 contractors, and 1 appraiser in Charlottesville to support the local high-performing homes market in support of state and local climate goals.
