Latest News 
5/1/2010 "The Lower The Better"
We have recently received the HERS rating scores for the last four homes we have completed. HERS is an acronym for "Home Energy Rating System" which is what Energy Star uses to determine its rating. To determine the HERS score a third-party energy rating company performs two inspections on a new home.
The first is performed after the insulation is installed to verify the type and amount of insulation, as well as the quality of the installation. The second visit is when the blower door and duct leakage tests are performed. The blower door test will show how tightly the home is constructed and will demonstrate how much air infiltration from the exterior is occurring. The duct leakage test shows how tight the furnace ductwork is, which is critical to ensure that a high-performance HVAC system will function efficiently. All of these variables are fed into a computer program which generates a HERS score between zero and 100, with the lower score signifying higher overall efficiency.
These last four homes had scores ranging from 57 to 62, which qualifies them for the highest rating that HERS provides (Five-star plus HERS rating). The HERS score also gives a benchmark of comparison. A typical home built to the current energy codes would have a HERS score of 100. Every one point reduction in the score is equal to the same increase in energy efficiency. Thus, a home with a HERS rating of 60 is 40% more efficient than a home built to the existing energy code requirements.
Click on the "High Performance Homes for Healthy Living" tab above to see some of the things we do to achieve the five-star plus rating from HERS.
Pinon Development News Archive
• January 2010 - Going for Net Zero
