The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index for New Homes by Miller & Smith

Each of our Miller & Smith homes are designed with even the smallest details at the forefront of our construction plans. From start to finish we’re always planning ahead to ensure your home will run as efficiently as possible.  Some of our home energy efficient features we offer include:

• Fiberglass exterior doors to help control your monthly heating and cooling bills
• Low-E glass windows to help filter out harmful UV rays and keep your home cool
• Weatherization barrier systems that prevent leaks and drafts in your insulation
• HVAC systems designed specifically to benefit your home’s heating and cooling costs
• Well-insulated roofing that improves your attic ventilation, moving hot air up and away from your home
• Energy Seal Packages that help insulate all lower levels, keeping excess moisture out and warm temperatures in
• Climate controlled I-level trusses and beams to ensure optimal strength and durability of your home
• Flowguard Gold CPVC pipes and fittings, designed to bring cleaner water into your home (compared to copper pipes)
• Environmentally friendly materials used throughout each home, as well as energy savings using ENERGY STAR® thermostats, refrigerators, and dishwashers

We make sure to incorporate these features in every home for one simple reason – we know just how important energy savings are to your new home experience. To find out how much of an impact ENERGY STAR® makes on Miller & Smith homes, let us take you through the HERS Rating and how it determines energy efficiency in your new home.

HERS stands for “Home Energy Rating System” and is used to rate the projected energy efficiency of a home compared to one that meets all of the requirements of the latest residential energy code (also known as the International Energy Conservation Code or IECC). When a home is rated, everything from the construction plans to onsite inspections and testing are taken into account and performed by a certified Home Energy Rater. The Rater inputs the results into an analyzing software system that determines projected energy usage. If your new home has an ENERGY STAR® certification, that means the Home Energy Rater worked with Miller & Smith directly to ensure ENERGY STAR® performance guidelines were met.

Once construction plans are analyzed, onsite inspections are completed and typically include testing door, window and duct leaks. Results are then combined and used to generate a final HERS rating. This final number will range from 0 (most energy efficient) to 100 (least energy efficient). The reference home (or the home that meets all requirements) will always remain at a HERS rating of 100, so if your home has a rating of 85, it is still 15% more energy efficient than the reference home.

ENERGY STAR® and Miller & Smith work together to ensure your new home is energy efficient and has the best HERS rating possible. To learn more about Miller & Smith’s energy efficient homes, take a look at what’s behind-the-walls of your new home.