What is HERS rating – One of the biggest trends in home ownership is energy efficiency. This is a priority in almost all things related to home systems and appliances. Homeowners are always looking for a way to decrease their costs and increase the comfort of their homes. As you look at your HVAC system or systems to replace your current one, you may hear the term, HERS rating. What is this rating and what does it mean? Take a look below!
What is the HERS Rating?
HERS stands for Home Energy Rating System. The HERS index is what measures a home’s energy performance. This index is the standard for efficiency ratings. This is a nationally recognized rating measurement. Typically the lower your home’s HERS score is, the better. You want your home to score as low as possible to get the return of lower energy bills. This reduction in your costs can greatly affect your life and increase the value of your home. This is always beneficial when it comes to selling your home.
HERS assessments can be expensive and quite a process. Your inspection will have to be done by a certified RESNET rater. RESNET is the residential energy services network. Your initial; inspection may cost anywhere from $1,500 to over $3,000. This cost can seem like a lot but also the HERS score information can save you a lot of money over time.
What Does The Certified Rater Do?
The certified rater will evaluate your home to understand your energy consumption and your clean energy production. They consider the structure and all major systems along with any alternative energy sources you may already be using. They will then construct a full report giving you a HERS rating score that can inform you about your home’s energy efficiency and what you likely can improve upon.
What Does The Score Mean?
The score you receive will be calculated by the rater in software that compares your home to a reference home with an energy rating score of 100. The reference is not an actual home, it is simply the baseline for a home with similar parameters to yours. Any point you receive above or below will be a change in energy efficiency.
If your home gets a 130 HERS rating it means your home operates at 3-% more energy use than the standard home with similar characteristics. A lower score indicates that your home operates at whatever percentage lower than the standard home with similar characteristics. A general understanding is that a score above 100 means more energy use and a score below indicates less energy use.
In Conclusion
HVAC systems are now available with a HERS rating score, so as you search for a new system for your home you can keep energy efficiency in mind. Your trusted HVAC company can help you locate and better understand the information as you make the best choices for the comfort of your home.
To learn more about your HVAC system or if you need repairs, replacement, or quotes, contact us. We are here to lend you our knowledge and expertise for all things related to heating and air systems.