OptiMiser Software Meets the Following Compliance Standards and Certifications
BESTEST
The Building Energy Simulation Test (BESTEST) is a method for evaluating the credibility of software used to model energy use in buildings. The method provides the technical foundation for "certification of the technical accuracy of building energy analysis tools used to determine energy efficiency ratings," as called for in the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
DOE Weatherization Assistance Program
The DOE evaluates and approves modeling tools for use the state weatherization assitance programs (WAP). OptiMiser has been approved and is in-use supporting WAP.
BPI-2100: Standard for Home Performance-Related Data Transfer
(Also referred to as Home Performance XML, or the HPXML standard) This standard provides requirements for an extensible mark-up language (XML) standard data transfer protocol that can be used to transfer home performance-related data between any party involved in a home performance program, including contractors, program administrators, utilities, federal agencies, etc. OptiMiser is one of the industry leaders in implementing this standard.
BPI-2200: Standard for Home Performance-Related Data Collection
This standard is designed to facilitate the exchange of information and data among all actors in the home performance industry by providing a standard vocabulary for describing terms related to buildings, energy consumption, and energy conservation measures. Each of the data elements defined in BPI-2200 can be transferred via HPXML.
BPI-2400: Energy Model Calibration to Historical Usage
BPI-2400 standardizes the process for calibrating pre-retrofit energy models to historical utility bills. Historical usage is the best source of information available when future usage. As such, calibration is a critical process for any program or business that relies on whole-home energy savings. OptiMiser has been a leader in the building performance industry on bill calibration and residential energy modeling. The OptiMiser residential modeling platform was the first to put into practice BPI-2400 and remains one of the few to fully comply with the standard. Read more about utility bill calibration in OptiMiser here.
BPI-2101: Standard Requirements for a Certificate of Completion for Whole-House Energy Efficiency Upgrades
OptiMiser can meet the needs of programs that need to produce a certificate of completion for whole-house energy effiency upgrades. This standard defines data elements for certificates that document the completion of a whole-house energy upgrade (HEU) or individual energy conservation measures (ECMs) in existing homes. A certificate that complies with the requirements of this standard can be issued to homeowners by home energy upgrade programs or by entities implementing nationally recognized third-party quality assurance programs for inclusion in Multiple Listing Service (MLS) databases during the home re-sale process.
Qualified Home Energy Score API Provider
The Home Energy Score is designed to provide a rapid low-cost opportunity assessment of a home’s fixed energy systems (also known as an “asset rating”) and provide the home owner with general feedback on the systems that potentially need more detailed attention from certified home performance diagnostics and weatherization professionals. OptiMiser has integrated this DOE-approved method for collecting and processing inputs on various types of regional heating fuels in a way that makes them accessible to HEScore format. Fully integrates with HPwES requirements.
Green Button
The Green Button is a secure way to get energy usage data electronically. OptiMiser software complies with the requirements to use Green Button data and support direct utility connections and via third-party providers like UtilityAPI.
NYSERDA approved for HPwES (legacy)
OptiMiser software was approved for full submission of NYSERDA-qualified home improvements. The addition of OptiMiser to the NY State program made it easier for contractors to sell jobs and perform energy efficiency work in New York. In addition, the software lightened the burden of legacy data and compliance from the shoulders of contractors. OptiMiser is designed to jump through as many of the regulatory hoops as possible for contractors, while also offering homeowner-friendly reports, integration with systems such as SalesForce, tablet support, and automated QA. NYSERDA ended their building energy modeling workflow.
CalTEST (legacy)
OptiMiser is CalTEST approved for calibrated and uncalibrated modeling. California regulators worked to open up the market for energy audit software, developing a first-of-its-kind, empirically based accuracy test (CalTEST) and long term savings realization tracking system (CalTRACK). OptiMiser worked closely with key stakeholders, providing our industry leading expertise, as they worked to develop these new systems. California shifted away from the CalTRACK system.