In recent days the HERS rating industry’s oversight organization, RESNET, issued guidance encouraging HERS raters nationwide to alter inspection practices in response to COVID-19 (click here to view their guidance). The RNC Program supports raters’ decisions to protect themselves as they see fit during this time. The following testing and inspection guidelines are presented to all Program participants as an option, not a requirement.
Timeline: Through June 30, 2020 (per RESNET guidelines)
[**Allowance extended up to thirty (30) days after the Presidential Proclamation on Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak is lifted. See the news article here.]
The Program may opt to diverge from RESNET’s stated timeline, at its discretion.
**Homes submitted using the options provided below may not be resubmitted with tested values at a later date.**
Remote inspections may replace rough and final inspections.
Final testing data for blower door and duct blaster may be replaced with your Q1 averages. If no homes were submitted in Q1, your rater may use 4.0 ACH50 and 3% duct leakage-to-outside as the values in submitted homes.
No exceptions will be granted to the Program’s requirement that homes be submitted no more 180 days after Certificate of Occupancy issuance.
As mentioned above, this guidance is provided as an option. The RNC Program will not interfere with the relationships between raters and builders as it relates to their choice to exercise these allowances.
*Please note: no sampling of homes is permitted under any circumstance (no change from the Program’s standard guidelines). Remote inspections must replace in-field inspections for all submitted homes under these allowances.*
Raters can find additional information here.