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What do HERS Providers provide? - Correct Answer They provide software, oversight, marketing assistance, and quality assurance for the Rater. What role does a HERS Trainer play? - Correct Answer The Trainer trains Raters on how to perform HERS ratings. What are some of the responsibilities of a HERS Rater? - Correct Answer The Rater's responsibilities include inspecting and testing the minimum rated features of the home, entering the data into a RESNET accredited software tool, and providing the client with reports generated by the software. Why was RESNET created and by whom? - Correct Answer RESNET was created to use a scoring system that could compare the energy use of different houses with each other on a level playing field. It was created to oversee the HERS industry, provide standards for accreditation of Raters, Providers and Trainers, ethics and protocols for inspection, testing and software analysis. It was created by the National Association of State Energy Officers (NASEO) and Energy Rated Homes of America. What are the minimum rated features of a home? - Correct Answer The minimum rated features of a home include but are not limited to the foundation, walls, roof- ceiling, rim joist, doors, windows, skylights, air infiltration, heating and cooling equipment, heating and cooling distribution system, duct leakage, domestic water heating, passive solar design, and solar water heating. Can any energy analysis software be used to produce a HERS rating? - Correct Answer No -- The software must be a RESNET accredited software tool. Is a Home Energy Rater required to verify compliance with the local energy code? - Correct Answer No - The rater is not required to determine compliance with regulatory requirements such as construction codes. If a Rater enters an existing home to perform inspections and testing and the owner's 9 foot Burmese python is loose, does the Rater have to complete the inspection and testing? - Correct Answer No - The Rater is not required to enter any area or perform any procedure that is likely to be dangerous to the Rater. Is a Rater required to perform Manual J load calculations? - Correct Answer No - The Rater is not required to offer or perform HVAC system design or sizing consultation. Is advanced framing a recent invention? - Correct Answer It has been around for a really long time (Examples of advanced framing techniques have been seen in houses built in the 1920s in Anniston, Alabama). What is the "energy" definition of a kneewall? - Correct Answer Attic kneewalls are any wall that separate unconditioned attic space from conditioned space. They have to be accounted for differently in the take-offs and modeling because they have different boundary conditions (hell on one side, heaven on the other). 250 Pascals is how many inches of water gauge? - Correct Answer 1 Pascal = 0.004 inches at sea level 250 Pascals = 0.004*250 inches at sea level = 1 inch at sea level How many gallons of mid-grade gasoline equal the energy content of 1 cord of apple wood? - Correct Answer 1 MMBtu = 1,000,000 Btu 28.72 MMBtu = 28,720,000 Btu 1 gallon of mid-grade gasoline = 125,000 Btu 28,720,000 Btu / 125,000 Btu = 229.76 gallons of mid-grade gasoline 1 gallon of gasoline = 0.125 MMBtu 28.72 / 0.125 = 229.76 gallons of gasoline How many tons of lignite coal would it take to equal the energy content of 1 cord of Pinon Pine? - Correct Answer 1 cord of Pinon Pine = 33.50 MMBtu 1 ton of lignite coal = 13.95 MMBtu 33.50 MMBtu / 13.95 MMBtu = 2.4 tons of lignite coal What is the conditioned square footage of this case study home? - Correct Answer Conditioned square footage = (28 ft x 44 ft) - (8'7" x 6’) Conditioned square footage = 1,232 ft2 - (8.58 x 6) Conditioned square footage = 1,232 ft2 - 51.48 Conditioned square footage = 1,180.5 square feet What is the exterior wall area? - Correct Answer Perimeter = 28 ft + 28 ft + 44 ft+ 44 ft Perimeter = (28 x 2) + (44 x 2) Perimeter = 56 + 88 Perimeter = 144' Area of walls = Perimeter x Ceiling height = 144 ft x 9 ft = 1,296 ft2 Volume = 14x 9.3 x 44 Volume = 5,728.8 ft3 (I'd probably use 5,729) What is the pitch of the gabled roof? - Correct Answer Pitch is 33.7° If this home is built upon a slab foundation, what is the slab perimeter? - Correct Answer (28' + 44") x 2 = 144’ What is the area of the crawlspace foundation walls? - Correct Answer 144’ x 3' = 432 square feet What is the window area? What is the door area? What is the net wall area of this home? - Correct Answer Gross wall area = 144' x 9' = 1,296 sq ft Window area = ((5'4" x 5'2") x 3) + ((2'8" x 5'2") x 4) + (2'8" x 3'6") + (((3' x 6'8")/2) x2) = 167.1 sq ft Door area = ((3' x 6'8") x 2) / 2 = 20 x 2/ 2 = 20 square feet (remember, the front and rear doors are half glass!) The net wall area is 1,296 sq ft - 167.1 sq ft - 20 sq ft = 1,108.9 sq ft. What is the 1st Law of Thermodynamics? - Correct Answer The total energy in the universe is constant and cannot be created nor destroyed, but is transferred by heating, cooling, or mechanical work. If a building material has an R-value of 3.6 per inch and is installed to a thickness of 3 1/2 inches, what is the U-factor? - Correct Answer R-value = 3.6 x 3.5 inches = 12.6 U-factor = 1 / R-value =1/12.6 = 0.079 How much heat flows through that window if the interior temperature is 73°F and the outside temperature is 45°F? - Correct Answer Q =U x Ax AT Q=0.43 x 15 x 28 Q = 181 Btu/hr How much heat flows through that wall if the interior temperature is 70°F and the outside temperature is 34°F? - Correct Answer Q = U x Ax AT Q= 0.0578 x 105 x 36 Q = 218 Btu/hr What are the 3 types of heat transfer? - Correct Answer Convective, conductive, and radiant Which view would indicate the insulation levels? - Correct Answer Section View Why are overhang dimensions important? - Correct Answer To determine the amount of solar shading over the windows When measuring the outside dimensions of a home, what information are you attempting to gather? - Correct Answer The surface areas of the building envelope, the area of the windows and doors How are window dimensions determined? - Correct Answer By measuring the rough opening (frame + glass). What is included in the perimeter measurement? What is not included? - Correct Answer Projections (such as cantilevered floors) at floor level. Chimney bump- outs, bay windows, garden windows are not included. What requirements must be met before a room can be considered a bedroom? - Correct Answer A bedroom must be larger than 70 square feet, have a means of getting out (egress) and have a closet. If it is a bedroom/study, count it as a bedroom! What can good elevation sketches tell us? - Correct Answer A good elevation sketch can show us the window and door areas, location, orientation, and any overhangs that may be present Is it necessary to have scaled sketches to produce a HERS Rating? - Correct Answer NO What information should be recorded on a sketch when windows are being sketched? - Correct Answer Width, height & distance from corner Is it important to include the orientation of the home on the elevation sketches? If so, why? - Correct Answer Yes, to match window areas up with overhangs and orientation. Window dimensions would be found in what type of note? - Correct Answer General note or schedule What construction document would they typically be found on? - Correct Answer Construction drawings What construction document will likely have the material properties of a building material? - Correct Answer Specifications How can you tell if a coating is installed on a window? - Correct Answer Use a lighter or match and count the reflections (1 reflection per pane or coating) Do thermal breaks in metal framed windows raise or lower the U-factor? - Correct Answer Lowers the U-factor. What is the code default U-factor for a metal framed, double paned window? - Correct Answer 0.80 What does the acronym SHGC mean? - Correct Answer Solar Heat Gain Coefficient What is the code default SHGC value for a vinyl framed, single glazed tinted window? - Correct Answer 0.60 What is the minimum efficiency rating for a natural gas furnace? - Correct Answer 78% AFUE An air source heat pump? - Correct Answer 7.8 HSPF heating mode, 13 SEER cooling mode What are the typical types of heating systems found in residential construction? - Correct Answer Furnaces, heat pumps, boilers, radiant floors How is the HSPF calculated? - Correct Answer Btu's of heating / watts of electricity to produce the heating How is the SEER calculated? - Correct Answer Btu's of cooling / watts of electricity to produce the cooling Where do you find the efficiency ratings for boilers? - Correct Answer AHRI directory Where do you find the efficiency ratings for heat pumps? - Correct Answer Air conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) How much energy consumption is typically accounted for by lights and appliances? - Correct Answer 20% of the home's energy consumption. Where do slabs lose heat? - Correct Answer Off their exposed edges distribution system What does the blower door test measure? - Correct Answer Air infiltration is measured with the blower door at an elevated test pressure. Supply leaks cause the house to be under what type of pressure with respect to the outside? - Correct Answer Negative What type of pressure difference does return leaks cause the house to be under with respect to the outside? - Correct Answer Positive What is the order of priority for the 4 water transport mechanisms? - Correct Answer Bulk water, capillarity, infiltration, diffusion. What is the biggest cause of residential building failure? - Correct Answer Moisture What are the three paths to demonstrate energy code compliance? - Correct Answer Prescriptive path, component path (UA), software analysis 
