HERS Rating Standards & Compliance — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Under RESNET standards, what is the maximum allowable HERS Index for a home to qualify as a 'Zero Energy Ready Home'?

45 (Correct answer)
52
57
60

Correct answer: 45

DOE Zero Energy Ready Homes require a HERS Index of 45 or below before renewable energy systems are credited.

Question 2: Which ANSI/RESNET standard specifically governs the calculation methodology for energy ratings of single-family and low-rise multifamily buildings?

ANSI/RESNET 380
ANSI/RESNET/ICC 301 (Correct answer)
ANSI/RESNET/ICC 380
ANSI/ASHRAE 62.2

Correct answer: ANSI/RESNET/ICC 301

ANSI/RESNET/ICC 301 establishes the calculation methodology and reference home used for HERS ratings.

Question 3: A HERS rater is required to conduct a 'confirmed rating' instead of a 'projected rating' when:

The home exceeds a HERS Index of 100
All construction is complete and verified through field inspections (Correct answer)
The builder requests an estimated score for marketing
The home uses renewable energy systems

Correct answer: All construction is complete and verified through field inspections

A confirmed (final) rating requires completed construction with all inspections and testing verified on-site by the rater.

Question 4: What is the RESNET-required minimum sampling frequency for a rater performing ratings under the Provider sampling protocol?

Every home must be tested individually
At least 1 in 7 homes in a subdivision or development (Correct answer)
At least 1 in 10 homes per builder per year
At least 1 in 5 homes with full diagnostic testing

Correct answer: At least 1 in 7 homes in a subdivision or development

RESNET's sampling protocol requires a minimum of 1 in 7 homes to receive full diagnostic testing within a defined sample group.

Question 5: Which of the following items is NOT required to be included in a HERS rating file submitted to a RESNET Provider?

Blower door test results
Duct leakage measurements
Homeowner occupancy data (Correct answer)
Installed insulation R-values

Correct answer: Homeowner occupancy data

Occupancy data is not part of the energy rating inputs; HERS ratings are based on standardized assumptions for occupancy.

Question 6: Under RESNET standards, what recourse does a homebuyer have if they believe a HERS rating was performed incorrectly?

File a complaint directly with RESNET's national office
File a complaint with the rater's RESNET-accredited Rating Provider (Correct answer)
Request the rater redo all inspections at no cost
Contact the state energy office for arbitration

Correct answer: File a complaint with the rater's RESNET-accredited Rating Provider

Complaints about rating quality must first be directed to the RESNET-accredited Rating Provider that employs or oversees the rater.

Question 7: In HERS rating methodology, the 'rated home' is compared against a 'reference home' that is defined as:

The least efficient home allowed by current code
A home of identical geometry and orientation using RESNET-specified standard features (Correct answer)
A standard 2,000 sq ft home in a neutral climate zone
The average energy use of existing homes in the same state

Correct answer: A home of identical geometry and orientation using RESNET-specified standard features

The HERS reference home mirrors the rated home's size and geometry but uses code-minimum features as defined in ANSI/RESNET/ICC 301.

Question 8: When performing duct leakage testing for a HERS rating, which metric represents total duct leakage to outside the conditioned space?

Duct leakage total (CFM25 total)
Duct leakage to outside (CFM25 out) (Correct answer)
Envelope leakage (ACH50)
Supply imbalance pressure (Pascals)

Correct answer: Duct leakage to outside (CFM25 out)

CFM25 out (duct leakage to outside) measures air escaping the duct system into unconditioned spaces, which directly affects HERS scoring.

Question 9: A RESNET-certified rater discovers mid-inspection that insulation has been installed at a lower R-value than specified. What is the correct action?

Rate the home using the specified R-value and note it in the file
Document the discrepancy, rate using the as-built value, and notify the Provider (Correct answer)
Refuse to complete the rating until insulation is corrected
Average the specified and as-built values for the rating

Correct answer: Document the discrepancy, rate using the as-built value, and notify the Provider

Raters must document and use as-built conditions in the rating; discrepancies must be reported to the Rating Provider per RESNET quality assurance requirements.

Question 10: Which RESNET standard addresses measurement of airtightness and ventilation airflows in residential buildings?

ANSI/RESNET/ICC 301
ANSI/RESNET/ICC 380 (Correct answer)
ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 90.1
ANSI/ACCA Manual J

Correct answer: ANSI/RESNET/ICC 380

ANSI/RESNET/ICC 380 establishes standard test methods for airtightness and mechanical ventilation airflow measurement.

Question 11: For a home rated under ENERGY STAR Certified Homes Version 3.2, what additional requirement beyond HERS Index applies?

HERS Index must be 60 or below without PV credit
All mandatory requirements in the ENERGY STAR checklist must be verified (Correct answer)
Third-party mechanical system inspection is waived
Duct leakage to outside must be zero

Correct answer: All mandatory requirements in the ENERGY STAR checklist must be verified

ENERGY STAR requires both HERS Index compliance AND verification of all mandatory thermal enclosure, HVAC, and water management checklist items.

Question 12: Under RESNET's quality assurance oversight, what percentage of a rater's confirmed ratings must be reviewed by the Rating Provider annually?

5%
10% (Correct answer)
15%
25%

Correct answer: 10%

RESNET requires Rating Providers to conduct quality assurance reviews on a minimum of 10% of each rater's confirmed ratings annually.

Question 13: Which condition allows a rater to use the 'worst-case' duct leakage value from a prior test on a repeated floor plan?

Builder certification that plans are identical
Sampling protocol approval from the Rating Provider (Correct answer)
State energy code exemption for tract housing
RESNET national waiver for production builders

Correct answer: Sampling protocol approval from the Rating Provider

RESNET's sampling protocol, when approved by the Provider, allows repeated identical floor plans to use test results from a sampled representative unit.

Question 14: The HERS Index scale is defined such that a score of 0 represents:

A home with no energy consumption from any source
A home that produces as much energy as it consumes on an annual basis (net-zero) (Correct answer)
A home 100% more efficient than the reference home
A home meeting the 2006 IECC minimum requirements

Correct answer: A home that produces as much energy as it consumes on an annual basis (net-zero)

A HERS Index of 0 represents a net-zero energy home that produces as much energy annually as it consumes.

Question 15: A home in Climate Zone 5 has a confirmed HERS Index of 62. Under 2021 IECC, this home most likely:

Fails to comply with the energy code
Complies, as the 2021 IECC path allows HERS-based compliance at that threshold (Correct answer)
Requires additional renewable energy to comply
Must undergo a Manual J review before approval

Correct answer: Complies, as the 2021 IECC path allows HERS-based compliance at that threshold

The 2021 IECC ERI compliance path sets zone-specific thresholds; Climate Zone 5 allows ERI scores up to 62 for code compliance without renewable credit.

Question 16: What is the purpose of the 'projected rating' in the HERS process?

To provide a final certified score for the certificate of occupancy
To estimate a home's energy performance before construction is complete for design feedback (Correct answer)
To document compliance with state energy codes
To satisfy ENERGY STAR final inspection requirements

Correct answer: To estimate a home's energy performance before construction is complete for design feedback

A projected rating is a pre-construction or mid-construction estimate used for design guidance and preliminary compliance documentation.

Question 17: Under RESNET standards, which party is ultimately responsible for the accuracy of a HERS rating?

The home builder who commissioned the rating
The RESNET-accredited Rating Provider (Correct answer)
The individual certified rater who performed the inspection
RESNET's national technical committee

Correct answer: The RESNET-accredited Rating Provider

RESNET places ultimate responsibility for rating accuracy on the accredited Rating Provider, which must oversee and quality-assure each rater's work.

Question 18: A rater finds that a home's mechanical ventilation system is not operating. How should this be handled for the confirmed HERS rating?

Rate the home assuming the system works as designed
Rate the home using as-built conditions and flag the deficiency to the Provider (Correct answer)
Postpone the rating until the system is operational
Assign a 10-point HERS penalty and proceed

Correct answer: Rate the home using as-built conditions and flag the deficiency to the Provider

Raters must document as-built conditions accurately; a non-operational required system is a deficiency that must be flagged to the Provider.

Question 19: Which software tool is commonly used by HERS raters to calculate energy ratings and must be accredited by RESNET?

EnergyPlus
REM/Rate or equivalent RESNET-accredited software (Correct answer)
eQUEST
OpenStudio

Correct answer: REM/Rate or equivalent RESNET-accredited software

HERS ratings must be calculated using RESNET-accredited rating software such as REM/Rate, EnergyGauge, or other approved tools.

Question 20: When a HERS rater identifies a home built without a required vapor retarder in Climate Zone 6, the correct response is to:

Ignore it if the HERS Index still passes
Document the missing component using as-built conditions and report to the Provider (Correct answer)
Apply a modeling credit assuming future installation
Deny the rating until the vapor retarder is installed

Correct answer: Document the missing component using as-built conditions and report to the Provider

Raters must model as-built conditions and report deficiencies; they cannot grant credits for uninstalled components or withhold ratings unilaterally.

Question 21: What RESNET requirement governs how a Rating Provider must handle a rater whose quality assurance reviews reveal a pattern of errors?

The rater is automatically decertified by RESNET
The Provider must initiate a corrective action plan and increase QA frequency for that rater (Correct answer)
The rater must retake the certification exam within 30 days
Errors are forwarded directly to the state energy office

Correct answer: The Provider must initiate a corrective action plan and increase QA frequency for that rater

RESNET requires Providers to implement corrective action plans and increased oversight for raters demonstrating patterns of inaccuracy in QA reviews.

HERS Rating Standards & Compliance

Under RESNET standards, what is the maximum allowable HERS Index for a home to qualify as a 'Zero Energy Ready Home'?

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