HERS Rater                                          

 

A florida home energy rater conducts an analysis of a new home's construction plans and performs on-site inspections of existing homes . Based on the home's plans, the home energy rater uses an energy efficiency software package to perform an energy analysis of the home's design. The analysis yields a projected pre-construction rating on the HERS index. Upon completion of the plan review, the HERS rater will work with your builder to identify the energy efficiency improvments.The rater then conducts on-site inspections, typically including  Blower Door Testing ( to test the leakiness of the house) and Duct Blast Testing (to test the leakiness of ducts). Results of these test, along with inputs derived from plan review, are used to generate the home's efficiency rating on the HERS index. A home energy rating is a recognized tool in the mortgage industry and for government incentives for energy efficiency. The HERS index quantifies the energy performance of a home based on a set standard , and therefore provides an easy way to compare the energy efficiency of different homes

The HERS Index

The HERS Index is a scoring system established by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) in which a home built to the specifications of the HERS Reference Home (based on the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code) scores a HERS Index of 100, while a net zero energy home scores a HERS Index of 0. The lower a home's HERS Index, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the HERS Reference Home.

Each 1-point decrease in the HERS Index corresponds to a 1% reduction in energy consumption compared to the HERS Reference Home. Thus a home with a HERS Index of 85 is 15% more energy efficient than the HERS Reference Home and a home with a HERS Index of 80 is 20% more energy efficient.