2022 Update of the Home Energy Rating System Requirements: California Code of Regulations Title 20, Division 2, Chapter 4, Article 8, Sections 1670–1675

The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) regulations (Title 20, the California Code of Regulations, sections 1670-1675) establish a Whole House Rating program, which is a voluntary home energy usage rating program that provides efficiency upgrade recommendations to improve the home rating. The HERS program utilizes HERS Providers and HERS Raters. HERS Providers certify, train, and oversee HERS Raters. HERS Raters perform the whole-house ratings.

Another program, the Field Verification and Diagnostic Testing program, also utilizes HERS Providers and Raters. The Field Verification and Diagnostic Testing program is a mandatory administrative program used to collect data and verify compliance with the Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Energy Code) located in Title 24, Parts 1 and 6 of the California Code of Regulations.

As this staff report presents, the overlap of the Whole House Rating program and Field Verification and Diagnostic Testing program has made Energy Code compliance difficult and confusing for stakeholders; and management of the HERS program challenging for the California Energy Commission (CEC). As a result, the CEC is proposing to add all aspects of the Field Verification and Diagnostic Testing program requirements to Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations. Correspondingly, this report proposes to remove any provisions relevant to the Field Verification and Diagnostic Testing program from Title 20 of the HERS regulations.