Lowest HERS Scores of 2019 - How are Builders Achieving Them?

This blog post is the first in a three part series of posts aiming to summarize our VP of Engineering, Cy Kilbourn’s, presentations at the 2020 RESNET Conference. If you would like to access the full presentation you can download it by filling out the form below. You can also subscribe to our mailing list for our newsletter and blog post updates at the bottom of the page.

Ekotrope RATER processed around 130,000 HERS rating registrations in 2019. Of these registrations, a HERS score of 58 was the most common, and the lowest score recorded was under -40. Massachusetts was generally the state with the lowest HERS Index Scores in Ekotrope RATER, with homes below 50 tending to be smaller homes, often multifamily dwellings. If you’re interested in learning more about how builders achieved the lowest HERS scores of 2019, you can access the full presentation by filling out the form below. As the most widely-used HERS rating software, we’ve gathered a substantial amount of data and are excited to share a snapshot of 2019 HERS ratings with you. This presentation includes information collected from Ekotrope RATER and covers the relationship between the HERS Index and the following topics:

• Frequency distribution of the HERS Index

• Density of HERS ratings across the US

• Home geometry relative to HERS Index

• Primary heating equipment types

• Heating and cooling efficiency

• Water heating

• Ceiling and wall insulation

• Window thermal specs

• Foundation types

• Mechanical ventilation types and rates

• Lighting efficiency

• Washer/dryer defaults

• ACH50 by HERS index

• Duct leakage

• Percentage of homes with PV by HERS index

• PV system sizing

View the full RESNET 2020 presentation by filling out the form below