Practice Test Geeks(HERS) Certified Home Energy Rating System Rater Practice Test
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Index and Ratings Flashcards

7 cards from real HERS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Index and Ratings flashcards as text

  1. Which ENERGY STAR certification pathway for new homes relies directly on the HERS Index as the primary compliance metric?

    Answer: ENERGY STAR Performance Pathway

    The ENERGY STAR Performance Pathway uses the HERS Index score as the primary metric to determine whether a new home qualifies.

  2. A HERS rater is told a home has an infiltration rate of 3.5 ACH50. How does this value factor into the HERS Index?

    Answer: It is used to calculate heat loss/gain from air leakage, affecting the energy score

    ACH50 is used in HERS software to calculate the energy impact of air infiltration on heating and cooling loads.

  3. What is the significance of the HERS Index value of 130?

    Answer: It indicates the home uses 30% more energy than the 2006 IECC reference home

    A HERS Index above 100 means the home uses more energy than the reference home; a score of 130 indicates 30% more energy use.

  4. In HERS ratings, what is the 'rated home' compared against to generate the index score?

    Answer: A computer model of the same home built to the RESNET reference specifications

    The rated home is compared against a reference version of that same home modeled to RESNET/ICC 301 specifications to produce the index.

  5. A HERS rater discovers that a home's HVAC ducts are entirely within conditioned space. What is the likely effect on the HERS Index?

    Answer: The HERS Index may decrease because duct losses to unconditioned space are eliminated

    Ducts located entirely within conditioned space eliminate thermal losses to unconditioned areas, improving system efficiency and lowering the HERS Index.

  6. Which software tool is most commonly used by HERS raters to calculate the HERS Index for residential buildings?

    Answer: REM/Rate or equivalent RESNET-approved rating software

    HERS raters use RESNET-approved software such as REM/Rate or equivalent tools that meet RESNET/ICC 301 calculation requirements.

  7. A homeowner wants to improve their HERS rating from 72 to 55. Which measure is most likely to produce the largest single improvement?

    Answer: Air sealing the building envelope to reduce infiltration from 8 ACH50 to 3 ACH50

    Significantly reducing air infiltration through envelope air sealing typically yields large energy savings and a meaningful drop in the HERS Index.