Home Energy Rater Training Agenda

Goals: Attendees should complete the training with the following skills:

• Understanding of the purpose and benefits of Home Energy Ratings, and ability to communicate these to potential customers.
• Understanding basics of Energy Efficient Mortgages, Energy Improvement Mortgages, Energy Star Homes program, and related products and ability to communicate these to potential customers.
• Ability to produce accurate and unbiased Home Energy Ratings, from building plans and from field inspection of existing homes.
• Ability to perform the infield inspections and diagnostics necessary to produce a Home Energy Rating, including blower door leakage testing and duct leakage testing
• Ability to operate REM/Rate rating software and produce the required reports.
• Understanding of the follow-up and process required for completion of the rating and loan process.
• Understanding of the goals, services and responsibilities of membership in NE-HERS.

9:00 - 9:15 Introductions and Overview

• Introductions
• Objectives
• Agenda
• Manual/Handouts

9:15 -10:45 Basic Energy Concepts

• House as a system concepts
• Energy and moisture transfer
• Basic terms and units
• Ventilation and indoor air quality

11:00-12:30 Defining the thermal envelope

• Insulation types and applications
• Theoretical and real world performance
• Windows
• Basic energy load calculations

Lunch

1:30 - 3:30 Diagnostics

• Blower door envelope leakage testing
• Concepts and terms
• Air leakage problems and solutions in houses
• Practice setup in classroom

3: 45- 5:00 Diagnostics

• Duct leakage testing
• Concepts and terms
• Equipment overview in classroom

8:30 AM Carpool to field site for diagnostics practice

• Walk through
• General questions

9:00 - 11:30 Hands-on practice with blower door and duct blaster

1:00 - 1:30 Homework Review and Debriefing from field appointment

1:30 - 3:30 HVAC Systems

• Heating and cooling priorities
• Equipment efficiencies
• System sizing and design

3:45 - 4:30

• Duct leakage and duct sealing
• Water heating equipment
• Combustion and venting basics

4:30 - 5:00 Advanced Insulation Techniques

Day Three

8:30 - 9:00 Homework Review - Home Energy Ratings

• Overview of minimum Rated Features
• RESNET and the HERS standards
• REM/Rate and the HERS rating scale

9:00 - 10:45 REM/Rate introduction

• Initializing building file with project information; default building file
• Detailed input screens, general building information
• Site location
• Energy cost / library
• Introduce house plans for data entry
• Reference to area calculation guide Appendix B
• Introduce Rating Guidelines (Manual Chapter 4)

10:45 - 12:00 REM/Rate data entry from Plans

• Building information
• Foundation wall
• Slab floor
• Frame floor
• Rim/band joist
• Above grade walls
• Above grade wall library, review of parallel heat path concept

Lunch

1:00 - 3:30 REM/Rate data entry continued

• Windows
• Doors
• Ceiling
• Skylights
• Mechanical systems - Heating, Cooling, Water heating
• Ducts
• Infiltration/ventilation
• Lights and appliances
• Interior mass
• Solar, sunspace, other

3: 45 - 4:30 REM data and reports

• Group review of REM data and HERS score
• Basic rating reports

4:30 - 5:00 On-site Inspections

• Assessment of existing homes
• Data collection guidelines
• New Construction final rating & form
• Post-installation inspection & form
• Insulation assessment
• Prep for in-field data collection

Day Four

8:30 AM Carpool to field site to rate house

• Walk through
• General questions

9:00 - 11:30 On site data collection

• Individual activity: fill out data collection form (teams of two)
• Group activity: blower door test, duct testing if appropriate

Lunch and return to classroom

1:00 - 3:00 Homework Review - REM data and reports

• Group review of REM data and HERS score
• Basic rating reports and analysis

3:15 - 5:00 Improvement analysis and reports

• Improvement analysis for upgrades
• NE-HERS Reports
• Types of Energy Mortgages
• Lender reporting requirements
• Installations and bid requirements

Day Five

8:30 - 5:00 One-on-one field testing and exam preparation day

Each student will spend approximately one hour conducting a rating and blower door test in the presence of a trainer, as required by RESNET for rater certification.

The rest of the day students are encouraged to prepare for the rater exam by reviewing materials on their own or in small groups.

Day Six

8:30 - 9:15 NE-HERS Overview

• NE-HERS, organizational structure and accreditation
• Services offered
• Rater responsibilities
• Business Opportunities
• NE-HERS marketing Materials
• Communicating benefits of energy improvements to consumers

9:15 - 9:45 NE-HERS Policies and Procedures

• Rater policies
• Code of Ethics
• Notice of Disclosure
• Quality Control system and responsibilities
• Rating database and reporting requirements

9:45 - 11:30 Exam Review

• Tie up any other loose ends

Lunch

1:00 - 4:00 Certification Test