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HERS Rater Exam 2025 | Home Energy Rating
System (HERS) | All Questions and Correct
Answers | Verified Answers
Which of the following is NOT a way to use less energy with regards to refrigerators and freezers? Use one large refrigerator instead of two small ones Defrosting freezer when ¼ inch of frost builds up Selecting a side by side freezer/refrigerator Cleaning the coils once a year ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------Selecting a side by side freezer/refrigerator Which of the following is NOT a way to reduce energy use in pools and spas? Install a large pump to reduce run time Keeping pools at a temperature of 78 degrees F or less Installing gradual bends in pipes Keep pool free of debris ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------Install a large pump to reduce run time The US represents about ___ % of the world's population and consumes about ___% of the world's energy supplies
8, 35 ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------5, 25
Which monthly residential energy costs vary most dramatically by region? Space heating and space cooling Space cooling and water heating Water heating and appliances Space cooling and appliances ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------Space heating and space cooling A quad is: A four-sided residential room 4 million pounds of coal 4,000,000,000,000,000 BTU's of energy None of the above ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------None of the above
Replacing incandescent bulbs with CFL bulbs Replace storm doors and windows ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------Replace storm doors and windows Which of these is not an optimal approach of a home performance professional when educating residents? Paying attention and avoiding urge to interrupt Judging people by appearances and age differences Asking questions to clarify misunderstandings Empathizing with the speaker's situation ---------CORRECT ANSWER----------------- Judging people by appearances and age differences Energy Indexes are often measured in what unit? kWh/ft^ BTU/yd^ Joules/ft^ KWh/ft^2 ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------KWh/ft^ A 100 Watt bulb is on for 12 hours. What is the power usage in kilowatt-hours?
60 ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------1.
A furnace retrofit costs $2700 and is expected to save the homeowner $300 per year. A)What is the payback time of the retrofit? B)What is the annual return of the retrofit? 9 Years, 11. 11 Years, 9.9 ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------9 Years, 11. A Kilowatt-Hour (kWh) is equal to: One thousand Watt-Hours 3412 therms 3412 Btu Both A and C ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------Both A and C Match the energy type with its typical measurement unit:
Over 99% ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------Over 99% The first law of Thermodynamics says what: You don't ever talk about the First Law of Thermodynamics Energy moves from high temperatures regions to low Energy can never be created nor destroyed Heat is a measurement of energy of movement of particles ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------Energy can never be created nor destroyed A British thermal unit is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 ____ of water ______ degrees __________. Gallon, 1, Celsius Pound, 1, Fahrenheit Liter, 1, Kelvin Ounce, 10, Fahrenheit ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------Pound, 1, Fahrenheit Enthalpy is: Measurement of disorder of a system
Measurement of how much energy a material contains When a home performance professional tries to put himself in the homeowner's shoes Sympathy with the homeowner Tendency of a body at rest to stay at rest (for example my roommate 15 hours per day) ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------Measurement of how much energy a material contains Steam heating, air conditioners, and refrigerators all take advantage of the ______ of chemicals in order to carry energy from one place to another. Entropy Thermodynamics Sensible heat Latent heat ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------Latent heat To create a flow (of heat, electricity, water, air etc) between two areas you need to have two things which are ______________________. A pressure difference and a path A positive and a negative enthalpy A path and a force A conduit and a downward slope ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------A pressure difference and a path
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. What is a British thermal unit? ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------A British thermal unit (Btu) is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water on degree Fahrenheit at sea level when the water is 39.2°F. A homeowner has paid for 17 CCF of natural gas on their monthly bill. How many Btu's did they use? ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------1 CCF = 102,000 Btu's 17 CCF = 17 x 102,000 = 1,734, How many therms? ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------1 CCF of natural gas = 1 therm 17 CCF of natural gas = 17 therms How many kWh are in 14,000 Btu's? ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------1 kWh = 3,413 Btu's 14,000 Btu's / 3,413 Btu's = 4.1 kWh
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. 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 × 44 ft) - (8'7" x 6') Conditioned square footage = 1,232 ft2 - (8.58 x 6) Conditioned square footage = 1,232 ft2 - 51. 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 × Ceiling height = 144 ft × 9 ft = 1,296 ft What is the volume of this home? ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------Volume = Conditioned square footage × Ceiling height = 1,180.5 ft2 × 9 ft = 10,624.5 ft If the builder builds this home with an unvented, cathedralized attic and a gable roof, what is the height of the ridge from the attic floor? ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------8/ 12 x (0.5 x 28) = 0.66 x 14 = 9.3' What is the area of the insulated gable roof deck (assuming they are not insulating over the front porch but are insulating over the rear porch)? --------- CORRECT ANSWER-----------------28' x 44' = 1232 ft2; 1232 ft2 x 1.2 (the multiplier for an 8:12 slope) = 1,478.4 ft2 (I would call it 1,478 ft2)
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, 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 × 3.5 inches = 12. U-factor = 1 / R-value = 1 / 12. = 0. 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 A x ∆T
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 A x ∆T 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 Your significant other is standing next to a north facing window on a cold winter night, bitterly complaining about catching a chill. What type of heat transfer is occurring? ---------CORRECT ANSWER-----------------Radiation Homes are heated or cooled by what types of heat transfer? Give examples. ------- --CORRECT ANSWER-----------------Convection (forced air systems), Radiation (radiant floors) What is the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics? ---------CORRECT ANSWER----------------- Systems in contact with each other that have differences tend to balance. Air,
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
