A key element of maintaining the integrity and consistency of the HERS® Rating process is ensuring that inspections, testing, and verification activities are conducted by individuals who possess the appropriate training, certifications, and authorizations for the work being performed. Responsibility for this oversight is shared throughout the HERS ecosystem. RESNET® Accredited Rating Providers and Quality Assurance Designees (QADs) are responsible for establishing and maintaining systems that verify personnel qualifications. Rating companies play a critical role in assigning work to appropriately qualified individuals, while Raters of Record are responsible for ensuring that activities associated with a rating are completed in accordance with RESNET requirements. Certification requirements are more than administrative obligations. They serve as essential quality controls that help ensure HERS Ratings are accurate, consistent, defensible, and trusted by builders, homeowners, lenders, utilities, and other stakeholders. By ensuring that each task is performed by appropriately qualified individuals, all participants in the HERS Rating process help maintain the credibility, reliability, and value of the HERS Rating system. Frequently Asked Questions Q: Who is responsible for ensuring individuals are properly certified? A: Responsibility is shared throughout the HERS Rating process, from the RESNET Accredited Rating Provider and Quality Assurance Designee (QAD) to the Rater of Record. Q: Can accountability be delegated? A: No. While specific tasks may be delegated, accountability cannot be. For example, the process of verifying credentials may be assigned to another individual within a company, but the Rater of Record remains ultimately accountable for ensuring that all inspectors are appropriately certified and properly credentialed at the time of the inspection. Q: Can candidates in training perform inspections independently? A: No. Candidates in training may participate in inspections as part of their education and practical experience, but their work must be directly supervised and validated in the field by a certified individual. The supervising certified individual assumes responsibility for the inspection and signs all applicable forms and checklists. Candidates may not perform independent inspection, testing, or verification activities until they have obtained the required certification. Q: Do Energy Efficiency Programs (EEP) programs have additional requirements? A: Yes. Additional credentials and documentation requirements may apply. Examples where additional credentialing is required include ENERGY STAR New Homes Program and HERSH2O®. Q: If a rating includes additional programs, is every individual working on that rating required to have the program-specific credentials? A: In most instances, yes. However, if an individual’s scope excludes all elements of a given program, then they would not be required to have that program’s credentials. For example, if a home is being evaluated under both the DOE Efficient New Homes Program and HERSH2O, and a certified individual is performing a limited re-inspection of an exhaust fan due to low airflow, that individual would not need the HERSH2O credential if the re-inspection does not include any HERSH2O program requirements. Final Thought Certification requirements protect more than compliance. They safeguard builders, homeowners, raters, and the integrity and credibility of the HERS ecosystem. If you have any questions about training certification responsibilities, please contact your RESNET QA team at technicalsupport@resnet.us.
