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Aging of Nation’s Code Officials Provides Emerging Opportunity for RESNET HERS® Raters Becoming Energy Code Inspectors

Mar 17, 2015

At the recent 2015 RESNET Building Performance Conference Mark Johnson, Executive Vice President of the International Code Council (ICC), addressed a challenge to the nation’s building code infrastructure. The ICC is the recognized body for developing model building codes that are then adopted at the state and local level. It is the ICC that develops the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).

The emerging challenge to enforcement of building codes in the U.S. is the aging of building code officials. A recent study commissioned by the ICC discovered that an astounding eighty percent of the existing professional code workforce is expected to retire in the next 15 years, and more than 30 percent plan to do so within five years. Since there is no rush for younger persons to become code professionals, this creates an emerging labor shortage. Increasingly code jurisdictions are looking to outsource some of the code inspections to be able to concentrate on the core mission of life, safety and structural soundness.

An opportunity identified by the ICC is the outsourcing of energy code inspections to certified RESNET HERS® Raters. This trend provides some exciting opportunities:

  • Code jurisdictions can have confidence in certified HERS® Raters undertaking energy code inspections with RESNET training, testing and quality assurance oversight procedures.
  • Builders will have reduced costs in that they can have their HERS® Rating and energy code inspection conducted by the same professional at the same visit to the home.
  • A relief valve is provided to overburdened and increasingly understaffed code jurisdictions.
  • The energy performance of homes will increase as code compliance is tied to the market force of the RESNET HERS® Index.

RESNET has entered into a partnership with the International Code Council (ICC) to open this opportunity to raters. The agreement provides:

  • A discount for certified RESNET HERS® Raters to be tested and certified as ICC Energy Code Inspectors and to become members of the ICC. The ICC membership will allow HERS® Raters a voice in the IECC and IRC development process. RESNET has negotiated this benefit to RESNET HERS® Raters for the low price of $285. This will allow HERS® Raters the certification from ICC to conduct the IECC and IRC code inspections and testing.
  • ICC recognizes RESNET as a Non-Member of the ICC Preferred Provider Network for energy code inspector training at no cost for two years. This will allow RESNET accredited Rater Training Providers to offer the training at no cost.

The ICC – RESNET partnership will bring instant credibility for RESNET and certified RESNET HERS® Raters to code officials in making energy code inspections and testing. This opportunity exists even in code jurisdictions that do not adopt the Energy Rating Index option of the 2015 IECC.

For information and the application on how to take advantage of this new business opportunity go to Opportunities to Certified RESNET HERS® Raters to Become Certified ICC Energy Code Inspectors