HERS raters are trained to evaluate construction techniques, take key measurements, and perform inspections and testing procedures to verify a home’s energy-efficient performance. Here’s how the home inspection and testing process works:
Selection of Energy-Efficient Features: HERS raters help builders choose energy-efficient features for their ENERGY STAR qualified homes in two ways.
- With a traditional HERS rating, a HERS rater simulates a home’s energy use with specialized computer software. The results of this analysis allow the HERS rater to identify the most effective upgrades to meet ENERGY STAR performance guidelines.
- With a Builder Option Package, a HERS rater does not a blower door test. calculate the home’s energy use. Instead, the builder and HERS rater use a set of climate-specific construction specifications developed by EPA called a Builder Option Package (BOP). The BOP specifications have been pre-determined based on extensive analyses to consistently meet ENERGY STAR guidelines.
Completion of Field Verification: Regardless of how the energy efficiency features are selected, HERS raters must also conduct on-site inspections and testing of a home. This field verification ensures energy measures are consistent with ENERGY STAR guidelines. The process usually includes a blower door test (to test the leakiness of the house), a duct blaster test (to test the leakiness of the duct system), and completion of a thermal bypass checklist (a visual inspection of common construction areas where air can flow through or around insulation).
The standards for HERS ratings, inspection protocols, and testing guidelines are maintained by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET).
Source: ENERGY STAR
