Ekotrope is ANSI / RESNET Accredited

Back in March 2014, ANSI announced their approval of a revised RESNET® National HERS Index Standard. This new Standard is set to take effect on January 1, 2016. The changes associated with it will affect the calculations of HERS Ratings, so in order to maintain HERS Accreditation, each HERS Accredited Software Provider was required to make the necessary updates to their HERS calculation algorithm. Ekotrope submitted for Re-accreditation in August 2015 and the application was approved by Steve Baden and the RESNET Technical Committee on September 1, 2015. HERS Providers will be required to switch to the new versions of their HERS Software Tools that comply with the ANSI/RESNET Standards by January 1, 2016.

Major Changes

The major changes all HERS Accredited Software Tools were required to make include the following:

• Incorporation of hot water distribution system characteristics - Builders will now be able to improve the HERS scores of their homes if they take measures to reduce hot water use. These measures could include low flow fixtures, shorter piping runs, insulated hot water pipes, drain water heat recovery systems, etc.

• User-facing validation of certain fields to improve consistency across HERS Raters and guard against erroneous inputs.

• New air infiltration values for the HERS reference home.

What This Means for Builders

This means a few important things for builders. First, HERS Index Scores will change slightly when your Rater starts using the new version of their software tool!  Though this will differ depending on your region, home characteristics, and HERS software, general consensus is that HERS Index Scores will increase slightly (1 - 3 pts). It is also possible that your HERS Rater will need to switch their software tool. You may want to ensure that your HERS Rater is aware of these changes to avoid any lapse in service. And finally, you can now get credit in your HERS Index for design improvements that help save hot water!