Home Energy Ratings
By Kenton Shepard
Home Energy Ratings
Home Energy Ratings are energy performance evaluations of new homes, typically designed to confirm that they comply with local energy codes or with a particular energy program such as those promoted by ENERGY STAR, Built Green, the U.S. Green Building Council (LEED for Homes), the National Association of Home Builders or a number of others.
These programs assign a certain number of points to features, systems and components in homes. These points relate to home energy-efficiency, sustainable materials and practices and to air and water consumption and quality. At the conclusion of testing, the rater adds together all numbers and the sum, a number between 1 and 100, serves as the overall Home Energy Rating Systems (HERS) rating number which determines compliance.
Residential compliance with energy codes and programs must be confirmed by certified Energy Raters.
Energy ratings have specific requirements include the following…
- Plan Analysis
- Site visit
- insulation
- appliance efficiencies
- window types
- local climate
- utility rates
- Blower door test
- Duct leakage test
Raters use a software program called REScheck to analyze test results and produce a report.
Although the home energy rating business is now (2007) in its infancy, as states, counties and other jurisdictions enact energy legislation in an effort to slow the growth of energy demand, the need for qualified energy raters will grow.
Energy Rating standards are determined and generally administered by an industry non-profit called RESNET. RESNET is a national standards-making body for building energy-efficiency rating systems.
RESNET standards are recognized by…
- Mortgage industry for capitalizing energy efficiency in mortgages
- Financial industry for certification of “white tags”
- Federal government for verification of building energy performance for:
- Federal tax credit qualification
- EPA ENERGY STAR labeled homes
- U.S. Department of Energy Building America program
- States, for minimum code compliance in 16 states
Sources for More Information
|
