HERS Rating As Constructed

An As-Constructed HERS Rating

Your house is an existing structure.  The walls, windows, doors, insulation, HVAC systems and other products and systems are defined.  As such the only way to change or improve their performance is to remodel or replace.  You need to understand how your current house is performing to be able to determine how and if you can improve it's performance.  A series of diognostic tests are performed to rate your house to a National Standard.  Based upon the data gathered during this testing a defined list of items can be created to tell you how you a doing, what you can do to improve, what the costs range will be and the ultimate return on your investment for those desired improvements.

Any structure can be analyzed and given a HERS rating.  What is it?  Why have one?  Who does it?  Read on!

What is a Residential or Home Energy Rating - HERS Rating?

An energy rating is a comparative analysis of how energy efficient your home is compared to other similar homes.

Based on performance results, a certified RESNET Home Energy Rater awards your home a HERS Index Score (similar to miles-per-gallon stickers for new cars) and provides a detailed report about energy problems in the home.

A standard American new home, conforming to the latest energy efficiency standards, is rated at 100 on the HERS Index.

A standard American resale home is rated at 130 on the HERS Index, making it 30% less efficient than a standard new home.

A home with a HERS Index Score of 50 is 50% more efficient than the standard American new home and 62% more efficient than the standard American existing home.

The lower the number the better the performance of the home, similar to the "Miles-per-Gallon rating".  If you were selling or buying a home, would you want a higher or lower rating?  Getting an HERS energy rating can prove the better performance of your home over the competition.

Why have a Home Energy Rating - HERS Rating?

It helps you calculate the true cost of homeownership (it's not just about mortgage payments!).  It’s about; Principal - Interest - Taxes - Insurance - Utilities - Maintenance

A low HERS Index Score could help you command a higher resale price when selling your home. It shows how your home compares to others on an independent rating system Your Miles per gallon rating is better than the house down the street!

Learn how to improve the overall comfort of your home. You get hard core recommendations on how to improve the livability of your home.

The rater will conduct testing (i.e., an air leakage test, duct leakage test and combustion safety testing) and review areas such as;

• All exterior walls - above and below grade
• Floors over unconditioned space, garages and crawl spaces
• Ceilings and roofs
• Attics, foundations and crawlspaces
• Windows, doors, vents and ductwork
• HVAC systems, water heating systems and thermostats

Find out about cost-effective improvements you can make to reduce energy bills and save you money. Many can be performed by the homeowner, others require a licensed contractor.

Are you building a new home? Confirm that your builder is RESNET certified or Energy Star rated to ensure that it's being constructed in an energy efficient way.

Will a Home Energy Rating - HERS, benefit me?

It’s no big secret that energy costs are increasing at an alarming rate. What you might not be aware of though, is just how dramatic that increase is. For example, a recent study by Americas Power  showed that American families earning a gross income of $50,000 experienced the following energy cost increases from 2001-2012:

• 2001: Avg. percentage of after-tax income spent on energy costs: 12%
• 2005: Avg. percentage of after-tax income spent on energy costs: 16%
• 2012: Avg. percentage of after-tax income spent on energy costs (projected): 21%

As a homeowner, this impacts you right where it hurts most: your wallet. That’s why increasing numbers of Americans are starting to pay more attention on ways to cut down on their energy consumption.  Also visit our section of tips & articles on Energy Efficiency.  However, in order to do that, you have to know where to begin and that starts with understanding how energy efficient your home truly is.

That’s the purpose of a home energy rating.  A home energy rating measures exactly how energy efficient your home is as compared to other homes thru a defined evaluation standard. It consists of a series of tests conducted by a certified RESNET Home Energy Rater and, based on the results, your home is given a score (or ranking) on the Home Energy Rating System or HERS Index.

Developed by RESNET, the HERS Index, Home Energy Rating System, is the nationally recognized system for calculating a home’s energy performance, with a lower score equaling a more energy efficient home. For example, a standard new American home, built according to the latest energy efficiency standards, is awarded a HERS Index score of 100, while a typical resale home may be rated at 130, making it 30% less energy efficient than it could be.

So how does an energy rating help you as a homeowner?

It gives you a true idea about how much your home is really costing you by identifying the specific sources of waste

Your home energy rater will show you how you can cut your energy costs with recommendations and viable solutions that have reasonable payback expectations.

You can discover cost effective ways to increase your home’s comfort level which will make everyone in the home happier and safer.

It could help you add to your home’s resale value by indicating a rating that is better then the other homes in the area.

These are just some of the benefits associated with a home energy rating; a certified RESNET Home Energy Rater, like Colorado Energy Analysts, can provide you with more detailed information about the advantages of Energy Assessments or Energy Ratings and why you should consider doing one.

In either case your want a Certified Professional to do your Audit or Rating.  You want to look for the BPI, Building Performance Institute seal and the RESNET Home Energy Professional Seal.  Colorado Energy Analysts has both.