Quality Insulation Inspection (QII)

QII: Quality Insulation Inspection for Title 24 California Energy Compliance

In order to help ensure that your home or business area abides by the California Energy Code's Title 24 Regulation, a Quality Insulation Inspection or QII must be done. This type of inspection is done by a certified HERS (Home Energy Rating System) inspector and verifies that the building's insulation is set to the standard required by the California Energy Commission. 

In Sacramento valley, QII provides ones of the largest increases in building performance. QII ensures that the building envelope or the materials around the building help provide uniform insulation and are energy efficient. 

What Happens During a QII? 

During a Quality Insulation Inspection, the HERS certified technician will check the thermal envelope of the building and make sure that what is specified in your Title 24 report is adhered to. For example, if the exterior wall calls for a R19 insulation, the HERS inspector will confirm that the exterior wall has R19 equivalent or better installed. Since residential homes are made with many different types of insulating material, each type of material must be verified by the HRES rater to ensure that the home complies with the Energy Commission's standards.

Some methods of checking includes measurement of thickness, others such as blow in type of insulation is to check by weight. We have the necessary tools to check for moisture within the insulation to confirm it is within California Energy Commission standards. To check for air leakage, certain tests may be performed to determine if there is an air leak and to what degree.

What Does a HERS Rater Look for in a QII?

HERS Rater (also known as inspector) will get to know your Title 24 report and walk through the building and identify the different types of insulation and mark each section of the house, meanwhile taking photos for documentation. If lower insulation is installed, for example R13 installed when R21 is called for, a correction notice will be provided.

The HERS Rater will also confirm the top plate of the frame has foam strips so when the sheetrock goes in no air leakage will occur.

Another thing the HERS Rater looks for in a QII is to make sure the insulation is not compressed in areas where electrical wires are running. In this case, insulation must be cut so half of the insulation goes on one side of the wire, and the other half on the other side.

Correction Notices

If insulation installation has not met the standards of the Energy Commission, a correction notice may be served. Many issues could be corrected while the HERS Rater is still on site, where others would require an additional visit for pictures for proof of correction. If there are any questions or need additional information or explanations on how to correct the issue, we are available to assist while the HERS Rater is still on site, or by calling our office. We are here for you to succeed in your construction project. A few examples of correction needed.

Missing Insulation

Compressed Insulation by Electrical Wire

Top Plate has missing foam strips for air leakage

During Home Construction

In order to obtain a building construction permit, a HERS-certified technician will need to verify QII energy compliance. They'll need to ensure, for example, that the measurements of batt and blanket insulation line up with the R-values from that specific material's manufacturer. For walls, roofs, ceilings and floors, the materials will need to be in conformance with all applicable building codes, including relevant quality standards. Not only that, but the materials chosen also need to comply with various flame spread and smoke density ratings. 

What Does a HERS Rater Do?

During a QII, the HERS-rater verifies the thickness of insulation in walls, roof or ceilings and floors and makes sure that insulation is at the R-value level needed for proper compliance. The HERS-rater also ensures that other documentation is in place to maintain proper compliance. In addition, the technician will ensure that all of the provisions included in the Residential Appendix (RA2) are met. This type of Quality Insulation Inspection should be handled only by a trained, certified and experienced HERS professional who thoroughly understands California Building Code and Energy Code and how it applies to buildings, residences and ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) in Sacramento valley and surrounding areas

QII Certification

If everything is installed and tested and found to be in compliance, the HERS-rater will issue a Certificate of Installation. This certification shows that the installation matches the specifications that the building permit was issued for and typically includes the installer's company name, the insulation company, the manufacturer's name and what type of material it is, as well as it's installed R-value. The contractor or whoever is responsible for installing the installation also needs to complete the Certificate of Installation form and include data sheets for all types of insulation materials used in the process. 

How Can Poppy Energy Help?

At Poppy Energy, our HERS-certified technicians can provide Title 24 HERS tests as needed in order to secure relevant building permits or insulation installation certification. We can also coordinate with your building insulation contractors, energy consultants or designers to ensure that your project meets all necessary compliance codes and regulations. We work with both residential and commercial projects and can also conduct duct leakage testing in order to test and verify air-tightness as well as locate leaks if any are found. 

Contact our proficient and diligent team today for all of your QII and HERS certification requirements. Our experienced professionals will contact you right away with more details on how to take the next steps.