The RESNET HERS Index

RESNET

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The HERS Index Score – The MPG of the Housing Market

Steve Baden, RESNET Executive Director

www.resnet.us

RESNET

What is RESNET

• An industry-based, Non Government

Organization (NGO)

• A national standards making body for building

energy efficiency rating and certification

systems in the USA (ANSI Accredited

Standards Development Organization)

– Consensus based standard development and

amendment process

– Transparent review and adoption process – Formal

public review and comment process

RESNET

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Who Recognizes RESNET

• Builders for marketing the energy performance

of their homes

• Building Energy Codes

– Over 150 State and Local Jurisdictions Adopted the

HERS Index as a Compliance Option to Their

Building Energy Codes

• Federal government agencies

– IRS for tax credit qualification

– U.S. EPA for ENERGY STAR labeled homes

– U.S. Department of Energy for Building America

and Challenge Home programs

RESNET

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New Trend in Housing

Market

Builders see one of the biggest advantages for new homes is energy efficiency (USA Today 4/17/11)

Lead by leading large production builders national trend emerging to differentiate homes through us of the HERS Index

RESNET

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Trend to HERS Index in Housing

Market

In 2011 120,000 Homes Energy Rated and

Issued HERS Index Score – 40% of all New

Homes Sold in U.S.

To date over 1.3 million homes rated in US.

RESNET

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HERS Index Score Included in

Building Energy Codes

Arkansas

Colorado

Idaho

Kansas

Massachusetts

New Mexico

New York

RESNET

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Why Are Builders Using the

HERS Index

Associated Press

“Homebuilders see one of the biggest

advantages of buying a newly built home is

energy efficiency. To take advantage of this

opportunity, homebuilders are ‘boiling energy

efficiency down to something every buyer

understands’.”

RESNET

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National Builders Committing to

Marketing HERS Index of Homes

RESNET

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Builders Committing to Have All Homes

Rated and Marketing HERS Index

Regional & Local Builders (200+)

Alabama Kansas South Carolina

Arizona Kentucky Tennessee

Arkansas Maryland Texas

California Massachusetts Utah

Colorado Michigan Virginia

Conneticut Missouri Washington

Delaware Montana West Virginia

District of Columbia Nebraska Wisconsin

Florida North Carolina

Georgia Ohio

Illinois Oklahoma

Indiana Oregon

Iowa Pennsylvania

RESNET

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How Can a Builder Participate?

Enter into Memorandum of Understanding with

RESNET commiting to have all homes rated and

market homes’ HERS Index.

Key wording of MOU:

All homes constructed by XXXX will be tested

and inspected by a RESNET Rater following

RESNET’s Standards, and provided with a

HERS Index produced by a RESNET accredited

rating software program.

RESNET

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REM/Rate HERS Index Certificate

RESNET

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Why HERS Index Commitment

• Effective way to differentiate homes from

existing homes on market – DOE estimates

that average new home built in U.S. is 30%

more efficient than average existing home.

• No extra cost to produce RESNET HERS

Index or enter into MOU with RESNET–

Rating protocols and software calculations the

same

• Opportunity to gain recognition from

RESNET, a national non-profit organization

whose Raters have rated over a million

homes using RESNET’s Standards

RESNET

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EPA Includes HERS Index in

ENERGY STAR Certificate

RESNET

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Number of Raters Growing

RESNET

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New Interactive HERS Index Tool

Delaware Delaware

RESNET

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Builder Marketing of HERS Index

RESNET

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Media Coverage of HERS Index

National and Local Media Coverage

RESNET

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Promoting the HERS Index

February 14, 2011

RESNET

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Promoting the HERS Index

Also carried by

May 8, 2012

May 5, 2012

RESNET

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Make Plans to Attend the 2013 RESNET

Conference – Orlando, Florida