HERS Testing
The California Energy Commission is required by Public Resources Code Section 25942 to establish regulations for a statewide HERS Program to certify home energy rating services in California. The goal of the program is to provide reliable information to differentiate the energy efficiency levels among California homes and to guide investment in cost-effective home energy efficiency measures. Phase I of the California HERS regulations, which became effective on June 17, 1999, established field verification and diagnostic HERS testing services administered by Energy Commission-approved Providers. The Energy Commission has a process for certifying HERS Raters who perform third-party inspections when verification of duct sealing, thermostatic expansion valves (TXVs), refrigerant charge, airflow measurement, and building envelope sealing measures are used to comply with Title 24, Part 6, of the Building Energy Efficiency Standards.
The adopted amendments included the requirements for California Whole-House Home Energy Ratings (“Phase II”) of the HERS regulations to expand the program to provide energy efficiency ratings for existing and newly constructed residential buildings that include single-family homes and multi-family buildings of three stories or less. The new HERS regulations establish a systematic process for the delivery of whole-house home energy ratings that provide California homeowners and homebuyers with information about the energy efficiency of the homes they live in or homes they are considering for purchase. The ratings also provide an evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of options to achieve greater energy efficiency in those homes.
Energy Commission Approved HERS Providers
The California Certified Energy Rating & Testing Services (CalCERTS) and the California Home Energy Efficiency Rating System (CHEERS) have been approved by the Energy Commission as HERS Providers to oversee HERS Raters providing 2008 Title 24, Part 6 Field Verification and Diagnostic HERS Testing services.
CLE has an outstanding team of certified HERS raters. For more information contact us at (209) 538-2879.