Sacramento Valley Duct Testing, ECC/HERS Rater, QII & Title 24 Reports

Understanding the new ECC Program — Energy Code Compliance Services in Sacramento and Surrounding Areas

The Energy Code Compliance, or ECC program, is designed to verify that new construction and renovation projects meet California's energy efficiency standards. In California, this program ensures that buildings comply with Title 24 energy requirements, helping to identify and correct code violations in HVAC systems, insulation, lighting, and building envelope design before a project receives final approval. Each ECC inspector is trained and certified to evaluate compliance with standards set by the California Energy Commission.

Through the ECC program, issues such as improperly sealed building envelopes, inadequate insulation, and non-compliant HVAC installations are identified and addressed during the construction process. Without proper energy code compliance, homes and commercial buildings can experience significant energy loss — with heating and cooling systems working up to 30 percent harder than necessary to maintain comfortable temperatures. Additionally, when building components fail to meet code specifications, the overall thermal performance of the structure falls short of the efficiency levels required by California's Title 24 standards. Meeting these requirements is essential not only for passing final inspection and obtaining building permits, but also for ensuring long-term energy savings, indoor comfort, and healthy air quality for occupants.

Everything You Need to Know About the HERS Program Home Energy Audit in Sacramento and Surrounding Areas

The Home Energy Rating System, or HERS program, is designed to test the energy efficiency of your home. In California, this program is designed to help find and prevent construction defects and faulty installation of HVAC systems and insulation before they become a major problem. Each HERS rater is trained and certified by the California Energy Commission. 

With the HERS program, faulty insulation and poor quality equipment can cause issues with heating, air conditioning and overall ventilation. If installed incorrectly or poorly, these HVAC systems can cause the average home to lose up to 30 percent of its conditioned air. In addition, when this happens the heat flow resistance from the equipment doesn't match the manufacturer's stated levels. These numbers are important to ensure compliance with state and local building codes, as well as to maintain comfort and air quality levels in the home. 

Why Hire a ECC Rater (formerly HERS Rater)?

With new construction or HVAC replacement, the licensed contractor is required to seal the ducts of a home and test to check for air tightness. Once the ducts are sealed, a certified ECC Rater or HERS rater will check and verify how much leakage is in the duct system and if it passes or fails the established levels. 

ECC testing (formerly HERS testing) measures a home's energy efficiency on a scale that goes from 0 to 250. It can also determine whether installed appliances meet energy efficiency requirements as designated statewide. Proper and professional ECC testing (formerly HERS testing) can take anywhere from 2-4 hours. 

Who Designed the ECC Program (formerly HERS Program)?

In order to measure the energy efficiency of homes, the ECC rating (formerly HERS rating) was developed by the Residential Energy Services Network or RESNET. The lower the number on the scale, the better the energy efficiency. The ECC system (formerly HERS system) is used by the US Department of Energy, The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as an official method to rank the energy efficiency of a home. 

What Does ECC Testing (formerly HERS Testing) Involve?

After proper ECC testing (formerly HERS testing) has been conducted on a home, the rating can tell the homeowners or contractor how their home ranks in terms of its energy efficiency. In short, a ECC rater (formerly HERS rater) will look at your overall HVAC system and run tests on vents and ductwork as well as check all exterior walls to determine the levels of air leakage in the home. 

Generally speaking, during a ECC test (formerly HERS test), a duct leakage test will be performed to see if there are any air leaks in any areas that the duct system feeds into. If you experience things like variable temperatures in a room (parts are warm while other parts are cold), it could indicate an air leakage issue. In addition, other things like verifying the levels of refrigerant in your air conditioning system to ensure that it is working at proper efficiency. A blower door test may be used to test the air pressure inside your home. 

What Is a Quality Insulation Inspection (QII)?

A Quality Insulation Inspection, commonly referred to as QII, is a ECC/HERS verification measure that ensures insulation has been properly installed throughout a home. During a QII, a cerfified ECC rater (formerly certified HERS rater) inspects all insulated areas — including walls, ceilings, floors, and around ducts — to confirm that the insulation meets California's energy code requirements and that there are no gaps, voids, compressions, or misalignments that could reduce thermal performance.

QII is especially important for new construction projects in California, where builders can receive energy compliance credit for passing a Quality Insulation Inspection. A home that passes QII demonstrates that its insulation was installed to a high standard, which translates to better energy efficiency, lower utility bills, and improved indoor comfort. Poppy Energy's ccerfified ECC raters (formerly certified HERS raters) are experienced in performing thorough QII inspections across the Sacramento Valley.

When Should ECC/HERS Testing Be Done?

ECC tests (formerly HERS tests) are most commonly done when a home is bought, sold or built. If you're selling a home, having a ECC rating (formerly HERS rating) can help possible buyers understand its energy efficiency levels. It can also be used as a measure to help them understand the cost of future energy bills as well as whether or not any energy efficient upgrades will be needed. 

In addition, all homeowners in California as well as contractors are required to comply with the state's Code of Regulations (Title 24, Part 6) of the Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential Buildings in order to meet the state's energy goals and abide by the requirements and regulations. 

You should also know that as a homeowner in California, you're required to schedule ECC testing (formerly HERS testing) if a new mechanical system (such as HVAC replacement) is installed in your home. Any such system that needs to be verified in this way needs to have a ECC/HERS test done in order to ensure compliance to the aforementioned code. This helps the Energy Commission to understand the difference in energy efficiency levels in home and to determine the best course of action for investing in energy efficiency expenditures. 

Contact Poppy Energy for Full Service ECC/HERS Testing

At Poppy Energy, we're proud to conduct comprehensive and complete full-service ECC/HERS testing. Contact us today if you're concerned about air leakage in your duct work or if you need a full ECC/HERS test done in order for a certification rating to be given to your new construction, refitting, residential or commercial property. We'll take all necessary health and safety precautions to ensure that all proper processes are followed. 

Contact us today to learn more about our complete ECC/HERS testing services, Quality Insulation Inspection (QII), as well as HVAC replacements and more from a certified ECC/HERS rater. Call us at (916) 306-5535 or fill out the form on our website for more information.