BER HERS Sampling Provider
The BER is excited to announce that we are an RESNET-accredited Sampling Provider!
Through utilizing the HERS Sampling process, HERS Raters can streamline the certification process for large projects, such as multifamily apartment/condo buildings, military housing developments, or single-family subdivisions that are pursuing ENERGY STAR, LEED for Homes, or other energy efficiency program certification. Our proven Sampling process is set up to help you offer builders and developers your valuable verification services at a competitive price by reducing the amount of models and inspections you must perform, while at the same time maintaining a high degree of quality control over the final product.
What is HERS Sampling?
Sampling is an alternative process for verifying that a large group of homes meets a particular threshold or compliance criteria such as ENERGY STAR HERS index, energy code or an energy efficiency lending program. Unlike standard procedures for verifying homes, sampling does not require inspection and testing of every home; inspections can be performed on as few as one in seven homes. Also, a HERS rating does not need to be performed on every home. Using sampling protocols, only the worst case home is modeled using HERS rating software. The rules are slightly different for multifamily vs. single family, but the premise is the same. Sampling may be used for ENERGY STAR, LEED for Homes, NAHBGreen and EarthCraft projects that meet specific criteria.
Per the RESNET Standards, Chapter 6: “Sampling is intended to provide certification that a group of new homes meets a particular threshold such as ENERGY STAR, energy code compliance, or qualification for an energy efficiency lending program. It is based on pre-analysis of building plans meeting the intended qualification (e.g. a HERS Index threshold), and subsequent random testing and inspections of a sample set of the homes as-built. Certifying a group of homes by sampling entitles the customer to documentation certifying that the homes meet the desired threshold; it does not constitute a confirmed HERS rating on any home.”
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