Become a Home Energy Rater for Residential New Construction Projects

Mass Save’s Massachusetts Residential New Construction Program offers incentives for building energy efficient homes (new construction, additions, and renovations, three stories or less). Projects are eligible to participate if they are located within a Mass Save Sponsor's service territory.

Participants work with approved, independent HERS Rating companies to enroll into the Program and verify that projects meet the Program’s energy efficiency requirements.

A certified Home Energy Rater is a person trained and certified by an accredited Home Energy Rating Provider to inspect and evaluate a home’s energy features, prepare a home’s energy rating, and make recommendations for improvements that will save the homeowner energy and money.

Benefits of Adding Home Energy Rating Certification to Your Business

• Gain the ability to find building flaws that can cause discomfort, high energy bills, moisture problems and indoor air quality problems by using state of the art diagnostic tools.
• Help builders reap the benefits of energy efficiency incentives and state and federal tax credits.
• Be able to evaluate both new and existing homes using cutting edge energy analysis software.
• Create or expand your business by selling home comfort and diagnostic services.
• Develop a sound understanding of building science principles and residential energy use.
• Help your builder clients to qualify for such programs as ENERGY STAR®, federal tax credits, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Builders Challenge, LEED Homes, NAHB’s Green Building Program, and innovative mortgage financing.

How to Become a Home Energy Rater

• 1 Attend Rater Training classes.

• First, locate an accredited Energy Rater Training organization. The organizations are listed on the Residential Energy Services Network’s (RESNET) website.
• It is a good idea to begin preparing early for rater training by studying the materials recommended by the training organization you have selected.
• You may want to consider participating in an online test preparation class. Read more about preparing for the RESNET rater test.
• Though you do not have to attend a class to take the test, it is highly recommended. You do, however, need to complete five probationary energy ratings and take the test the first time in the presence of a Rater Trainer.
• Should you decide to attend training, you should be prepared for an intensive week of learning building science principles and incorporating that knowledge into the actual practice of conducting onsite home energy inspections and preparing home energy ratings.
• All candidates must pass the RESNET National Rater Test with 40 out of 55 questions correct..
• If you do not pass the Rater test the first time, there are proctoring guidelines from RESNET detailing how you can retake the test in your own neighborhood.
  
  

• 2 Perform five probationary ratings through a Rating Provider.

• The Energy Rating industry is governed by RESNET and is structured to ensure a high level of quality assurance. With that in mind, energy raters must work through a Rating Provider, who is responsible for their quality assurance.
• An accredited Rating Provider will assist new Raters in conducting and submitting their required 5 additional probationary ratings.
• After completing these probationary ratings and passing the Rater test successfully, the chosen Rating Provider will issue a document stating you have passed the course work necessary to become a HERS Certified Rater.
  
  

• 3 Contract with a RESNET accredited Rating Provider.

• Home Energy Raters are ultimately certified by RESNET‐accredited Rating Providers rather than RESNET per se.
• The accredited Rating Providers are listed on the RESNET website under “National Registry of Accredited Rating Providers”.
• You will want to seek out a Rating Provider who will provide you with a high level of assistance and will help you to develop a successful rating business.
• Choose a provider carefully since they offer widely varying levels of service with regard to technical support, business development, and business management tools. Be sure to discuss with your prospective provider whether or not they service raters other than those they have trained. In other words, are they willing to certify independent raters not trained by them? Also remember you have options for a Rating Provider that are not located in your state. Many companies certify Raters to provide rating services outside of the state in which they are headquartered. Not all Rating Providers have the same cost structure and business model. Make sure that you are comfortable with the services provided and costs charged.
• You will need to sign a Rater Agreement outlining the responsibilities and obligations for both the Rater and the Rating Provider; this is detailed in the RESNET Standards.
• Once you have signed with a Rater Provider, the Provider will assign you a unique number and issue you your certification.
• RESNET Standards require the Rating Provider to perform quality assurance “desk audits” on a minimum of 10% of all energy ratings and follow up field inspections on a minimum of 1% of your ratings. The Rating Provider, following RESNET’s standards, establishes the timing by which these quality assurance requirements are completed.
• All of these additional processes typically require fees that are paid by the Rater to the Rating Provider.

For More Information

Please visit the Residential Energy Services Network’s (RESNET) website.