BLOGGER NOTE: As the Greater New Orleans housing industry turns its eye toward more energy efficiency and high performance homes, it is valuable to know that there are existing and rapidly improving performance standards to guide the consumer. For more information log onto: EcoHomeMagazine.com/Vision-2020.
Home Performance Standard Approved by ANSI
ANSI (The American Standards Institute) is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development and use of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, and systems. ANSI is headquartered in Washington, DC and was established in 1918.
By: Fernando Pages Ruiz
Posted by Kim Hunicke
As remodeling codes rely increasingly on achieving before-and-after performance standards, and therefore on home performance auditors to make the initial assessment, provide recommendations, and then certify the completed product, it also becomes necessary to have strict standards for the standard bearers. In other words, minimum criteria to identify existing deficiencies in residential buildings, suggest improvements, and evaluate that the subsequent work done was completed in accordance with industry-recognized procedures. The Air Conditioning Contractors of America and the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) cooperated in the development of the first ANSI-recognized Standard for Existing Homes Evaluation and Performance Improvement (ANSI/ACC 12 QH 2011). RESNET will now use the Standard as the foundation for its Energy Smart Contractor designation.
Unlike earlier standards that focused on energy almost exclusively, the new Home Performance Standard establishes minimum requirements to evaluate a residence with regards to energy efficiency, water conservation, occupant comfort, and indoor air quality. The Standard also describes how to prioritize potential improvement and present them to the building owner, i.e. how to sell the improvements, and a detailed checklist to verify that the work performed complies with current industry standards.
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