State energy offices, municipalities, and utilities invest billions of taxpayer and ratepayer dollars each year through efficiency rebates, weatherization, electrification, and the federal Home Energy Rebate programs. However, evidence of these upgrades has traditionally been buried in rebate files and program records, invisible to the housing market when a home is sold, appraised, or refinanced. Starting today, Pearl solves this problem by making its national registry free for these programs, ensuring every improvement is independently verified and recorded in the home's profile.
Pearl's registry, which assigns a Pearl SCORE™ to each home, preserves a permanent record that stays with the property through every sale. Since 2019, Pearl has provided certification services to public programs, most recently to state energy offices in connection with the Home Efficiency Rebates (HER) Program, which requires third-party certification to confirm publicly funded upgrades are completed and documented. Pearl now provides that certification at no cost for this and other public programs.
For homeowners in these programs, the benefit extends further: free access to Pearl's homeowner tools to track their home's performance over time, document new improvements, and keep the record on hand for resale, refinancing, and appraisal. Pearl's revenue model has shifted from charging fees for home certification to charging for products that serve the home transaction—for buyers, sellers, and their agents. Pearl had already dropped those fees for homeowners and, with this announcement, extends the same terms to public programs.
“Our $50 trillion housing market has a blind spot,” said Cynthia Adams, CEO of Pearl. “Give someone a car’s VIN, and they can tell you its engine, its fuel type, and its mileage. Give them a home’s address, and they can tell you little more than its size and age. We built Pearl’s registry to give every home the kind of durable record cars have always had, and making it free for public programs puts it in the hands of the agencies and homeowners who stand to benefit most.”
Pearl builds on standards and data the industry already trusts. Its energy model uses the physics engine behind the U.S. Department of Energy’s Home Energy Score. Pearl also collaborates with organizations including the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), the National Association of REALTORS, and the Appraisal Institute.
“It’s a deliberate strategy,” said Robin LeBaron, Co-founder and head of Standards and Research. “We’re building on trusted industry standards. That’s what makes a Pearl SCORE™ hold up with appraisers, lenders, and state programs. The building science isn’t ours alone. What’s new is how we put building science into tools every home in the country can use.”
This move has significant implications for the housing market and energy efficiency industry. By making the registry free, Pearl removes a cost barrier for public programs, potentially accelerating adoption of home performance data in real estate transactions. Appraisers and lenders can now access verified records of energy upgrades, which could influence home valuations and financing decisions. Homeowners benefit from having a documented history of improvements that can increase property value. For state energy offices and utilities, the free service ensures that their investments in efficiency programs yield lasting, visible outcomes, supporting broader policy goals around energy savings and carbon reduction.
