HERS RESNET Standards and Policies — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Under RESNET Mortgage Industry National Home Energy Rating Standards, what is the minimum sampling frequency allowed for production builders using the sampling protocol?

Every 5th home built
Every 7th home built
Every 10th home built (Correct answer)
Every 15th home built

Correct answer: Every 10th home built

RESNET sampling protocol allows production builders to rate 1 in every 10 homes of a repeating floor plan as a minimum sampling frequency.

Question 2: Which RESNET standard specifically governs the accreditation of Home Energy Rating System (HERS) providers?

RESNET Chapter 1 Standard
RESNET Chapter 2 Standard (Correct answer)
RESNET Chapter 3 Standard
RESNET Chapter 9 Standard

Correct answer: RESNET Chapter 2 Standard

RESNET Chapter 2 Standard establishes the requirements for accrediting HERS providers who oversee rater certification and quality assurance.

Question 3: What must a HERS rater do if they discover a significant discrepancy between the rated features and actual construction during a final inspection?

Proceed with rating using the original design inputs
Refuse to issue the rating and leave the site
Revise the rating inputs to reflect actual conditions (Correct answer)
Submit the rating as-is and note it in comments

Correct answer: Revise the rating inputs to reflect actual conditions

RESNET Standards require raters to update rating inputs to match actual field conditions discovered during inspections.

Question 4: According to RESNET policy, how long must HERS raters retain rating files and supporting documentation?

1 year
2 years
5 years (Correct answer)
10 years

Correct answer: 5 years

RESNET requires HERS raters to maintain rating files and documentation for a minimum of 5 years after the rating is issued.

Question 5: In the RESNET quality assurance framework, what is the role of a 'provider' relative to a HERS rater?

A provider installs energy-efficient equipment in rated homes
A provider accredits and oversees HERS raters and their quality assurance (Correct answer)
A provider purchases the energy ratings from raters for resale
A provider audits RESNET itself for compliance with federal standards

Correct answer: A provider accredits and oversees HERS raters and their quality assurance

RESNET providers are accredited organizations responsible for certifying, training, and conducting quality assurance oversight of HERS raters.

Question 6: What does RESNET Standard 380-2019 primarily address?

Procedures for rating manufactured housing
Methods for measuring airtightness of building enclosures (Correct answer)
Requirements for HERS rater training curricula
Protocols for rating commercial buildings

Correct answer: Methods for measuring airtightness of building enclosures

RESNET/ICC 380-2019 establishes standard test methods for measuring the airtightness of building enclosures, ducts, and mechanical ventilation systems.

Question 7: When a HERS rater certifies a home using the confirmed rating pathway, which of the following site inspections is required?

Foundation inspection only
Pre-drywall inspection only
Final inspection only
Both pre-drywall and final inspections (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Both pre-drywall and final inspections

The confirmed rating pathway requires both a pre-drywall inspection (to verify insulation and air sealing) and a final inspection with diagnostic testing.

Question 8: Under RESNET Standards, which entity has ultimate authority to suspend or revoke a HERS rater's certification?

The builder for whom the rater works
The state energy office
The HERS provider who certified the rater (Correct answer)
The U.S. Department of Energy

Correct answer: The HERS provider who certified the rater

The HERS provider that certified a rater has the authority and responsibility to suspend or revoke that rater's certification under RESNET Standards.

Question 9: Which RESNET policy requires that rating software used for HERS ratings be tested against a standard set of reference cases?

RESNET Publication 002
RESNET Mortgage Industry National Standards
RESNET Software Approval Process (Correct answer)
RESNET Home Energy Audit Standard

Correct answer: RESNET Software Approval Process

The RESNET Software Approval Process requires rating software to be validated against standardized reference test cases before it can be used for official HERS ratings.

Question 10: A HERS rater working in a state without a state-specific rating standard defaults to which set of rules?

International Energy Conservation Code requirements
RESNET Mortgage Industry National Home Energy Rating Standards (Correct answer)
ASHRAE 90.2 residential energy standard
EPA ENERGY STAR program requirements

Correct answer: RESNET Mortgage Industry National Home Energy Rating Standards

In the absence of state-specific requirements, HERS raters default to the RESNET Mortgage Industry National Home Energy Rating Standards.

Question 11: According to RESNET policy, what is required when a HERS rater transitions from one HERS provider to another?

The rater must retake and pass the HERS rater exam
The rater's rating history must be transferred to the new provider (Correct answer)
The rater must complete a 40-hour refresher training
The rater automatically loses certification and must start over

Correct answer: The rater's rating history must be transferred to the new provider

RESNET policy requires that a rater's rating history and files be transferred to the new provider when a rater changes providers.

Question 12: What is the RESNET-defined purpose of the HERS Index?

To rank homes by square footage and lot size
To provide a relative energy efficiency score compared to a reference home (Correct answer)
To calculate monthly utility bill estimates for home buyers
To determine property tax assessments for energy-efficient homes

Correct answer: To provide a relative energy efficiency score compared to a reference home

The HERS Index provides a relative energy efficiency score where a score of 100 represents a home built to the HERS reference home standard.

Question 13: Under RESNET Standards, which of the following is NOT an approved pathway for conducting a HERS rating on new construction?

Confirmed rating with field inspections
Sampled rating using the sampling protocol
Desktop rating using plans only with no inspections (Correct answer)
Energy Performance Score pathway

Correct answer: Desktop rating using plans only with no inspections

RESNET does not allow a fully desktop-only rating with no field inspections for new construction; some level of field verification is always required.

Question 14: How does RESNET define a 'rating file' for quality assurance purposes?

Only the final HERS certificate issued to the homeowner
The software model inputs and outputs plus field inspection records (Correct answer)
The builder's construction drawings submitted to the local building department
The utility bills for the first year after the home is occupied

Correct answer: The software model inputs and outputs plus field inspection records

A RESNET rating file includes the complete software model with inputs and outputs, along with all field inspection records and supporting documentation.

Question 15: What is the primary function of RESNET's National Registry of HERS Ratings?

To market energy-efficient homes to prospective buyers
To track and store completed HERS ratings for public and industry access (Correct answer)
To assign HERS Index scores to homes without rater involvement
To collect federal tax incentive applications for rated homes

Correct answer: To track and store completed HERS ratings for public and industry access

RESNET's National Registry serves as the official repository for completed HERS ratings, allowing lenders, appraisers, and homeowners to verify and access rating information.

Question 16: A HERS rater is asked to rate an existing home built in 1975. Which RESNET pathway is most appropriate?

New construction confirmed rating pathway
Existing home rating pathway (Correct answer)
Production builder sampling protocol
Manufactured housing rating pathway

Correct answer: Existing home rating pathway

RESNET has a specific existing home rating pathway designed to handle the unique challenges of rating older homes with unknown construction details.

Question 17: According to RESNET Standards, what must a HERS provider do if a rater under their oversight fails a quality assurance review?

Immediately publish the rater's failure on the RESNET website
Implement a corrective action plan and monitor the rater's subsequent work (Correct answer)
Permanently revoke the rater's certification without appeal
Report the failure directly to the EPA ENERGY STAR program

Correct answer: Implement a corrective action plan and monitor the rater's subsequent work

RESNET requires providers to implement corrective action plans and increase oversight monitoring when a rater fails a quality assurance review.

Question 18: Under RESNET policy, how many quality assurance file reviews must a provider conduct per rater per year at minimum?

1 review per year (Correct answer)
2 reviews per year
3 reviews per year
5 reviews per year

Correct answer: 1 review per year

RESNET Standards require providers to conduct a minimum of one quality assurance file review per rater per year as part of the ongoing QA process.

Question 19: What distinguishes a RESNET-accredited provider from a RESNET-certified rater?

Providers perform field inspections while raters manage the software models
Providers are organizations that certify and oversee raters, while raters perform actual ratings (Correct answer)
Providers work exclusively with commercial buildings while raters work with residential
Providers set HERS Index score thresholds while raters must comply with them

Correct answer: Providers are organizations that certify and oversee raters, while raters perform actual ratings

RESNET providers are accredited organizational entities responsible for certifying individual raters and ensuring their quality assurance, while raters perform the actual energy ratings.

Question 20: Which RESNET standard establishes requirements for rating software to calculate the HERS Index?

RESNET Publication 001 - Mortgage Industry Standards
ANSI/RESNET/ICC Standard 301 (Correct answer)
RESNET Chapter 7 - Quality Assurance
RESNET Standard 55-2017

Correct answer: ANSI/RESNET/ICC Standard 301

ANSI/RESNET/ICC Standard 301 establishes the calculation methodology that approved rating software must use to determine the HERS Index score.

Question 21: If a HERS rater has a financial interest in the construction or sale of a home they are asked to rate, what does RESNET policy require?

The rater may proceed as long as they disclose the conflict in the rating file
The rater is prohibited from rating the home due to conflict of interest (Correct answer)
The rater may rate the home if the homebuyer provides written consent
The rater must have a second rater co-sign the rating certificate

Correct answer: The rater is prohibited from rating the home due to conflict of interest

RESNET Standards prohibit raters from rating homes in which they have a financial interest to maintain objectivity and credibility of the rating process.

HERS RESNET Standards and Policies

Under RESNET Mortgage Industry National Home Energy Rating Standards, what is the minimum sampling frequency allowed for production builders using the sampling protocol?

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