HERS Rater Exam Questions and
Answers
What do HERS Providers provide? - Correct Answers -They provide software, oversight,
marketing assistance, and quality assurance for the Rater.
What role does a HERS Trainer play? - Correct Answers -The Trainer trains Raters on how
to perform HERS ratings.
What are some of the responsibilities of a HERS Rater? - Correct Answers -The Rater's
responsibilities include inspecting and testing the minimum rated features of the home,
entering the data into a RESNET accredited software tool, and providing the client with
reports generated by the software.
Why was RESNET created and by whom? - Correct Answers -RESNET was created to
use a scoring system that could compare the energy use of different houses with each
other on a level playing field. It was created to oversee the HERS industry, provide
standards for accreditation of Raters, Providers and Trainers, ethics and protocols for
inspection, testing and software analysis. It was created by the National Association of
State Energy Officers (NASEO) and Energy Rated Homes of America.
What are the minimum rated features of a home? - Correct Answers -The minimum rated
features of a home include but are not limited to the foundation, walls, roof-ceiling, rim joist,
doors, windows, skylights, air infiltration, heating and cooling equipment, heating and
cooling distribution system, duct leakage, domestic water heating, passive solar design,
and solar water heating.
Can any energy analysis software be used to produce a HERS rating? - Correct Answers -
No -- The software must be a RESNET accredited software tool.
Is a Home Energy Rater required to verify compliance with the local energy code? - Correct
Answers -No - The rater is not required to determine compliance with regulatory
requirements such as construction codes.
If a Rater enters an existing home to perform inspections and testing and the owner's 9 foot
Burmese python is loose, does the Rater have to complete the inspection and testing? -
, Correct Answers -No - The Rater is not required to enter any area or perform any
procedure that is likely to be dangerous to the Rater.
Is a Rater required to perform Manual J load calculations? - Correct Answers -No - The
Rater is not required to offer or perform HVAC system design or sizing consultation.
What is a British thermal unit? - Correct Answers -A British thermal unit (Btu) is the amount
of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water on degree Fahrenheit at
sea level when the water is 39.2°F.
A homeowner has paid for 17 CCF of natural gas on their monthly bill. How many Btu's did
they use? - Correct Answers -1 CCF = 102,000 Btu's
17 CCF = 17 x 102,000 = 1,734,000
How many therms? - Correct Answers -1 CCF of natural gas = 1 therm
17 CCF of natural gas = 17 therms
How many kWh are in 14,000 Btu's? - Correct Answers -1 kWh = 3,413 Btu's
14,000 Btu's / 3,413 Btu's = 4.1 kWh
How many therms are in 18 CCF of natural gas? - Correct Answers -1 CCF of natural gas =
1 therm
18 CCF of natural gas = 18 therms
What is the building envelope? - Correct Answers -The building envelope is an air barrier
and thermal boundary that are continuous and touching and separate conditioned space
from unconditioned space or the outside.
Is advanced framing a recent invention? - Correct Answers -It has been around for a really
long time (Examples of advanced framing techniques have been seen in houses built in
the 1920s in Anniston, Alabama).
What is the "energy" definition of a kneewall? - Correct Answers -Attic kneewalls are any
wall that separate unconditioned attic space from conditioned space. They have to be
accounted for differently in the take-offs and modeling because they have different
boundary conditions (hell on one side, heaven on the other).
250 Pascals is how many inches of water gauge? - Correct Answers -1 Pascal = 0.004
inches at sea level
250 Pascals = 0.004*250 inches at sea level
= 1 inch at sea level
How many gallons of mid-grade gasoline equal the energy content of 1 cord of apple
wood? - Correct Answers -1 MMBtu = 1,000,000 Btu
28.72 MMBtu = 28,720,000 Btu
1 gallon of mid-grade gasoline = 125,000 Btu
Answers
What do HERS Providers provide? - Correct Answers -They provide software, oversight,
marketing assistance, and quality assurance for the Rater.
What role does a HERS Trainer play? - Correct Answers -The Trainer trains Raters on how
to perform HERS ratings.
What are some of the responsibilities of a HERS Rater? - Correct Answers -The Rater's
responsibilities include inspecting and testing the minimum rated features of the home,
entering the data into a RESNET accredited software tool, and providing the client with
reports generated by the software.
Why was RESNET created and by whom? - Correct Answers -RESNET was created to
use a scoring system that could compare the energy use of different houses with each
other on a level playing field. It was created to oversee the HERS industry, provide
standards for accreditation of Raters, Providers and Trainers, ethics and protocols for
inspection, testing and software analysis. It was created by the National Association of
State Energy Officers (NASEO) and Energy Rated Homes of America.
What are the minimum rated features of a home? - Correct Answers -The minimum rated
features of a home include but are not limited to the foundation, walls, roof-ceiling, rim joist,
doors, windows, skylights, air infiltration, heating and cooling equipment, heating and
cooling distribution system, duct leakage, domestic water heating, passive solar design,
and solar water heating.
Can any energy analysis software be used to produce a HERS rating? - Correct Answers -
No -- The software must be a RESNET accredited software tool.
Is a Home Energy Rater required to verify compliance with the local energy code? - Correct
Answers -No - The rater is not required to determine compliance with regulatory
requirements such as construction codes.
If a Rater enters an existing home to perform inspections and testing and the owner's 9 foot
Burmese python is loose, does the Rater have to complete the inspection and testing? -
, Correct Answers -No - The Rater is not required to enter any area or perform any
procedure that is likely to be dangerous to the Rater.
Is a Rater required to perform Manual J load calculations? - Correct Answers -No - The
Rater is not required to offer or perform HVAC system design or sizing consultation.
What is a British thermal unit? - Correct Answers -A British thermal unit (Btu) is the amount
of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water on degree Fahrenheit at
sea level when the water is 39.2°F.
A homeowner has paid for 17 CCF of natural gas on their monthly bill. How many Btu's did
they use? - Correct Answers -1 CCF = 102,000 Btu's
17 CCF = 17 x 102,000 = 1,734,000
How many therms? - Correct Answers -1 CCF of natural gas = 1 therm
17 CCF of natural gas = 17 therms
How many kWh are in 14,000 Btu's? - Correct Answers -1 kWh = 3,413 Btu's
14,000 Btu's / 3,413 Btu's = 4.1 kWh
How many therms are in 18 CCF of natural gas? - Correct Answers -1 CCF of natural gas =
1 therm
18 CCF of natural gas = 18 therms
What is the building envelope? - Correct Answers -The building envelope is an air barrier
and thermal boundary that are continuous and touching and separate conditioned space
from unconditioned space or the outside.
Is advanced framing a recent invention? - Correct Answers -It has been around for a really
long time (Examples of advanced framing techniques have been seen in houses built in
the 1920s in Anniston, Alabama).
What is the "energy" definition of a kneewall? - Correct Answers -Attic kneewalls are any
wall that separate unconditioned attic space from conditioned space. They have to be
accounted for differently in the take-offs and modeling because they have different
boundary conditions (hell on one side, heaven on the other).
250 Pascals is how many inches of water gauge? - Correct Answers -1 Pascal = 0.004
inches at sea level
250 Pascals = 0.004*250 inches at sea level
= 1 inch at sea level
How many gallons of mid-grade gasoline equal the energy content of 1 cord of apple
wood? - Correct Answers -1 MMBtu = 1,000,000 Btu
28.72 MMBtu = 28,720,000 Btu
1 gallon of mid-grade gasoline = 125,000 Btu
