HERS Report

A HERS report is similar to a miles-per-gallon rating on a car. HERS are programs which provide evaluations of an individual home's energy-efficiency. A HERS report is prepared by a trained HERS Energy Rater. Factors such as insulation, appliance efficiencies, window types, local climate, and utility rates are used to rate the home and calculate energy costs.

A HERS Report Includes:

1. Overall Rating Index of the house as it is (HERS SCORE).
   

2. Recommended cost-effective energy upgrades.
   

3. Estimates of the cost, annual savings, and useful life of upgrades.
   

4. Improved Rating Index after the installation of recommended upgrades.
   

5. Estimated annual total energy cost for the existing home before and after upgrades.
   

A Rating Index is between 1 and 100. (Example shown to the right.) A lower index indicates greater efficiency. Cost-effective upgrades are those which will save more money through energy savings than they cost to install. A HERS rating usually costs between $200 and $800. This could be paid for by the buyer, seller, lender, or real estate agent. Sometimes the cost of the rating may be financed as part of the mortgage. No matter how the rating is paid for, it is a very good investment because an EEM could save you or your buyer hundreds of dollars each year.

What is HERS Rating?

A home energy rating involves an analysis of a home’s construction plans and onsite inspections. Based on the home’s plans, the Home Energy Rater uses an energy efficiency software package to perform an energy analysis of the home’s design. This analysis yields a projected, pre-construction HERS Index. Upon completion of the plan review, the rater will work with the builder to identify the energy efficiency improvements needed to ensure the house will meet ENERGY STAR performance guidelines. The rater then conducts onsite inspections, typically including a blower door test (to test the leakiness of the house) and a duct test (to test the leakiness of the ducts). Results of these tests, along with inputs derived from the plan review, are used to generate the HERS Index score for the home.

Energy Inspectors™ is a certified RESNET HERS provider.

As a certified RESET HERS (Home Energy Rating Systems) provider, in addition to being a rater, Energy Inspectors™ is accredited by the National Mortgage Industry Association to rate homes for Energy Efficient Financing. Our banking relationships can help production and custom homebuilders secure energy efficient financing for all of their clients.