HERS Scores Increase By 24% For New Homes

According to RESNET, about 1 in 4 new homes built in 2020 received a HERS rating.

This is great news for buyers of new homes since a HERS score is basically like the energy rating sticker found on appliances and other consumer products. These ratings provide insight into how energy efficient a home will be and consequently how affordable it will be to heat and cool. A HERS score is also an indicator of how much or little a home will add to global warming impacts.  As more builders start providing HERS scores for their homes these will become more common, and potential home buyers will start looking for HERS ratings when shopping and comparing builders and new homes.  However, it is important to understand how a builder applies HERS ratings to their homes.

Many builders often obtain a HERS rating of a "typical" version of a home or model and then promote that score as they replicate the same home on other lots or even in other subdivisions--while not actually obtaining a HERS rating as each home is built. TerraWise Homes takes a different approach and actually obtains a HERS score for every home it builds.

"Having a HERS score for each home is important since location and environmental factors can have a big impact on the HERS rating for a home," said TerraWise Home's President Nathan Lambert. "So the amount of tree cover, the orientation or direction of the home on the lot, color of the roofing and other factors can affect the energy efficiency and HERS score for two identical homes. We believe homeowners deserve to have a HERS score for the actual home they buy to get a true rating of the energy efficiency they can expect.

Learn more about HERS ratings for TerraWise Homes. Contact us to find available homes or to build new from scratch on your lot or ours. Regardless of location, you will receive a HERS score that is specific to the home you are buying.