The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index is the leading industry standard for rating energy efficiency in homes across the US. It is the most effective means of identifying an energy efficient home, making it a great tool when you’re buying or selling a home.
Developed in 2009 by RESNET (Residential Energy Services Network) and recently adopted by the US Department of Energy, a HERS Energy Rating gives a homeowner an indication of how energy efficient their home is in comparison to other similar homes.
Our certified, resident HERS Energy Raters will complete this rating for you, whether you are a homeowner, architect, engineer, general contractor, or HVAC company. We also offer valuable, accurate, and knowledge recommendations for improving the home’s overall energy efficiency.
While HERS is a common household name in the US, many people are unfamiliar with how HERS Energy ratings work. Our team of highly experienced and skilled technicians and raters will complete a comprehensive analysis of your home’s energy efficiency compared to other similar homes. It is essentially an MPG for your home! We will utilize a variety of factors and techniques to determine your home’s HERS Energy Rating.
A HERS Energy Rating is on a scale from 0 to 150. A typical resale home has a rating of 130, which means it is 30% less energy efficient than the RESNET Standard Home. A home with a RESNET score of 70 will be more energy efficient than the RESNET Standard Home.
A home’s energy barrier is essentially located within the walls of the home, including the HVAC system. Any cracks, gaps, or poorly installed or decaying insulation creates bypasses in this air barrier. Blower Door & Duct Blast testing uses a high-powered fan to raise (or lower) the pressure of the home or ducts to 50 pascals, equivalent to a 20 MPH wind on all surfaces of the home or ducts. Using a smoke pen or infrared camera, we will find the bypasses so you can take action towards remedying these air infiltrations and increase the efficiency of your home.
In order to obtain an accurate HERS Energy Rating for your home, we’ll need to take a variety of measurements throughout your home. This includes measurement of all exterior walls, floors over unconditioned spaces, ceilings and roofs, attics, foundations, and crawl spaces, windows, and doors (material and size). Additionally, we’ll do an in-depth analysis of all vents and ductwork, HVAC systems, water heating system, and your thermostat.
Lastly, to find your home’s HERS Energy Rating, our certified HERS Energy Rater will compare your home’s final rate data against a ‘reference home,’ or a pre-designed home of the same size and shape of the home. This means it will be compared relative to the size, shape, and type of home you live in.
When you’re going to buy a new home or sell your home, having a great HERS Rating is a huge asset. When you’re buying a new car, you’re absolutely looking at the MPG, right? A HERS Rating is essentially the same thing; we’re looking at the amount of energy used in a given period of time, similar to a car using a certain amount of gas per gallon.
As a general contractor, engineer, architect, or HVAC company, offering HERS Energy Ratings to your clients along with your services drastically improves your client’s overall experience. This is a way of showing your clients, using hard data, that the work you have performed for them actually works. It may also be required by certain municipalities.
Our resident HERS Energy Rater has years of experience rating resale and new homes on energy efficiency. In addition to calculating the home’s energy rating, we also work with contractors, architects, engineers, and HVAC companies to identify the energy efficiency improvements that need to be made to ensure the home meets ENERGY STAR performance guidelines.
Our goal as a leading international HVAC design company is to contribute as a valuable team member during the entire build process. We want to meet and exceed all of your expectations for HERS Energy Ratings and offer useful and accurate recommendations, whether you’re working on the construction of the home or you’re a homeowner.
You can trust Marrs HVAC Design as a reliable and knowledgeable means of outsourcing HERS Energy Ratings and obtaining valuable recommendations for improving the home’s energy efficiency. Schedule an appointment online to get a personalized HERS Energy Rating!
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