Home Energy Rating
A home energy rating involves an analysis of a home’s construction plans and onsite inspections. 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. This analysis yields a projected, pre-construction HERS (Home Energy Rating System) Index. Upon completion of the plan review, the rater will work with the builder to identify the energy efficiency improvements needed to ensure the house will meet ENERGY STAR performance guidelines. The rater then conducts onsite inspections, typically including a blower door test (to test the leakiness of the house) and a duct test (to test the leakiness of the ducts). Results of these tests, along with inputs derived from the plan review, are used to generate the HERS Index score for the home.
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.
HERS Index |
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Reference Home Score |
Reference Home is assigned a HERS Index of 100, while a net zero energy home is assigned a HERS Index of 0 |
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Reference Home Basis |
2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) |
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Scale |
Each 1% increase in energy efficiency corresponds to a 1-point decrease in HERS Index |
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Energy Use Considered |
Heating, cooling, water heating, lighting, appliances, and onsite power generation* |
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ENERGY STAR Requirement |
HERS Index of 85 in climate zones 1–5 |
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Status |
Approved by the RESNET Board of Directors. To be implemented as of July 1, 2006. |
Energy Efficient homes are the fastest growing category of new home construction. There have been over 1,000,000 homes that have earned the Energy Star rating since the inception of the program in 1995.
The cost to have your home rated under the Energy Star program will begin at approximately $500 and go up from there depending on the size and complexity of the design of your home. However there are three primary benefits to having your home rated:
- You will be assured that the construction of your home is supreme.
- You will have lower home energy costs.
- You will have greater financial appreciation on your home.
Some banks offer Energy Efficient Mortgages.
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