The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has announced that it has approved the RESNET/ACCA Standard 310-2020 “Standard for Grading the Installation of HVAC Systems”. This new ANSI standard sets the technical specifications for the inspection, testing, and labeling of a home’s HVAC system. Development of this standard was the culmination of a partnership between the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA). In the past, certified RESNET HERS® Raters had to rely on the nameplate data of a HVAC system in calculating the efficiency of a home. It is generally understood that in many instances the HVAC system is not installed per the manufacturer’s specification. This means that far too often the home’s HVAC did not perform as efficiently as the rating indicated. This has all changed with the adoption by ANSI of the RESNET/ACCA Standard for Grading the Installation of HVAC Systems. The standard sets a realistic level of the performance of an HVAC system in the reference home, and awards the increased performance of a system based upon the inspection and testing of the system by a certified RESNET HERS® Rater. To view the new standard, click on ANSI RESNET/ACCA Standard 310-2020 – Standard for Grading the Installation of HVAC Systems. This new standard allows builders to improve their HERS® Index Scores by improving the performance of the HVAC system that is documented. It has been calculated that with the new standard in some climate zones the standard could reduce HERS® Index Scores by as much as 6 points. RESNET Executive Director Steve Baden commented, “Adoption of the RESNET/ACCA Standard 310 is a significant step in improving the energy performance of American homes. Special recognition needs to be paid to the members of the RESNET Standard Development Committee 300 and particularly to the committee’s Rating the Performance of HVAC Systems Subcommittee. Special thanks to Dean Gamble of EPA, Wes Davis of ACCA, and Greg Cobb of EI. Recognition also needs to go to the EPA ENERGY STAR Homes program for their leadership and technical assistance of this effort.”
