US Department of Energy Validates Open Source Approach for IRA HOMES Programs

Linux Foundation Energy (LF Energy) is pleased to announce that OpenEEmeter, a core component of the LF Energy OpenDSM project, has been named as the first – and currently only – solution to be approved by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for measured pathway software verification in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Home Efficiency Rebates (HOMES) Program. This HOMES Program requires that any solutions for measured pathway software verification be open source software, reinforcing the impact that open, collaborative solutions are having in demand-side energy management.

This approval establishes OpenEEmeter as a cornerstone for implementing the IRA's measured savings programs across the United States. By standardizing calculation methods for normalized metered energy consumption through open source software, state energy offices can now confidently implement performance-based efficiency incentives with full transparency and accountability. This will result in the cost of energy-saving retrofits of existing housing stock being reduced, which will both lower carbon emissions and save Americans money on their monthly energy bills.

OpenEEmeter's approval demonstrates the project’s high levels of effectiveness in ensuring transparency and standardization in energy efficiency programs. The software's open nature allows for:

• Public review and verification of measurement methods
• Community-driven improvements and innovations
• Consistent implementation across different platforms and programs
• Reduced barriers to entry for new market participants
• Enhanced trust in program outcomes

OpenEEmeter, initially developed by Recurve Analytics and contributed to LF Energy in 2019, has evolved through community contribution into a robust framework for measuring energy efficiency impacts.

OpenEEmeter is part of LF Energy OpenDSM, an open source library used to measure the impacts of demand-side programs by using historical data to fit models and then create predictions (counterfactuals) to compare to post-intervention, observed energy usage. OpenDSM hosts a suite of modules that work together to measure demand-side program impacts. Other modules include DRmeter for demand response, which creates short-term, building-level models with hourly resolution data, and GRIDmeter, which uses data from non-participating customers to correct model errors in energy efficiency and demand response measurements.

LF Energy | https://lfenergy.org/