Home Energy Score Questions

[Patrick Carter]

Ben or Nick,

I was talking to a Director within the Department of Energy yesterday regarding getting some DOE brochures from them on home sealing and air infiltration to give to my clients and other associates. Our conversation came around to INACHI and Home Energy Scoring. The person did not know who INACHI was but checked with another supervisor who informed them that INACHI was an Home Inspection Association and DOE partner for a specific area in the State of Colorado and the only national home inspection organization that was authorized to provide national coverage for Home Energy Scoring was ASHI. Also I found out that the only people authorized to perform Home Energy Scoring on Homes for the Department of Energy are those who pass a DOE proctored test and have either a BPI BA or DOE approved BPI designated certification and/or RESNET HES certification.

So is this true Ben, that INACHI is only good for the State of Colorado with regards to DOE HES program?

Is it true ASHI is the only National Home Inspection Organization authorized by the DOE to provide HES National coverage?

If it is true or if it is not true, Please explain... Will the inspectors who took your energy course who are not BPI or RESNET certified get into trouble with thier clients and/or they truely sponsored by the DOE outside of the State of Colorado as you have eluded to in the past on this MB and other energy related MB's?

Here's the links the DOE provided...

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/building...hes_index.html

Read the bottom of this page about Assessors qualifications:
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/building...html#assessors

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/building..._partners.html

[Patrick Carter]

More food for thought... especially items #5 & #8

http://homeenergypros.lbl.gov/profil...sg_mes_network

[Ben J. Gromicko]

Hi, Patrick.

I don't spend much time on the message board, so if you (or anyone) every needs me quickly, please email me at ben@internachi.org.

In relation to the U.S. DOE Home Energy Score:
InterNACHI is a partner with the U.S. Department of Energy and listed as such on DOE's site at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/building....html#Colorado.

InterNACHI is developing a pilot with the State of Colorado Energy Office and Boulder County to see if home inspectors across the nation are qualified to perform Home Energy Scores (the label) for home buyers.

However, because consumers expect a robust inspection report, InterNACHI developed the Home Energy Report tool, which members can use to generate a robust Home Energy Report (and Score, for those qualified).

Upon a successful completion of the pilot in Colorado, we expect InterNACHI Home Inspectors across the country to generate robust Home Energy Reports and Home Energy Scores for their clients.

But InterNACHI members do not have to wait for the pilot results.

Home inspectors can generate Home Energy Reports for their clients in less than 2 minutes after they conduct a general home inspection.

The reporting tool is live and ready for members.

Generate a Home Energy Report NOW.

(hope that answers your several questions)

[John Harrison]

Originally Posted by bgromicko

Hi, Patrick.

I don't spend much time on the message board, so if you (or anyone) every needs me quickly, please email me at ben@internachi.org.

In relation to the U.S. DOE Home Energy Score:
InterNACHI is a partner with the U.S. Department of Energy and listed as such on DOE's site at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/building....html#Colorado.

InterNACHI is developing a pilot with the State of Colorado Energy Office and Boulder County to see if home inspectors across the nation are qualified to perform Home Energy Scores (the label) for home buyers.

However, because consumers expect a robust inspection report, InterNACHI developed the Home Energy Report tool, which qualified home inspector can use to generate a robust Home Energy Report and Score.

Upon a successful completion of the pilot in Colorado, we expect qualified home inspectors across the country to generate robust Home Energy Reports and Home Energy Scores for their clients.

But InterNACHI members do not have to wait for the pilot results.

Home inspectors can generate Home Energy Reports for their clients in less than 2 minutes after they conduct a general home inspection.

The reporting tool is live and ready.

Generate a Home Energy Report NOW.

(hope that answers your several questions)

Ben what this sounds like and I think leads to the confusion of is.

InterNACHI only has the authority to operate this as a pilot program in Colorado.
Any inspector outside of Colorado is not authorized usage by the Department of Energy, because they are not part of the pilot program.

[Ben J. Gromicko]

Originally Posted by jharrison

Ben what this sounds like and I think leads to the confusion of is.

InterNACHI only has the authority to operate this as a pilot program in Colorado.
Any inspector outside of Colorado is not authorized usage by the Department of Energy, because they are not part of the pilot program.

Sorry for the confusion. Let me try to be concise and clear.

Home Energy Score:
Currently, only BPI- and/or RESNET-certified individuals can generate a U.S. Dept of Energy Home Energy Score. Those individuals also have to operate under a U.S. Dept of Energy Partner Program. They do not have to be a member of InterNACHI or ASHI.

Home Energy Report:
Any home inspector in America can generate a Home Energy Report using InterNACHI's tool, available at http://nachi.org/home-energy-report.htm. This tool is open to all inspectors, regardless of affiliation.

Colorado Members:
Currently, InterNACHI members (with BPI/RESNET certifications) in Colorado can attach a U.S. DOE Home Energy Score to their Home Energy Reports.

Pilot:
InterNACHI, Colorado Energy Office, and Boulder County are working to develop a pilot that will determine whether a certified home inspector is as qualified as a BPI/RESNET individual to produce a U.S. Home Energy Score anywhere in the country.

Generate a Home Energy Report now - http://www.nachi.org/home-energy-report.htm

Recent 30-minute webinar about this - http://www.nachi.org/home-energy-ins....htm#recording

[Steven C. Waskewicz]

Why is InterNACHI allowing competitor organizations to use this tool also?

If we (InterNACHI) went to the trouble to front end configure a tool for their inspectors use,
why on earth would we give away a competitive advantage like that?

[Nathan Thornberry]

Originally Posted by swaskewicz

Why is InterNACHI allowing competitor organizations to use this tool also?

If we (InterNACHI) went to the trouble to front end configure a tool for their inspectors use,
why on earth would we give away a competitive advantage like that?

I want to hypothesize on that one, and I may be corrected in short order but the point I make about the competitive advantage will probably hold pretty well.

The DOE has no allegiance to any home inspector organization, nor does HUD, or any other government agency. By making the platform open source, it becomes something that the DOE can accept on a nationwide basis because they can't choose sides. I think it's a political game to some extent, and that Ben is playing it correctly.

As for the competitive advantage, I think the very fact that it comes from Ben (Gromicko) and that it is being made popular by InterNACHI members means that members of other organizations will be hesitant to utilize it even though it is available.

It's brilliant in a way- you can have your cake and eat it too by offering it to everybody to get DOE approval everywhere while at the same time associating it so closely with InterNACHI that is dissuades non-members from using it. I don't think your competitive advantage is at risk.

[Steven C. Waskewicz]

Great explanation Nathan, thanks.
Some things to think about.

[Ben J. Gromicko]

Originally Posted by swaskewicz

Why is InterNACHI allowing competitor organizations to use this tool also?

If we (InterNACHI) went to the trouble to front end configure a tool for their inspectors use,
why on earth would we give away a competitive advantage like that?

You have to be a member of InterNACHI to use the tool.
U.S. DOE and Colorado Governor's Energy Office has asked to provide access to the reporting tool to anyone. We said, Yes. But they have to join.

Inspectors can write a report very quickly. Watch this video, and try to beat me. I can write one in less than 4 minutes.