The International Energy Conservation Code, which is updated every three years, serves as the national model energy code and becomes mandatory when adopted by a state or local jurisdiction. When a builder builds a home, he/she has to meet the current energy code (in this case, 2015 IECC code) for the jurisdiction in which the home is located.

To satisfy the 2015 IECC code requirements for blower door testing and air leakage, builders usually enlist the help of certified BPI energy auditors or RESNET HERS Raters.

Do you want to become certified in blower door and duct leakage testing to meet code?

Call us at (800) 460-2575 and we’ll guide you to the training you need to start growing your business and meeting this demand!

There are three ways that builders can meet the 2015 IECC code:

• Prescriptive – provides clear guidelines in the form of a checklist
• Performance – uses REScheck software to offer tradeoff calculations on acceptable insulation, windows, etc.
• Energy Rating Index (ERI) – relies on the Home Energy Rating System (HERS)

The Energy Rating Index is a new compliance path that was introduced with the 2015 version of the IECC code. This option saves the most money because builders can consult the knowledge of a certified professional, such as a HERS Rater.

A HERS Rater is certified to perform home energy audits based on the HERS Index, so he/she can make insightful recommendations on insulation, windows, and equipment to meet code. This option can be viewed as being the most complicated of the three, simply because a builder is relying on the individual expertise of the HERS Rater. Because of the responsibility that this option entails, RESNET HERS Rater training is generally considered a comprehensive and rigorous program. Once an individual earns the HERS Certification, he/she can market their unique skills to builders who are looking for the best bang for their buck on meeting code.

Blower Door & Duct Testing Requirements

The 2015 IECC code requires blower door and duct testing regardless of which option the builder chooses. It is up to the code official in a given jurisdiction to determine whether the person performing the blower door and duct testing needs to be certified. We ask contractors to reach out to their local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) to find out what standards are being mandated and enforced.

A code official may require that air leakage testing be performed by any of the following:

• a contractor or HVAC technician with BPI Certification
• a certified HERS Rater
• a sub-contractor without either certification

This determination varies by jurisdiction, so if you are a builder needing to meet code, reach out to your local code official to identify what is required in your area. Similarly, if you are a general contractor, HVAC technician, home inspector, etc. wanting to gain credibility and new business, you too might want to reach out to your local code official and see what is required in your area. As a contractor, you can then pursue the required certification and work with builders to meet the blower door and duct leakage requirements in the code.

It has been said that code officials look favorably on a builder who uses a HERS Rater because much of the code compliance documentation already gets factored into a HERS Rater’s home assessment. Therefore, using a HERS Rater takes much of the guess work and inspection checklists off the code inspector’s plate and instead rests on the Rater.

Not to mention, RESNET is more rigorous of a home energy auditor certification than BPI, so if a contractor was between the two designations, it might make sense to pursue the more advanced one in an effort to cover all of his or her bases.

States often adopt the latest version of the IECC with modifications and amendments that are suitable to their state’s unique needs, such as climate zone. Municipalities can override the state’s decision, provided that the local jurisdiction’s requirements are more strict. This further supports the need to contact your local code official to know what exactly will be required and enforced in your local area.

A Review of the Roles

Here is a brief run-down of the organizations and people involved in this process.

• International Code Council (ICC) – writes code
• States & Municipalities – enforce code
• Builders – aim to meet code
• Energy Professional – (BPI Building Analyst or HERS Rater) advises builder on how best to meet code
• Code Inspector – determines whether certification is required (and which one – BPI or RESNET) for the person performing blower door and duct leakage testing

States Using 2015 IECC

States do not have to adopt the latest version of the code. There are several states in the U.S. that are lagging behind, either using the 2012 version, 2009 version, or earlier versions. Interestingly, though, as a condition of accepting stimulus funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009, governors of all 50 states offered assurance that (among other things) their states would adopt the 2009 IECC as the minimum energy standard for residential buildings. Carrying that promise a step further, each state agreed to demonstrate 90% compliance with the code by 2017. A recent article from Ryan Boswell discusses how 16 states currently do not have a statewide mandate requiring 2009 IECC.

The thing is, each new version of the IECC recommends stronger energy efficiency requirements and thresholds, which is great news for the industry, for those working in the industry, and for homeowners who reap the benefits of greater energy efficiency (more durable homes with lower energy bills). The 2009 IECC introduced performance testing of duct system leakage. The 2012 IECC started to require whole-house infiltration testing (i.e. blower door testing). And now, the 2015 IECC is even more aggressive about energy efficiency requirements and thresholds.

The following states have adopted the 2015 IECC and are therefore some of the best locations to find HERS Rater jobs or energy-efficient new homes:

• Alabama
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Maryland
• Michigan
• New Jersey
• New York
• New Mexico – amended 2009 IECC to allow HERS Score as a compliance path
• Pennsylvania
• Texas
• Vermont – called Residential Building Energy Standard, is equivalent to 2015 IECC
• Washington

If you’re curious which version of the IECC has been adopted in your area, the best place to visit is energycodes.gov. Make sure that you are on the Residential tab.

If you’re looking to upgrade your skills to include blower door and duct leakage testing, you might consider *either* BPI Certification and/or RESNET HERS Rater Certification. Both programs cover blower door and duct testing. To help narrow down what you actually need, consider whether you’ll be evaluating existing homes (BPI) or new homes (RESNET). You may also want to review the incentive and rebate programs in your area – visit your local utility’s website and search for sections discussing home performance and energy efficiency. When you’re ready for RESNET or BPI training, we’d be happy to help you out!

California has two distinct types of Raters, and they are different from the nationally known RESNET HERS Rater.

• The first is a California Whole House Rater.
• The second is a Compliance Rater that conducts diagnostic testing per Title 24 Energy Code.

A California Whole House Rater that has gone through CalCERTS training can produce RESNET HERS scores only in CA.

A Compliance Rater that has also gone through ENERGY STAR training from any recognized ENERGY STAR training provider (which Everblue is) can conduct ENERGY STAR inspections in CA.

To that latter point: In the spring of 2022, RESNET announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved it as a Home Certification Organization (HCO) for the California ENERGY STAR Homes Program.

Home Certification Organizations (HCOs) are independent organizations recognized by EPA to implement an ENERGY STAR certification program based on ENERGY STAR Certified Homes or the Energy Rating Index (ERI) compliance path of the ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction program.

In partnership with CalCERTS, RESNET worked with the EPA to seek approval as an HCO for the California ENERGY STAR Residential New Construction Program.

Previously, RESNET was approved by EPA as an HCO for ENERGY STAR Homes in every state except California. This recent announcement standardizes the acceptance of RESNET in all states, leaving only this question for aspiring home performance contractors: now should you become a California HERS Rater or earn your BPI Certification?

Should You Become a HERS Rater or BPI Building Analyst?

There are two leading home energy auditing standards in the United States. One was developed by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), and the other was created by the Building Performance Institute (BPI).

In a nutshell, the RESNET HERS Rater designation focuses on new construction and rating the energy efficiency of a proposed home design according to the RESNET Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index. The BPI Building Analyst designation focuses on identifying problem areas in existing homes and providing recommendations to homeowners for retrofit upgrades. On the surface, this sounds like a clear difference, however, the gap between these two certification programs has lessened in the last 5 years – both demonstrate competency in offering home energy audit services, complete with combustion safety testing, blower door testing, duct blaster and air leakage testing, etc.

For a more detailed assessment, check out our previous post on the difference between BPI and RESNET.

If you live in California, and you’re simply looking to become a home energy auditor, you may be more interested in becoming a BPI Building Analyst. The BPI Certification program has far fewer hurdles to jump through than pursuing the RESNET HERS Rater designation. The RESNET Certification program requires ongoing completion of activities for the first year and beyond. The BPI Building Analyst Certification can be achieved much sooner and may be a good foot-in-the-door to adding home energy auditing services to your business.

Starting February 8, 2016, the Michigan Energy Code will adopt the 2015 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (2015 IECC) with “amendments, deletions, and additions deemed necessary for use in Michigan.” The state will be skipping the 2012 IECC, thereby increasing the energy efficiency requirements of its homes by 10-12%. This change will ultimately result in employment opportunities for energy auditors and those with Michigan HERS Rater Certification.

What is the 2015 IECC?

State building codes exist to provide a standard set of guidelines for all builders, to protect the affordability of homes, and to support enhanced energy efficiency and durability.

A new building code launches every three years, though states are not required to adopt the latest version. Michigan, for example, had been working from the 2009 version until February 2016, when it upgraded to 2015 IECC. The IECC is just one component of the state building code, as it specifically refers to residential energy efficiency only.

What Does This Change Mean?

The 2015 IECC includes an option for builders to use RESNET’s Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index as a compliance path to meet code. This allows builders a flexible alternative compared to the current codes. The builder will be able to bring in a third-party professional, such as a someone with Michigan HERS Rater Certification, to rate their homes based on the HERS Index. This rating gives the builder and the homeowner a score that represents the total estimated energy use of a given home compared to a standard home.

This is a great news for builders, home buyers, and anyone related to the construction industry. It confirms the importance of energy efficiency in this country.

What we will likely see is an increase of professionals – home inspectors, general contractors, HVAC technicians, and insulation contractors – who choose to become a certified HERS Rater and use the blower door and duct leakage thresholds set by the RESNET standards to help builders meet code.

In short, now is a great time for these home performance professionals to add onto their existing business strategy and gain more work with Michigan HERS Rater Certification!

How Can I Benefit from This Change?

We’ve heard that many builders in West Michigan are already using and marketing the HERS Score on their homes, so the best way to become part of this growing industry is to become a certified HERS Rater yourself!

HERS Raters are responsible for evaluating the internal and external conditions of a home. They analyze how a building was designed and constructed, looking for opportunities for enhanced energy efficiency. HERS Raters are trained to perform diagnostic tests on multiple systems within the home and input their findings into computer software to receive a score (based on the Home Energy Rating System). This score compares the proposed home design to that of a house built to code. This score gives appraisers, realtors, and home buyers a snapshot of how energy efficient the home is.

Everblue offers RESNET HERS Rater training. Get started now by enrolling in a course or by giving us a call at (800) 460-2575.

* On a side note, we’ve seen an increased interest in BPI Certification in Michigan. Does anyone know what’s driving that? Remember that, on a highly simplistic level, BPI Certification generally refers to retrofitting existing homes, while RESNET HERS Rater Certification is more about evaluating new homes. If your work tends to learn more toward new construction and you want to get in on the Michigan building code changes, you might want to consider the RESNET HERS Rater training!

The Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) recently announced that Congress extended the 45L federal tax credit for 2015 and 2016 as part of an omnibus tax incentive and spending bill.

The existing homes credit (25C) is extended for the same period. This is great news for builders and HERS Raters, as it shows that Congress recognizes the importance of building energy-efficient homes. By extending this tax credit, we can expect that the market for home energy auditing will continue to thrive. We’ve talked at length about the rebate programs sponsored by local utilities and how the building codes are also incorporating energy efficiency into the requirements. These tax credits are yet another incentive for builders and contractors to pursue residential energy efficiency.

RESNET staff noted that the next step is to reform the 45L federal tax credit to give it a whole-house performance credit based on the 2015 IECC Energy Rating Index, which is more dependable for builders. RESNET has been busy educating Congressional committee staff on this. A breakout session on this effort will be presented at the 2016 RESNET Building Performance Conference.

We’re pleased that Congress sees the benefits of energy-efficient housing and has allowed for this respectable industry to grow.

If you are a builder looking to learn more about home energy efficiency, consider expanding your skill set and earning a home energy auditor certification such as the RESNET HERS Rater or BPI Building Analyst. Put simply, RESNET HERS Rater Certification focuses on new homes, whereas BPI Certification is great for contractors who work on retrofitting existing homes. For a more detailed explanation of the two designations, please check out this post: Difference Between BPI and RESNET.

Everblue is a leading training provider of RESNET HERS Rater Certification and BPI Certification. To discuss your career goals, give us a call at (800) 460-2575.