Testing and Certifications That Add Up to a Home’s HERS Score

Your home’s energy efficiency is a major contributor to its comfort and long-term value. Footing the bill for air leaks and energy-hungry systems is a waste that’s preventable. Living in an atmosphere of inferior indoor air quality, drafty spaces, and rooms that absorb the heat from too much sun is not pleasant either. The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) was established to provide a standard for measuring a home’s energy efficiency. Homes By Taber has each of our homes thoroughly inspected by a Certified HERS Rater because we respect the critical importance of the testing and certifications that add up to a home’s HERS score.

With HERS, the lower the score, the higher the efficiency. A typical new home built to the 2004/2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) earns a HERS index of 100, as determined by the U.S. Department of Energy. A typical resale home that wasn’t built to IECC standards averages a 130. Those 30 extra points mean that resale home is 30% LESS energy efficient than the new home.

In our view, a score of 100 means we’re not making enough effort, so we go farther in our smart building process. Our homes have earned a HERS score as low as 46. Translation: The home is 54% MORE efficient than those “typical” new construction homes. At Home By Taber, we don’t do typical, we are Proudly Overbuilt!

So, what do you have to do to get a HERS score for a home?

First, you hire a certified HERS Rater. These professionals undergo extensive training and testing in order to achieve certification. They study building science, insulation and thermal resistance, household fuels, heating and cooling systems, utility rate structures, thermostatic controls, ductwork, hot water distribution, and much more.

The inspector examines every aspect of the home that contributes to its energy efficiency. They look for air leaks, evaluate the effectiveness of the insulation, and inspect the windows, doors, ducts, ceiling, attics, crawl spaces, and roof.

The HERS rater conducts a variety of tests to measure a home’s performance:

Duct Leakage Testing: About 30% of a home’s conditioned air escapes through leaks. This test looks for leaks at the ducts’ connections and seams. The HERS rater seals the ductwork’s registers and then connects a blower to locate leaks.

Blower Door Test: A powerful fan is installed in an exterior door frame. The fan is used to draw out the air inside the home, lowering the interior air pressure. The higher pressure of the outside air will naturally move toward the lower pressure by traveling through unsealed areas that allow those leaks.

Refrigerant Charge Verification: Your air conditioning system should be properly installed and charged for maximum performance and efficiency. This test thoroughly checks the refrigerant saturation in the coils, system configuration, humidity, and the temperature change across the coils when the system is operating.

Airflow Verification: This HERS test is conducted with the refrigerant charge verification and assesses the speed of the air flowing through the ducts when the air conditioning system is running. If the ducts are blocked or leaking, the airflow velocity will be affected.

How low can you go?

The results of your HERS inspection will identify where you can make improvements on your home. Or maybe it’s time to move up to a new home that is built to higher standards. Look at the “proudly overbuilt” homes in our communities around the Oklahoma City area. We give you more for your investment, with outstanding energy efficiency and a higher standard for standard features. For starters, Homes By Taber includes a storm shelter, security system, air filtration system, tankless water heater, granite countertops, sliding barn door, sprinkler system, and an outdoor living area with a wood-burning fireplace. Plus, we provide an in-house warranty team that’s available to you 24/7. We measure our energy efficiency success with HERS, but our satisfaction comes from YOU. See the opportunities in our new home communities, floor plans and new construction homes for sale right now.