TRAINING: Home Performance

 

CBPCA HERS
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HERS Basic Certification Training

The CBPCA 2008 HERS Basic Certification Training provides the classroom and field training required to qualify as a California Field Verification and Diagnostic Testing Rater under the new 2008 Standards.  This course will qualify you for rating new and existing homes for Title 24, Part 6, field verifications and diagnostic testing of homes for utility HVAC incentive programs. 
 
It will also provide:

• required prerequisite training for the following certifications:
  • California Whole-House Home Energy Rater (HERS II)
  • Building Performance Contractor
• the  pre-qualifications needed to attend Build It Green's GreenPoint Rater course

Prerequisites: None
Dates and Locations:  See CBPCA HERS Training Schedule
Cost:  $675
Registration: Pre-registration is required. Please register by calling the CBPCA HERS Training hotline at 888-931-1116. Your confirmation will be e-mailed to you along with the address and times of the training.
 

Questions

If you have questions about the class or the registration process, or if you have technical questions about the state regulations or the job of a HERS rater, you can call our CBPCA HERS Training hotline at 888-931-1116.

Test Houses Needed!

One day of the Basic HERS class is spent doing hands-on testing and data collection in houses. The benefit to the home owner is that they essentially get a free energy audit (without a written report). If you know of someone who would like to volunteer to have their house audited during the class, please contact the CBPCA. All houses must have built-in heating and air conditioning systems and residents must be home during the audit.
 
Important Note: The California Energy Commission (CEC0 is currently evaluating the applications for recertification and the course curriculums of all HERS Providers as required by the 2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards. The CEC has ruled that a Provider cannot certify raters to work under the 2008 Standards until both the Provider and the Provider’s curriculum are approved and certified. Therefore, if the CBPCA’s application and curriculum are not approved by the time a class takes place, it will be necessary for all students to take a half-day make-up class and to take the CEC approved exam. The CBPCA will offer these make-up classes as soon as we get approvals from the CEC and will make them very affordable.

 

Detailed Course Description – HERS Basic Certification Training

Successful completion of this course along with completion of the additional steps required will certify the participant as a California Field Verification and Diagnostic Testing Rater. This certification and association with a HERS Provider will enable the rater to perform duct testing, and refrigerant charge testing (EPA license required*) for additions, alterations and new homes. 
 
Training will include:

the CEC approved 2008 compliance requirements;

• diagnostic testing and field verification procedures;
  
• the preparation of the appropriate HERS rater verification forms for the cited compliance measures;
  
• overview of Title 24, part 6 and overview of Title 20;
  
• an introduction to the principles of building science
• the set up and use of the following diagnostic testing equipment:
  1. Duct Blaster
  2. Blower Door
  3. ChargeRite (RCA)

To Complete Your Certification as a Rater

Upon completion of this three-day course, you will be given a CEC-mandated written test. Once you pass the written test, you will be able to arrange to perform a blower door test and refrigerant charge test in the field under the observation of a trainer using the testing equipment that was demonstrated in the classroom training**. Upon successful passing of the written test and completion of your field tests, you will be given a certificate of completion for the CBPCA Basic HERS certification training.  
 
Before you can provide rater services certified by the CBPCA, you will need to complete the following steps:

1. Sign and return the Rater Agreement and $100.00 for your annual membership.
   
2. Email a digital photo of yourself from your shoulders to top of your head. (The same as for a driver license or passport.)
   
3. Once we receive these first two items, we will sign the Rater Agreement and return a copy to you along with your CBPCA HERS Rater identification badge that will have your picture and Certification number on it.  We will also send you your Certification certificate that can be framed and displayed at your office.
   
4. We will post your contact information in our CBPCA Professional Certification Registry along with your digital photo, the results of your certification test, rater agreement and your level of HERS training and certification. You will be able to post additional marketing information on your professional profile page which will be accessible to the public.
   
5. Once you start conducting Title 24 Field Verification testing, the results of your testing will be posted in the CBPCA HERS registry. Our trainer will work with you to show you how to post your test results. 
   After completing this process, you will be a CBPCA certified California Field Verification and Diagnostic Testing Rater [link to HERS_Requirements.html#definitions] as recognized by Title 24 of the State of California.
    

The CBPCA is required to audit 5% of each type of the jobs that you perform each year. The cost of the audits will be approximately $200 each and is the responsibility of each rater.
As a member of the CBPCA, you will be eligible to purchase testing equipment at a discounted rate.

* An EPA hazardous materials license is required to work with refrigerant
** The CEC requires a trainer to be present for the first field verification/diagnostic testing performed by the Rater.  The cost of this supervision is approximately $150 per field check.
 

Outline of the CBPCA 2008 HERS Basic Certification Training

• Introduction
• Class Requirements-Overview
• California Energy Commission
  • Creation and Purpose
• Building Energy Efficiency Standards
  • Title 20
    • Purpose
    • Roles, responsibilities and requirements
  • Title 24, 2008 Standards
    
    • Buildings covered
    • Definitions
    • Exempt Buildings
    • Compliance approaches
    • 10-103
• Measures Requiring HERS Verification
  • Duct Testing
    
    • Requirements
    • Exceptions
    • Climate zones affected
      
    • Options and Leakage Rates
      
    • DuctBlaster and Procedures
      
  • Refrigerant Charge Measurement
    
    • Standard and Alternant Charge
    • Superheat/Subcooling
      
    • Temperature Split Airflow
    • Temperature Measurement Access Holes
      
    • Saturation Temperature Measurement Sensors
      
    • Static Pressure Probe
      
    • Cooling Coil Airflow
      
  • Air Handler Fan Watt Draw
    
    • Calculation
    • Airflow Improvement
    • Static Pressure
  • Climate Zones
    • Affected Measures by Climate Zone
      ◦ Map
      
  • High EER
    
    • Verification Procedures
      
  • Maximum Rated Total Cooling Capacity
    
  • Building Envelope Sealing
    
  • Supply Duct Location, Surface Area and R-Value
  • Low Leakage Ducts in Conditioned Space
  • Low Leakage Air Handler
  • Evaporatively Cooled Condensers
    
  • Ice Storage Air Conditioners
    
  • High Quality Insulation Installation
    
  • Quality Insulation Installation for Spray Polyurethane Foam
    
  • PV Field Verification Protocol
    
  • Informational Only
• Sampling
  
• Group Size
• Passing
  
• Failures
  
• Re-testing/Corrective Action
• Third Party Quality Control Program
• Approved Duct Sealing Materials
  • UL181
• Ashrae 62.2
• Ventilation Requirements
  • Informational Only
• Compliance Forms
• CF-1R
  • ADD
  • ALT
• CF-6R
  • Env 20-22 HERS
    
  • Mech 20-29 HERS
    
• CF-4R
  • Env 20-22 HERS
  • Mech 20-29 HERS
• Energy Basics and Human Comfort (Building Science, House as a System
• Methods of Heat Transfer
• Sensible/Latent Heat
  
• Heat Transfer within the Envelope
• Thermal Mass
• Infiltration/Exfiltration
  
• Effects of Duct Leakage
• Field House Testing
• Infiltration Testing
• Duct Testing
  
• Visual Inspection
  
• RCA Verification
• Airflow/Fan Watt Draw
• Review
  
• Questions and Answers
• Test
  
• Open Book
  
• Passing grade >75%