The word HERS Index has recently received a lot of attention, specially since many large national and regional builders have been signing memorandums of understanding with RESNET to commit 100% to displaying the homes HERS Index.

As many of you know the Imery Group was the first in the State of Georgia to commit to such noble cause, so here is the definition straight out from RESNET:

“A scoring system established by RESNET in which a home built to the specifications of the HERS Reference Home (based on the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code) scores a HERS Index of 100, while a net

zero energy home scores a HERS Index of 0. The lower a home’s HERS Index, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the HERS Reference Home. Each 1-point decrease in the HERS Index corresponds to a 1 percent reduction in energy consumption compared to the HERS Reference Home. Thus a home with a HERS Index of 85 is 15 percent more energy efficient than the HERS Reference Home and a home with a HERS Index of 80 is 20 percent more energy efficient.”

In short, a HERS index is the measuring stick for which all new homes will be rated by.