Background of the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Program
The California Energy Commission is required by Public Resources Code Section 25942 to establish criteria for a statewide home energy rating program for residential dwellings. The goal of the program is to create a consistent, accurate, and uniform rating system based on a single statewide rating scale that can serve to differentiate the energy efficiency levels between California homes and to prioritize the investment in cost-effective home energy efficiency measures.
The first iteration of the California HERS regulations, which became effective on June 17, 1999, established the requirements for Field Verification and Diagnostic Testing services used to show compliance with the Title 24, Part 6; Building Energy Efficiency Standards. These regulations also established the basic framework for HERS Rater training, certification, and quality assurance.
