A Certified Home Energy Rater or Rater is a person trained and certified by an accredited Home Energy Rating Provider to inspect and evaluate a home’s energy features, prepare a home energy rating and make recommendations for improvements that will save the homeowner energy and money. Click on the Image Above to Download the Infographic The path to becoming a Home Energy Rater begins with attending Rater Training classes. First, locate an accredited Energy Rater Training organization. The organizations are listed on the RESNET Training Provider page. Training is required to become a certified Home Energy Rater and some training providers offer a portion of their training online. It is wise to begin preparing prior to attending rater training by studying the materials recommended by the training organization you have selected. All candidates must pass the national core competency tests including National Rater Exam (40 out of 55 questions), the RESNET Combustion Appliance Simulation Test (passing score 85%) and the RESNET Rater Simulation Practical Test (passing score 73%). If the rater candidate does not pass the Rater test the first time, there are proctoring guidelines from RESNET that describe how to retake the test closer at a location closer to the rater candidate. The final aspect of the Rater certification process is to sign a rater agreement with a RESNET accredited Rating Provider and complete probationary ratings. The Home Energy Rating industry is overseen by RESNET and is structured to ensure a high level of quality assurance. With that in mind, energy raters must work through a Rating Provider, who is responsible for their certification and quality assurance. The accredited Rating Providers are listed on the RESNET Provider page. An accredited Rating Provider will assist new Raters in overseeing their required five probationary ratings. Rating Providers may require more than the minimum required five probationary ratings. After completing a minimum of five probationary ratings and passing all required Rater exams successfully, the Rating Provider will issue a document stating that the candidate has passed the course work necessary to become a HERS® Certified Rater and may apply for a Rating Test Identification Number or RTIN. All of the required exams and the probationary ratings must be completed within 15 months. Candidates will need to sign a Rater Agreement outlining the responsibilities and obligations for both the Rater and the Rating Provider; this is detailed in the RESNET Standards. RESNET Standards require the Rating Provider to perform file quality assurance reviews on a minimum of 10% of all energy ratings and field quality assurance reviews on a minimum of 1% of the ratings for each rater. In order to recertify as a Home Energy Raters one of the following professional development requirements must be completed every three years: Attend a RESNET approved conference once every three years to meet 18 hours of professional development OR Complete 18 hours of RESNET approved professional development from a RESNET Accredited Training Provider every three years. Attend HERS Modeler Professional Development course(s) offered by a RESNET Accredited Training Provider. Each course shall be reviewed and approved by RESNET Accredited Software Provider(s) for which the course is being offered. The HERS Rater must complete professional development once in a three year period for each RESNET Accredited Software program with which they create HERS models. The hours completed as part of this requirement shall be included as part of the required 18 hours of professional development. HERS Raters who have not completed any Confirmed, Sampled, or Threshold ratings within the three-year certification period shall successfully complete one RESNET graded-field evaluation overseen by a RESNET certified Candidate Field Assessor or Quality Assurance Designee, in addition to satisfying either 207.1.3.1 or 207.1.3.2 and 207.1.3.3. Courses approved for Home Energy Rater professional development can be found here.
