RESNET - The American Building Performance Rating System
What is RESNET?
- An industry not-for-profit membership corporation
- A national standards making body for building energy efficiency
rating systems
Who recognizes RESNET Standards?
- Mortgage industry for capitalizing energy efficiency in mortgages
- Financial industry for certification of "white tags"
- Federal government for verification of building energy performance
for:
- Federal tax credit qualification
- EPA ENERGY STAR labeled homes
- U.S. Department of Energy Building America program
- States for minimum code compliance in 16 states
What are the results of a rating?
- A relative energy use index called the HERS® Index - a HERS Index
of 100 represents the energy use of the "American Standard Building"
and an Index of 0 (zero) indicates that the Proposed Building uses no
net purchased energy (a Zero Energy Building)
- A set of rater recommendations for cost-effective improvements
that can be achieved by the Rated Building
How is the HERS Index calculated?
- Proposed (or As-built) Building and the Standard Building are modeled using accredited building simulation software tools and the results are ratioed (Proposed divided by Standard times 100)
- Software accreditation is achieved by passing a battery of software verification tests developed by U.S. National Laboratories and RESNET
- Software is required to automatically generate the Standard
Building using only the input form the Proposed Building (i.e.
software users have no control over the configuration and modeling of
the Standard Building)
- Configuration and modeling parameters for the Standard Building
are carefully and completely specified as a modeling "rule set."
How are RESNET Standards developed?
- RESNET accepts proposals for new or revised Standards provisions
from any interested party
- Proposed Standard provisions are reviewed by appropriate RESNET's
Standing Committee with recommendations to RESNET Board of Directors
to accept, accept with modification or deny
- Proposed standards provisions are posted to RESNET web site for
public comment for a minimum of 30 days
- Public comment reconciled by appropriate RESNET Standing Committee
with recommendation to Board of Directors
- Board of Directors votes on recommendations of Standing Committee
- Proposed Standards provisions put before the RESNET Standards
revision committee for approval or denial.
How are Raters Certified?
- Knowledge base and skill sets defined by RESNET Standards
- Training Providers are accredited by RESNET
- Curricula approval
- Instructors certified by RESNET (must pass examination)
- Rater candidates must pass national online test
- Rater candidates must perform 5 ratings under the supervision of
certified rater
- Rater may then be certified by RESNET accredited Rating Provider
How does RESNET provide for quality assurance within the Rating
industry?
- Each Rating Provider must employ a certified Quality Assurance
Designee
- Quality Assurance Designee must independently verify internal
consistency of a minimum 10% of all building input files
- Quality Assurance Designee must independently field verify the
accuracy of a minimum of 1% of each certified Rater's homes
- RESNET monitors the Rating Providers compliance with quality
assurance requirements
