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A comprehensive manual for hers (home energy rating system) raters, providing detailed information and answers to 89 questions related to various aspects of home energy efficiency assessment. The manual covers a wide range of topics, including unit conversions, energy calculations, construction techniques, building envelope components, heating and cooling systems, and the responsibilities of a hers rater. It serves as a valuable resource for individuals seeking to become certified hers raters or those looking to deepen their understanding of residential energy efficiency. Clear and concise explanations, along with step-by-step solutions to the presented questions, making it a useful tool for both training and reference purposes.
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250 Pascals is how many inches of water gauge? - answer ✅✅1 Pascal = 0.004 inches at sea level 250 Pascals = 0.004*250 inches at sea level = 1 inch at sea level
A homeowner has paid for 17 CCF of natural gas on their monthly bill. How many Btu's did they use? - answer ✅✅1 CCF = 102,000 Btu's 17 CCF = 17 x 102,000 = 1,734, Adiabatic walls are found in what type of construction? - answer ✅✅Multifamily An air source heat pump? - answer ✅✅7.8 HSPF heating mode, 13 SEER cooling mode Can any energy analysis software be used to produce a HERS rating? - answer ✅✅No -- The software must be a RESNET accredited software tool. Describe a "Section View" - answer ✅✅A sectional view is like looking at a slice of the house. It shows the details of the construction as well as the relationships between floors/ceilings and header heights Do thermal breaks in metal framed windows raise or lower the U-factor? - answer ✅✅Lowers the U-factor.
How is the HSPF calculated? - answer ✅✅Btu's of heating / watts of electricity to produce the heating How is the SEER calculated? - answer ✅✅Btu's of cooling / watts of electricity to produce the cooling How many gallons of mid-grade gasoline equal the energy content of 1 cord of apple wood? - answer ✅✅1 MMBtu = 1,000,000 Btu 28.72 MMBtu = 28,720,000 Btu 1 gallon of mid-grade gasoline = 125,000 Btu 28,720,000 Btu / 125,000 Btu = 229.76 gallons of mid-grade gasoline 1 gallon of gasoline = 0.125 MMBtu 28.72 / 0.125 = 229.76 gallons of gasoline How many kWh are in 14,000 Btu's? - answer ✅✅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? - answer ✅✅1 CCF of natural gas = 1 therm 18 CCF of natural gas = 18 therms
How many therms? - answer ✅✅1 CCF of natural gas = 1 therm 17 CCF of natural gas = 17 therms How many tons of lignite coal would it take to equal the energy content of 1 cord of Pinon Pine? - answer ✅✅1 cord of Pinon Pine = 33. MMBtu 1 ton of lignite coal = 13.95 MMBtu 33.50 MMBtu / 13.95 MMBtu = 2.4 tons of lignite coal How much energy consumption is typically accounted for by lights and appliances? - answer ✅✅20% of the home's energy consumption. How much heat flows through that wall if the interior temperature is 70°F and the outside temperature is 34°F? - answer ✅✅Q = U x A x ∆T Q = 0.0578 x 105 x 36 Q = 218 Btu/hr How much heat flows through that window if the interior temperature is 73°F and the outside temperature is 45°F? - answer ✅✅Q = U x A x ∆T Q = 0.43 x 15 x 28 Q = 181 Btu/hr
If the builder were to insulate along the gabled roofline and condition this attic, what would the conditioned attic volume be? - answer ✅✅Volume = area x length Volume = 1/2 base x height x length Volume = 1/2 x 28 x 9.3 x 44 Volume = 14 x 9.3 x 44 Volume = 5,728.8 ft3 (I'd probably use 5,729) If this home is built upon a slab foundation, what is the slab perimeter? - answer ✅✅(28' + 44') x 2 = 144' Is a Home Energy Rater required to verify compliance with the local energy code? - answer ✅✅No - The rater is not required to determine compliance with regulatory requirements such as construction codes. Is a Rater required to perform Manual J load calculations? - answer ✅✅No - The Rater is not required to offer or perform HVAC system design or sizing consultation. Is advanced framing a recent invention? - answer ✅✅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).
Is it important to include the orientation of the home on the elevation sketches? If so, why? - answer ✅✅Yes, to match window areas up with overhangs and orientation. Is it necessary to have scaled sketches to produce a HERS Rating? - answer ✅✅NO Supply leaks cause the house to be under what type of pressure with respect to the outside? - answer ✅✅Negative What are some of the responsibilities of a HERS Rater? - answer ✅✅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. What are the 3 types of heat transfer? - answer ✅✅Convective, conductive, and radiant What are the differences between a crawlspace and a basement? - answer ✅✅Crawlspaces are 4' tall or less.
What can cause magnetic deviation? - answer ✅✅Being close to belt buckles, cell phones, metal objects or other devices or tools that have electromagnetic fields What can good elevation sketches tell us? - answer ✅✅A good elevation sketch can show us the window and door areas, location, orientation, and any overhangs that may be present What conditions have to exist for ductwork to be considered completely inside conditioned space? - answer ✅✅100% inside the building envelope AND 100% visible to the conditioned space. What construction document will likely have the material properties of a building material? - answer ✅✅Specifications What construction document would they typically be found on? - answer ✅✅Construction drawings What do HERS Providers provide? - answer ✅✅They provide software, oversight, marketing assistance, and quality assurance for the Rater. What does the acronym SHGC mean? - answer ✅✅Solar Heat Gain Coefficient
What does the blower door test measure? - answer ✅✅Air infiltration is measured with the blower door at an elevated test pressure. What information should be recorded on a sketch when windows are being sketched? - answer ✅✅Width, height & distance from corner What is a British thermal unit? - answer ✅✅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. What is included in the perimeter measurement? What is not included? - answer ✅✅Projections (such as cantilevered floors) at floor level. Chimney bump-outs, bay windows, garden windows are not included. What is the "energy" definition of a kneewall? - answer ✅✅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). What is the 1st Law of Thermodynamics? - answer ✅✅The total energy in the universe is constant and cannot be created nor destroyed, but is transferred by heating, cooling, or mechanical work.
What is the code default SHGC value for a vinyl framed, single glazed tinted window? - answer ✅✅0. What is the code default U-factor for a metal framed, double paned window? - answer ✅✅0. What is the conditioned square footage of this case study home? - answer ✅✅Conditioned square footage = (28 ft × 44 ft) - (8'7" x 6') Conditioned square footage = 1,232 ft2 - (8.58 x 6) Conditioned square footage = 1,232 ft2 - 51. Conditioned square footage = 1,180.5 square feet What is the exterior wall area? - answer ✅✅Perimeter = 28 ft + 28 ft + 44 ft + 44 ft Perimeter = (28 x 2) + (44 x 2) Perimeter = 56 + 88 Perimeter = 144' Area of walls = Perimeter × Ceiling height = 144 ft × 9 ft
= 1,296 ft What is the minimum efficiency rating for a natural gas furnace? - answer ✅✅78% AFUE What is the order of priority for the 4 water transport mechanisms? - answer ✅✅Bulk water, capillarity, infiltration, diffusion. What is the pitch of the gabled roof? - answer ✅✅Pitch is 33.7° What is the volume of this home? - answer ✅✅Volume = Conditioned square footage × Ceiling height = 1,180.5 ft2 × 9 ft = 10,624.5 ft What is the window area? What is the door area? What is the net wall area of this home? - answer ✅✅Gross wall area = 144' x 9' = 1,296 sq ft Window area = ((5'4" x 5'2") x 3) + ((2'8" x 5'2") x 4) + (2'8" x 3'6") + (((3' x 6'8")/2) x2) = 167.1 sq ft Door area = ((3' x 6'8") x 2) / 2 = 20 x 2 / 2 = 20 square feet (remember, the front and rear doors are half glass!)
Where do slabs lose heat? - answer ✅✅Off their exposed edges Where do you find the efficiency ratings for boilers? - answer ✅✅AHRI directory Where do you find the efficiency ratings for heat pumps? - answer ✅✅Air conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) Where do you find the performance information on windows? - answer ✅✅NFRC Label Which direction is indicated by a compass? - answer ✅✅Magnetic North Which view shows horizontal dimensions? - answer ✅✅Plan view Which view shows vertical dimensions? - answer ✅✅Elevation view Which view would indicate the insulation levels? - answer ✅✅Section View
Who is supposed to use the construction specifications? - answer ✅✅The construction manager and trade contractors. Why are overhang dimensions important? - answer ✅✅To determine the amount of solar shading over the windows Why was RESNET created and by whom? - answer ✅✅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. Window dimensions would be found in what type of note? - answer ✅✅General note or schedule Your significant other is standing next to a north facing window on a cold winter night, bitterly complaining about catching a chill. What type of heat transfer is occurring? - answer ✅✅Radiation
