HERS Rater Class

Course Information

The RESNET HERS Rater accreditation is a nationally recognized professional designation that is commonly associated with residential building performance comprehension and analysis. These skills are applied in the independent verification and certification of the construction of new homes, the determination of applicable performance standards to Federal mortgage requirements and to existing homes to the extent possible within the restrictions of access to critical building components.

This course is designed to quantify and expand upon the essential knowledge and skills required to produce accurate home energy ratings in accordance with the latest standards published by RESNET. In addition, this course will carefully address the policies and procedures of complying with the technical requirements of RESNET as well as maintaining the professional standards that are vigorously upheld by RESNET.

Prerequisite : Experience in the residential building industry, code compliance, mechanical or structural engineering, built environment performance testing and fundamentals of energy and psychrometrics is strongly recommended. This course is not intended to be an introduction to building science. RESNET Field Rater, BPI Building Analyst or other comparable certification is highly recommended prior to enlisting in this course.

This program is held at the PEG Mid-Atlantic Energy Center for Advanced Building Science located in Fairfax, Virginia.

About the course provider:

PEG (Patuxent Environmental Group, Inc.) is an energy, environmental and engineering consulting firm that was founded in 1998. The firm is engaged in the provision of these technical services in 22 states and serves such clients as Federal, State and Local Governments, Utility Companies, National Residential Production Builders, Custom Home Builders, National High Rise Commercial and Multi-Family Developers, Low Income Weatherization Programs and many market rate clients in a broad spectrum of industries.

HERS Rater Course Duration: 40 hours of classroom lecture, 10 hours field/ hands-on laboratory-lecture. The RESNET open book exam will be proctored on the final day of class.

Course Objectives

At a minimum, the successful course participant will at the conclusion of the course, be able to demonstrate:

Building Science Essentials

Ability to utilize and understand comprehensive building drawings, terminology and related applicable codes and standards of residential construction.
Fundamental understanding and application of the science of the movement of energy (heat, vapor, fluids) within the built environment.
Understanding of the application and limitations of applicable formulae for the calculation of energy movement, energy consumption, U-factors, R-value, and heat transfer.
Understanding of applicable standards and methods for successful management of energy, vapor and moisture in the built environment as dictated by appropriate application of geographical and psychrometric properties.
Ability to calculate area, volume, length and slope of different geometric shapes commonly found in residential construction
Understanding of planned and unplanned airflow in buildings, as well as the fundamentals of building pressurization.

Diagnostic Evaluation Means and Methods

Ability to diagnose building energy consumption, durability and comfort parameters.
Ability to operate a blower door to quantify air exchange rates as well as the application of Test 4 methodology.
Ability to operate duct leakage test equipment to test the HVAC distribution system for leakage to the outside of the thermal envelope as well as total leakage.
Ability to measure zonal pressure differences within a structure.
Ability to test combustion appliance zones under worst-case depressurization
Ability to use and apply thermography in the evaluation of a structure.
Ability to use and interpret results from use of simulated sources of visible smoke / fog.
Ability to operate and interpret airflow delivery measurement equipment.
Ability to apply field data within modeling and reporting software.
Ability to extrapolate solutions to deficiencies from collected data.

Evaluation and Understanding of Indoor Air Quality

Understanding the principle components of acceptable indoor air quality
Understanding and application of industry standards and guidelines for acceptable indoor air quality
Understanding HVAC system impact on acceptable indoor air quality
- Ventilation air
- Combustion air
- Effective combustion
- Air filtration
- Humidification
- Alternative technologies
  - UV lighting
  - HEPA filtration
  - Electrostatic filtration
  - Desiccant dehumidification
- HRV use and application
Understanding building in radon and soil gas prevalent regions
Understanding VOCs and building material off gassing
Moisture management in the built environment

Thermal System Fundamentals

Understanding, evaluation and use of ASHRAE standards for Thermal Comfort
Means and methods of effective determination of heating and cooling loads
Understanding of heating and cooling degree days and ICC climate zone standards
Means and methods of HVAC sizing and equipment selection
Understanding and evaluation of industry standards for HVAC system installation
- System components
  - Draw thru systems
  - Blow thru systems
  - Open return
  - Ducted return
- Distribution systems
  - Duct types
    - Sheet metal
    - Duct board
    - Flexible ducting
    - Panning
  - Duct installation standards
  - Insulation
  - Air-sealing
  - Sizing
  - Final TAB
- Control systems
  - Selection
  - Installation
  - Troubleshooting
Understanding and evaluation of industry standard manufacturer’s installation guidelines
Use and application of advanced HVAC design concepts
- Radiant systems
- Geo-thermal systems
- Zoned systems
- Displacement ventilation
Inspection and Testing
- Pre-drywall
- Final Inspection
- Troubleshooting

Residential Construction Essentials

Identification of common types of residential construction and understanding of applicability by thermal climate zone.
Understanding and application of common residential materials and construction methodology
- Foundations
- Basements and Crawlspaces
- Framing
  - Advanced Framing Techniques
- Exterior envelope
  - Sheathing Systems
  - Vapor barriers and vapor retarders
  - Flashings
  - Window and door installation
- Moisture management
- Attics
- Roofs
- Insulation
- Air barriers
- Thermal Bypass
- Thermal Bridging
- HERS scoring implications

Appliance and Lighting Selection and Installation

Understanding industry rating systems and identification of components
Understanding and assessment of efficiency rating and performance
Advanced Lighting program standards, requirements and assessment
Installation impact to appliance efficiency ratings

Green Building Programs

USGBC LEED for Homes
ICC/NAHB National Green Building Standard
Regional Green Programs

HERS Rating

Ratings
- Projected ratings from technical drawings and submittals
- Field ratings
- Orientation
- Measurement of square and cubic footage
- House options
- Projected score modification from alternative materials or design elements
Ability to characterize and document the residential building envelope and comfort system features during a field inspection
- Foundation types
- Floor types
- Wall types
- Ceiling-roof types
- Window & door types and performance factors
- Insulation types, thickness, thermal performance & weighted average thermal values
- Thermal distribution system types, insulation value, and location with respect to the building envelope
- HVAC equipment efficiencies, size, location with respect to the building envelope
- Domestic water heating equipment efficiencies, size, location with respect to the building envelope

HERS Program

Understanding of the HERS program qualifications, technical standards and appropriate applications
Understanding and use of the HERS Reference home
Understanding of how the HERS Index is calculated
Understanding of the Home Energy Rater Standards of Practice
Knowledge of the ENERGY STAR® programs
- Performance Path
- Builder Option Package
- Sampling
- Advanced Lighting
- Indoor Air Quality
- Water Sense

RESNET Standards
- Accreditation
- Quality Assurance
- Ethics
- Training
- Examinations
- Continuing Education
Providership
Energy Efficient Mortgages
Home Energy Auditing
Use and Application of Approved Software
- Ability to enter collected field data into an approved Energy Analysis tool
- Ability to collect and enter appropriate utility costs
- Ability to analyze results for improvement analysis
- Creation and Use of reporting
- Document retention and Quality Assurance

Classroom Material Requirements

Laptop computer running Windows XP or higher, with USB port and wireless card
USB flash drive
Calculator
35’ tape measure
OSHA compliant hard hat
OSHA compliant footwear
Architectural ruler
Pen or pencil
Notepad
Flashlight
Digital Camera

Class Work

Nightly
- Reading of text
- Review Questions
- Review of emailed agenda for following day
Classroom
- Group and individual problem solving
- House of Pressure “hands-on” diagnostics
- Group and individual set-up and use of blower door, duct-leakage equipment
- Group and individual use of software and inspection forms
Field / Lab work
- Group and individual identification and description of building materials
- Group and individual set-up and use of blower door, duct-leakage equipment
- Common jobsite challenges
  - Health and Safety
  - Access
  - Diagnostic testing preparation
  - Communication
    - Scheduling
    - “Jobsite Ready”
    - Reporting Findings

Performance Metric Quantification

Classroom quizzes and/or problem-solving assignments
Hand-On exam on operation and troubleshooting of blower door
Hands-On exam on operation and troubleshooting of duct leakage testing equipment
Electronic written exam on RESNET National Core Competencies

Provided Texts & Supporting References (available for use during class and available for purchase)

Texts:

Residential Energy: Cost Savings and Comfort for Existing Buildings (5th Edition), Krigger / Dorsi
EEBA Builder’s Guide: Mixed Humid Climates (2005). Lstiburek
Building Air Quality: A Guide for Building Owners and Managers Susan Galbraith, Terry Brennan, William Turner and Ed Light, published by USEPA/NIOSH EPA/400/1-91/033/DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 91-114, 1991
“Unintended Consequences of Planned and Unplanned Airflows in Residential Buildings”, Terry Brennan, Mike Clarkin, Joe Lstiburek, and William Turner,

Supporting References:

RESNET. 2006 Mortgage Industry National Home Energy Rating Systems Standards
2009 International Energy Conservation Code
USGBC LEED for Homes Guide v 2008
Trane Psychrometric Chart