We are the ONLY HERS Raters that are also LICENSED BUILDERS and we know what it takes for you to get a project done in today's environment.  We CARE about your bottom line as much as you do. That’s our philosophy.

The 2021 IECC took effect on January 1, 2023. This code is a ‘flat’ 52 maximum allowable HERS score and this is hard to meet for many dwellings. ERV’s are required as is electirc vehicle charging capability.

For permit submissions after June 30, 2024, the HERS score is a 42 if using fossil fuels and a 45 if one builds an ‘all electric home’.

We cannot stress enough that TOLERANCES have shrunk significantly under the new code, which means builders and their subcontractors that alter the specifications from the HERS reports jeapordize the ability to pass a HERS score. Replacing water heaters, furnaces, and AC units is only one problem: delayed closings combined with equipment replacement could cost thousands of dollars to fix.

We see continued problems with understanding HERS reports as being THE specifications for a home, communication of requirements to window salespeople, suppliers, subcontractors, and others. We increasingly see subcontractors that think they can improve a HERS and do not realize it is a “formula with 15 ingredients” and there is no “silver bullet”. Changing any one HERS specification will only lose you HERS points; you will never gain HERS points from a change initiated by a subcontractor or supplier. No single measure (ingredient) can improve a HERS score by multiple points; at best it might help by 1 point.

We cannot stress enough that a HEAT PUMP is not a panacea (i.e. better than) or a substitute for a 96% furnace (although it is a different fuel source - electrons versus fossil fuels). We have seen a significant increase in heat pump substitutions that cause a loss of 3-5 HERS points for a dwelling.

CORE SERVICES OFFERED

• "The Big 3" - basic code tests we do:

  • Blower Door - building envelope tightness

  • HVAC Duct Leakage - ducted HVAC systems tightness

  • Continuous Mechanical Ventilation - ERVs per current code

• HERS Ratings - needed in Stretch Energy Code towns

• Building Diagnostics for existing buildings