This proposed amendment of Chapter 3 and Appendix B of the Mortgage Industry National Home Energy Rating System Standards was approved by the RESNET Standards Management Board as a critical “Interim Addendum” December 2, 2015, and is now noticed for public comment for the final amendment pursuant to the RESNET Non-ANSI Standards Development Policy and Procedures. RESNET Standards Development Committee 300 proposes the following changes to Chapter Three and Appendix B: 300 NATIONAL HOME ENERGY RATING TECHNICAL STANDARDS Section 302 DEFINITIONS RESNET recently amended Standard ANSI/RESNET/ICC 301-2014 to create Addendum B-2015 on Innovative Design Requests (IDR). The addendum removed RESNET as the designated approval authority for IDRs, leaving that designation to entities adopting the Standard, while maintaining the technical criteria for IDR consideration and approval. RESNET adopts Standard ANSI/RESNET/ICC 301-2014 in Chapter 3. This amendment designates the RESNET Standards Management Board as the IDR review and approval authority for RESNET via adding definitions for “Approved IDR Review Authority” and “Approved IDR Approval Authority”. Section 301.2 Scope limits application of the RESNET rating standards to existing or proposed, site-constructed or manufactured, single- and multi-family residential buildings three stories or less in height excepting hotels and motels. EPA recently removed the prescriptive path compliance option for site-built dwelling units. As a result, all ENERGY STAR certified site-built homes are now required to receive a HERS® rating. This addendum is required for RESNET to ensure that ENERGY STAR certified multi-family dwelling units in 4 & 5 story buildings are eligible to receive a HERS® rating and be entered in the National RESNET Registry. This proposed amendment is undergoing the RESNET standard amendment public review and comment process. Interested parties are encouraged to comment on the proposed amendment. Comments will only be accepted on the changes indicated by strike through/underline in the amendment file. Public comments on the proposed amendment will be accepted until February 25, 2016. To submit your comments click on RESNET Amendment Comment Online Form Comments are posted real time and you will be able to review comments that were submitted by clicking on Comments Submitted on Proposed Chapter 3 Amendment on Ratings of Energy Star Certified Multi-Family Dwelling Units in 4 & 5 Story Buildings and Innovative Design Request Definitions To download the amendment, click on Proposed Chapter 3 Amendment on Ratings of Energy Star Certified Multi-Family Dwelling Units in 4 & 5 Story Buildings and Innovative Design Request Definitions. Only comments made through the online system will be accepted. After the comment period, the RESNET Standard Development Committee 300 will consider and document each of the comments submitted and make appropriate changes. The revised proposed amendments then will be submitted to the RESNET Standards Management Board for adoption.
