Each week, we host a free CEU Webinar at 12 pm EST and many questions remain or do not get fully answered so we invite the speaker(s) to follow up and answer these questions.
Here are the answers for Intro to becoming a Qualified Energy Rater and working with one
“There were several great questions raised in the Q&A tool and several interesting topics raised in the Chat area. This email is to share the answers and offline discussions with all of you. Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions, or just to chat. Our passion is education and our focus is making you successful!
Q1: The course for international energy rater will be for how many hours as I am assuming it will be for total 20 hours ( as 4 hours of formal training in each of the following: building science, 4 hrs in blower door testing, 4 hrs in air sealing inspections, 4 hrs in insulation inspections, and 4 hrs in duct leakage testing)
A1: The on-demand portion of the course is 12 hours (4 hours in Building Science Fundamentals: https://energysmartinstitute.com/building-science-fundamentals/, 4 hours each in Air Sealing Inspections and Insulation Inspections: course link coming very soon – keep an eye on the course catalog: https://energysmartinstitute.com/course-catalog/. (the full 12 hour course is available here: https://energysmartinstitute.com/12-hours-of-leed-qualified-energy-rater-training/ – this is an early version that has quite a bit of bonus content so runs a bit longer than the required 12 hours, but is made available for the 12 hour price while the final version is being completed!) The 4 hours of Blower Door Testing Training is only required if the project will have blower door testing and the 4 hours of Duct Leakage Testing is only required if the project will have duct testing. The 12 hour course (or combination of the 4 hour and 8 hour courses) makes up part 1 of the full certification and provides a quick introduction to each of these, however, the full required blower door and duct leakage testing training is available through the Green Home Institute as well as the additional required documentation and oversight:
Contact Brett Little at Green Home Institute for further direction:
Brett.Little@greenhomeinstitute.org
Q2: After completing the training a certificate will be provided as Certified LEED Energy Rater?
A2: This training and the subsequent mentorship and documentation steps are for the LEED Qualified Energy Rater which is available to those working on projects outside the US and Canada.
LEED Projects require that a Home Energy Rating System HERS Rater or a “Qualified Energy Rater” perform certain tasks and verification inspections for a LEED Project to achieve certification. However, LEED projects that are outside of the United States or Canada have difficulty locating and engaging an individual who is certified as a HERS Rater.
The USGBC has ruled that individuals who complete specific qualifications will be considered a qualified professional and may perform all tasks required to be performed by the HERS Rater (also referred to as the “qualified energy rater” in the LEED v4 Homes Reference Guide). This is for projects within the following Rating Systems and Version that are located outside of the United States and Canada. This is not the same as a LEED Certified Green Rater.
Q3: There will be no certificate for this training?
A3: There is a certificate of completion for the training which also qualifies for ICC CEUs. You will provide that certificate to Green Home Institute to complete the full LEED Qualified Energy Rater certification.
Q4: Are 15 lb and/or 30 lb felt a good air barriers? (30 LB felt is typically used behind stone veneer in my area. It is applied directly to the plywood shear wall panels. No other air barrier such as Tyvek or sim. used.)
A4: We discussed this in the session briefly. 15 lb and 30 lb felt is used as a moisture barrier, but it is semi permeable and does not make a good air barrier. It can also trap moisture if the seams are not fully sealed and bulk moisture gets behind it. It is normally used as an underlayment, not an air barrier. In the example shared, it appears the plywood shear wall panels would be the air barrier layer, rather than the felt, so that layer would need to be fully sealed as well.
Q5: Is it mandatory for Energy rater to do the energy modeling or the energy modeling will be done by Energy modeler and the energy rater will review it in the design and construction phase of the project?
A5: A Certified Energy Modeler working for the project HERS Rater may complete the energy model for the HERS Rater to sign off on. However, this focus is for projects that don’t have a HERS Rater, or don’t have a HERS Rater to perform the required inspections and testing. If the Project has a HERS Rater and an Energy Modeler and a LEED Qualified Energy Rater, the LEED Qualified Energy Rater may just perform the tests and inspections. The verification team should check with their LEED for Homes Provider to ensure they are meeting the requirements.
Q6: The SIP manufacturer requires that the indoor seams between panels be taped prior to drywall installation. Does this taping require inspection?
A6: Yes, the SIPS Panels require Air Sealing Inspection which includes inspecting based on the SIP Manufacturer’s requirements.
Q7: How is the market? How large is demand to rate an existing home?
A7: In the US the existing home market is 98% of the homes. It is a very large market! However, there are only a small number of markets that require energy efficiency information at the time of sale and many codes do not require energy testing for additions, alterations, and remodels. These are the areas that tend to drive the demand for Energy Rater services. The Federal Government has long offered Energy Improvement Mortgages, which do require energy analysis for cost effectiveness and verification and testing to prove the improvements were made. We are finding that more people are becoming educated about energy efficiency and green programs and are requesting Energy Rater services, even when they are not required, so consumer education is key. Outside of the US there are many areas that have much more stringent building energy requirements for both new and existing homes so the market and demand can be much higher.
Q8: Is there a preferred software for Energy modeling for LEED Home rating system?
A8: For LEED projects outside the US and Canada REM/Rate, Ekotrope, HouseRater, and EnergyGauge are all used. Connor Dillon made the point that HouseRater uses EnergyPlus weather stations, it is not restricted to US only locations like EnergyGauge or Ekotrope which will require you to determine which US Climate Zone is comparable to the area where the unit is being built. It was discussed during training that REM/Rate allows for a User Defined Reference Home which can be generated to match any location.
Q9: Hempcrete?
A9: Hempcrete is an incredible building material with a lot of very interesting and exciting characteristics. It is not a new material, but due to confusion about the differences between Hemp and Marijuana, the ability to grow and use Hemp was negatively affected. Hempcrete has insulative qualities, safety qualities, durability qualities, and environmental qualities that will get everyone who was interested in this call very excited to find a project where it can be used. Other countries such as France, Germany, and Canada are leading the way in realizing the benefits of Hempcrete. You can learn more here: https://2050-materials.com/blog/hemp-a-game-changer-for-the-building-industry/
Q10: Does interior wall require insulation?
A10: Maybe for sound quality but that is up to the local code or if you are pursuing sound points in LEED EQ
Q11: Do you know of a document that a homeowner could include like a rider to a contract to help insure quality installs?
A11: We always tell our builders to include the codes, standards, expectations, and 3rd party verification in the contracts with their trades with the statement that the work must be performed to the expected quality or the contractor will need to return and make corrections until the work passes verification. I don’t have the official legal language available, but an attorney could be consulted to update the standard contracts.
Q12: How would you check the insulation in a finished house where walls and ceilings are already done ?
A12: The standards tell us to probe with a non-metallic object. We would check outlet and switch overcuts, plumbing penetrations, etc. with a wooden or plastic crochet hook. Sometimes you have to drill (with permission of course) in a closet or the back of a lower cabinet to find out what is installed, and be sure to plug your hole of course. Infrared Thermography works well for existing home insulation inspection, as long as you know how to interpret what you are looking at, how to calibrate the camera, and can get a large enough temperature difference inside to outside. I recommend anyone planning to use Infrared Thermography to get training and be certified to at least Level I, Level II is better if you plan to use it to help with any diagnostic work.
Q13: And how do you cure the uninsulated wall–after the wall is done.
A13: The wall can be insulated using what is called the “drill and fill” method. Holes are drilled in the wall, either from the inside or after removing some siding on the outside, and insulation is blown or poured (if non-expanding liquid foam is used) into the cavities. Experienced insulation contractors can do this quite quickly and effectively and a follow up Infrared inspection can ensure the cavities are fully filled. Some other options are to remove the interior drywall, fill the cavities, and re-drywall, remove the exterior siding and if the walls do not have sheathing, insulate, add sheathing (perhaps even insulated sheathing or continuous insulation), air-seal, re-side, if the walls do have exterior sheathing, adding a layer of continuous insulation and air sealing that (then re-siding of course) can help immensely. There are several options, but moisture management must be carefully considered as well.
Q14: I prefer to have above ceiling trades, and the inspector on board when the insulation is being blown in (if that method); so that No one walks on the insulation after it is installed. This is tricky people dynamics.
A14: That would absolutely be tricky people dynamics! I didn’t have time to go into insulation density testing, but we have found that when insulation is blown to the correct density as required by the manufacturer for the stated R-Value, it does not cave in very much. The density can be tested and we discuss that in training. We have a short plastic rake that we take with us into the attic to even out any insulation we disturbed. However, we also have code officials in our area that tell us that is they come to a site after a HERS Rater has been there for an attic insulation inspection, and they don’t see evidence that the attic was fully inspected, they will remove the Rater/RFI from the approved inspector list. Communication is key!
Q15: What’s the specific difference between HERS rater and the Energy Rater?
A15: The HERS Rater designation is used in the LEED materials as an individual that can perform certain tasks and inspections. However, for projects outside the US and Canada it can be hard to find a HERS Rater, so a LEED Qualified Energy Rater may be used for those same tasks and inspections in those projects.
Thank you very much for being such an engaged and interesting group! Feel free to reach out with any questions. I look forward to having you in class!
Sharla Riead, Instructor
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Sharla Riead, Owner/Managing Member
Hathmore Technologies, LLC
EnergySmart Institute
RESNET Accredited Training Provider
ICC Preferred Education Provider
ICC Certified Residential Energy Inspector / Plans Examiner
IECC/HERS Compliance Specialist
Certified Lead Instructor, EnergySmart Institute
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