For those who’ve done their basic research on energy efficient homes, you probably have heard of the different types of ratings these homes can get. These ratings help advise potential buyers of just how efficient their new home is. One such “marker” is the HERS rating.
What Is A HERS Rating?
The HERS rating is derived from an analysis of both the home’s construction plans as well as its on-site inspection. The rater will then utilize a software package specifically, used to detect energy efficiency, to come up with an analysis based on the home’s construction plans. The end-result of this analysis will be a projected, pre-construction HERS index. Once the analysis is complete, the rater will meet with the home builder to discuss what, if any, improvements need to made in order to have the home meet ENERGY STAR performance guidelines. Then, the rater will come back to perform on-site inspections, which will typically include a duct test and a blower door test. These tests will analyze the home for any “leak” issues that may exist. The combination of the results from the initial analysis that yielded the projected, pre-construction HERS index and the on-site evaluations and tests will ultimately provide the HERS index score for the house.
What Is A HERS Index?
The HERS index was created by RESNET. It is a scoring system used to indicate how energy efficient a home is. If a home is built to meet the specifications of the HERS Reference Home, the house will receive a score/rating of 100. If a house is considered “zero energy”, the score/rating will be 0. The lower the HERS score, the better. This means that it is that much more energy efficient than the HERS Reference Home. Every point deducted from a HERS score represents a 1% reduction in energy consumption compared to the HERS Reference Home.
