HERS Standards, Codes, and Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under RESNET Standards, what is the maximum allowable deviation between a rater's measured duct leakage and a QA reviewer's measurement for QA purposes?
- 5% of total system airflow
- 10% of total system airflow (Correct answer)
- 15% of total system airflow
- 20% of total system airflow
Correct answer: 10% of total system airflow
RESNET QA standards allow up to 10% deviation between rater and QA reviewer duct leakage measurements before a discrepancy must be investigated.
Question 2: Which federal law requires raters working in homes built before 1978 to follow lead-safe work practices?
- Clean Air Act
- Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
- EPA RRP Rule (Correct answer)
- Residential Lead Hazard Reduction Act
Correct answer: EPA RRP Rule
The EPA's Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule mandates lead-safe practices in pre-1978 homes to protect occupants and workers.
Question 3: A HERS rater discovers the builder used non-compliant insulation after the rating is filed. What is the rater's ethical obligation?
- Ignore it since the rating is already complete
- Notify only the homebuyer
- Report the discrepancy to the rater provider and correct the rating (Correct answer)
- Destroy the original rating file
Correct answer: Report the discrepancy to the rater provider and correct the rating
RESNET ethics require raters to correct filed ratings when material non-compliance is discovered and to report through proper channels.
Question 4: Per RESNET Chapter 3, how often must a rater provider submit QA files to RESNET for oversight review?
- Monthly
- Quarterly
- Annually (Correct answer)
- Every two years
Correct answer: Annually
RESNET requires rater providers to submit annual QA documentation to maintain accreditation and oversight compliance.
Question 5: Under IECC 2021, what is the maximum allowed total UA (heat loss coefficient) of a building envelope compared to the code reference design?
- Equal to the reference design (Correct answer)
- 5% greater than the reference design
- No more than the reference design
- 20% greater than the reference design
Correct answer: Equal to the reference design
The IECC UA trade-off path requires that the proposed building's total UA not exceed the code reference design's total UA.
Question 6: Which of the following actions by a HERS rater constitutes a conflict of interest under RESNET ethics guidelines?
- Rating a home in a neighboring county
- Rating a home the rater personally built or owns (Correct answer)
- Rating multiple homes for the same builder
- Using software from a competing vendor
Correct answer: Rating a home the rater personally built or owns
Rating a property in which the rater has a direct financial interest (such as ownership or construction) is a prohibited conflict of interest under RESNET standards.
Question 7: When a HERS rating is performed using the 'sampled' rating approach, what percentage of homes in a builder's sampling group must receive a full confirmed rating?
- 5%
- 10% (Correct answer)
- 15%
- 25%
Correct answer: 10%
RESNET sampling protocols require a minimum of 10% of homes in a sampling group to receive a full confirmed (tested) rating.
HERS Standards, Codes, and Ethics 2
Under RESNET Standards, what is the maximum allowable deviation between a rater's measured duct leakage and a QA reviewer's measurement for QA purposes?