Why Working with a Quality HERS Rater Matters
How Skilled HERS Raters Enhance Quality, Compliance, and Sustainability in Construction
Published August 30, 2024
More Than Just Energy Ratings
Though we’ve been around for quite a while now, HERS® Raters are still a pretty new part of the construction ecosystem. As such, many people don’t really know or understand what we do. Here’s a list, possibly not comprehensive of the roles we play for most of our builder partners:
- Energy and Sustainability focused QA and QC
- Code compliance
- Program compliance
- Energy and Sustainability consulting
Adding Value to Your Projects
In each of these roles, Raters have specific but often complimentary or overlapping tasks. For example, when Raters perform program compliance for ENERGY STAR® or some similar program, we are typically covering code compliance. When we are analyzing a plan set for compliance for the energy code, we’re also looking to see how close you are to complying with tax credit earning levels of performance.
Higher Quality Builds and Fewer Re-inspections
While we see ourselves as part of the QA and QC process, we aren’t always viewed that way and frankly, that’s a missed opportunity. I don’t know anyone we work with who doesn’t want to build better. A good HERS Rater can help with that. When we identify a trend in failures, for example duct systems that can’t pass on the first try, we really want to dive in and work with that trade to get it right the first time. Re-inspects aren’t fun or good for anybody including us.
Duct leakage testing helps to make sure that ducts are properly sealed to create an energy efficient, comfortable, and healthy indoor environment. Duct leakage testing is a requirement for new construction residential buildings with any ductwork located outside conditioned space.
The Impact of a Quality HERS Rater
All HERS Raters aren’t created equally. Like any craft or trade, it takes dedication to what we do to be good at it and even more effort to be great. We are working in applied building science, and it takes consistent, everyday effort to stay on top of our game. It’s what you should ask for of all your HERS Raters. We aren’t perfect and we know that. The difference between good or mediocre and great is if we care about getting better.
Everyone at EnergyLogic (and any other good rating company) works hard to bring increasing levels of value to our game. Boom and bust cycles are hard on any trade, ours included. As we handle this growing new wave, we appreciate working with all of you to ride it gracefully.
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