Home Energy Raters

WSU Background

The Washington State University (WSU) Energy Program has over four decades of strong experience in energy efficiency research, programs, and technologies for the residential sector, as well as other sectors (commercial, institutional, and industrial), including:

Trainings
Developing publications and software tools
Performing energy audits, including advanced energy performance modeling
Field research
New and emerging technology assessments
Regional and national technical support hotlines

Home Energy Raters

The WSU Energy Program has served as a RESNET® Provider since 2005, supporting dozens of home energy raters in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Our staff supports home efficiency raters by:

Reviewing all raters’ home efficiency modeling and documentation and performing rigorous file and on-site field QA reviews on the required percentage of all of their rated homes.
Answering raters’ questions on modeling, performance testing, building science, and other technical aspects tied into residential energy efficiency.
Offering online and on-site trainings.
Tracking rater RESNET® credentials (professional development and equipment recalibration) to ensure that all of our raters and their equipment are fully capable of providing reliable ratings.
Providing highly competitive pricing - with no annual provider fee, and free file quality assurance (QA) for raters in the Pacific Northwest. Field QA fees vary with a rater’s annual rating volume, and is free for higher volume raters.
Publishing NW Rater News with information on rating tips, rating requirements, and events - helping raters to streamline their inspections and modeling, improve their accuracy, and grow their business. To subscribe to our Newsletter click here

Certified Home Energy Raters (HERS)

This list provides contact information for certified home energy raters in Washington who meet the minimum requirements as defined by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) Mortgage Industry National Home Rating Standards, and operate under the rating providership of the WSU Energy Program.

Benefits - Home Efficiency to Builders

For builders, independent home energy efficiency certifications add credible validation to builders’ efficiency claims, which is important to prospective buyers, since it assures them that their new home will:

Cost less to operate - due to lower utility bills,
Be eligible for incentives from utilities and other organizations,
Have healthier indoor air quality - due to controlled ventilation and lack of duct and envelope leaks,
Mean fewer call-backs - due to comfort, performance and deterioration issues,
Be more capable of achieving a net zero energy status - due to lower electrical loads,
Be eligible for lower financing costs,
Help them do their part to protect the environment.

Builders can have raters generate house specific four-page color brochures that explain the significance of home energy rating scores, as well as the benefits noted above.

For builders, a lower HERS rating score may also qualify the home for utility incentives and a federal home efficiency tax credit per home or low-rise apartment that demonstrates a 50 percent energy savings compared with a 2006 home built to code. Additional certification programs that the WSU Energy Program supports allow a builder - through rating processes - to further validate their homes’ superior performance and possibly qualify them for additional incentives or certifications. These include:

Home Energy Rater Support

Rating Review and Registration
File and Field Quality Assurance Reviews
Modeling Software
Customized Technical Support
Rater Credentials Monitoring and Tracking

Trainings

The WSU Energy Program provides RESNET and ENERGY STAR approved trainings to help people become certified home energy raters and then to expand their careers with additional certifications. For more information about upcoming trainings click here.

RESNET® HERS Training

For anyone with an interest in learning how to become a RESNET home energy rater that is certified to provide an official energy efficiency score and national certifications, this training is the first step. Read more here or download the info graphic.

ENERGY STAR® Single and Multifamily New Construction

Single Family and Multifamily New Construction training is required for any home energy raters who have not been through the ENERGY STAR® training prior to certifying homes as ENERGY STAR eligible. Read more about training version requirements here. WSU Energy Program offers these courses please visit our training information page for upcoming training.