Skilled Labor Series: Decoding HERS, the Key to Home Energy Efficiency

My Climate Journey

This episode is part of our Skilled Labor Series hosted by MCJ partner, Yin Lu. This series is focused on amplifying the voices of folks from the skilled labor workforce, including electricians, farmers, ranchers, HVAC installers, and others who are on the front lines of rewiring our infrastructure.

Roy Mittleider is the director of training for CalCERTS. CalCERTS is one of California's Home Energy Rating System providers (or HERS), which is an acronym we use a lot in this episode. They operate in the state under the conditional approval of the California Energy Commission, or the CEC. CalCERTS provides specialized HERS training and certification, performs quality assurance on all HERS Raters they certify, and maintains an online data registry of permits and records of energy efficiency work for each home in California.

In this episode, we deep dive into what a HERS rater does, who they work with, what their training is like, and what career paths they can take. We also talk about different types of energy specifications a structure needs to meet in order to be up to the latest energy code. And we end with talking about the role that technology can play in optimizing the workflow in the home energy efficiency auditing space.

In this episode, we cover:

• Introduction to CalCERTS and the Home Energy Rating System (HERS)
• History of the HERS industry and its development in California
• Compliance rating and verification process for existing homes and new construction
• Energy specifications and standards for buildings in California
• The importance of air sealing and insulation in home energy efficiency
• The role of technology in optimizing workflow and improving efficiency in home energy efficiency auditing
• Career paths and opportunities for HERS raters
• Importance of data registry and record-keeping for energy efficiency work in California
• Potential for technology to improve data transfer, streamline paperwork, and enhance the HERS rating process

Episode recorded on Aug 17, 2023 (Published on Nov 2, 2023)

Get connected with MCJ:

• Cody Simms X / LinkedIn
• MCJ Podcast / Collective / YouTube

*If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a review! You can also reach us via email at [e-mail], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.