Our reports provide much, much more than a number. They produce very useful information. Furthermore, different inspectors entering the same data from the same home, will produce similar reports, which eliminates conflicts, inspector subjectiveness, and “grade inflation.”
Give it a chance.
I will. I give most things a chance. I see nothing but problems and big companies hiring inspectors at rock bottom prices. Much like the Florida Wind Mitigation Inspection Program.
More than 90% of the data needed to produce a report is data that InterNACHI members are already experts at collecting. It’s what we do.
This thing is a match-made-in-heaven for home inspectors.
LOL. I was there, Nick. I heard the requirements for each partner and the DOE’s insistence upon consistency. Your reports will contain all of the same data that they require for everyone. Inspectors providing them will also have to have the required certifications approved by DOE which, according to the official speaking at today’s meeting, is presently BPI or RESNET as they consider the possibility of adding others of equal merit.
There will be no difference between NACHI’s DOE Home Energy Score and certificate from anyone else’s. It is one single and nationwide program.
I know where this goes and I will let you go on … without interruption … with your infomercial. I wish you luck with your program. I have posted my concerns and others can draw their own conclusions.
I have been playing with the program for awhile and I like but it does need some tweaking. I was upset half way though the webinar my internet went out. Sounds like missed some interesting information.
I don’t think so, I rarely agree with Bushart on anything if for no other reason just because I can but on this I will have to agree. Anyone that invest any money or time in training involving a GOVT backed program of any kind is shoveling sand against the tide Those programs and the rules will change with every political change in Washington just like the wind it blows from a different direction every day.
Just wait until the utility companies get wind of this one. They are the ones who have the records of how much energy a home uses, and can calculate numbers at will, and for little, if any, cost.
These educational companies are pushing these laws, just so we have to pay to get classes; just as home inspection licensing. It is all mostly useless. Government in in-action at it’s finest.
I can see older homes getting a zero, with a brand new spec home two doors away getting a one. Lawyers will eat this up.
Okay I was on that webinar this afternoon, not one time did Kolleen Kawa or Joan Glickman mention INACHI, in fact a question was raised about Home Inspectors and the general consensus was the HI would have to have the same qualifications to perform under BPI standards and pass the tests before being considered. ASHI was the only organization mentioned by the DOE. It was also mentioned that they were still focused on finding partners that met their qualifications to support HES, again no mention of NAHI, or INACHI… So you have definitely gotten me confused on what is INACHI role was supposed to be, especially since INACHI was not mentioned
Farnsworth - One member from KCPL, MGE and the MEC were on that call today. My contact at MEC and I talked about the ramifications earlier this evening of what will happen to homeowners if they have one of these HES performed on their home. So next time get your facts straight before you talk about something you don’t know anything about. In fact keep your negative, woe is me attitude to yourself, I for one am tried of hearing your negative BS.
In regards to what Jim said about the EEM and the use of this mortgage engine to finance energy retrofits by refinancing is a pretty damn scary program and lt was originally geared to finance low-income family homes but no one took the bait so-to-speak and now they revamped it again. One of the local Banks here has a loan officer that is considered a SME on the 203k’s and the EEM programs. He is currently serving on a small university energy board of directors as there financial advisor and when I met him several weeks back the RESNET HERS Rater requirements were being dropped to incorporate the new HES program Home Assessor. So its a mess, but I will give it to them, I believe they tried to answer everyone’s questions.
Since this thread is in the public domain, I have to correct you for the benefit of any consumer who might come across this.
Utility bills are poor indicators of the energy efficiency of a home.
To begin with - the habits, comfort levels and life styles of the people who lived in the home last year will not necessarily be the same (or even close to the same) for the new occupants or sometimes the same family with new living conditions.
Secondly, utility bills need to be broken down to determine the base line (lights and appliances), hot water use and heating/cooling. Only then can one determine the efficiency of energy use by the occupants from the efficiency level of the structure.
Utility companies do not have this information.
Another thing about utility companies is that they are making money hand over fist through government sponsored energy efficiency programs. You don’t think they are actually paying rebates out of their profits, do you?
The utility company receives a financial incentive from the government to participate in energy efficiency programs. In addition to that money, they are regularly increasing their rates so that (a) reduced energy use will not result in less profit, and (b) those who do not reduce their energy use will actually be paying even more to them. They are in a win/win/win situation on the whole deal.
So … bottom line: It is not correct that utility companies can, for free, provide information about a home’s level of energy efficiency by providing copies of past bills.
Patrick: The DOE said they’ll post the webinar in 3 days. You can then listen to it and find her mentioning InterNACHI nearer the end of the presentation in a different context, but InterNACHI was already awarded the license to generate the score for our members.
InterNACHI is not looking to do the inspections, we are seeking to be a national partner that qualified InterNACHI members would do them under, an approved continuing education provider, and the operator of the website that generates your custom reports.
Jim, I like your take on all of this and it is in line with mine (that a report, not just a nominal score… is the way to go). And of course, being InterNACHI, we like reports that reveal lots of useful, unique-to-the-property information.
I’m going to ask the folks working on this project for InterNACHI, to email you a sample tomorrow. Let me know what you think about it. Don’t post it yet.
Why are there so many used blower doors for sale???:p:p:p
Someone has to be negative, to get positive results. Utility companies are, and will, come up with their own energy guides. I just cannot see how this will add revenue to our bottom lines, when so many people are involved. I am sure ASHI is promoting this, so they can get the money from CE’s. Sounds like a lot of paper and time to me. Will it be cost effective? I can also see contractors getting in on this, so they can offer them for free, so they can get revenue from that new HVAC system.
IMHO, seems like a scam a-la Cap and Trade.
Now this is a good damn question… Straight to the point, this is a question for “Marketing-Man” whom-ever he may be… 
Again Nick, I was in attendance and heard what was said, believe me at the end they were talking about recruitment of partners and that was their main focus at this time, if that is what you mean by a different context?
:roll:
Let me be the first to congratulate you for a fine job of being a proponent of negativism… I don’t think it’s working, but what do I know, I will let someone else be the judge of that…
I can’t remember where I read or heard this, but ASHI is not interested in this program at all for one reason only; it would hurt their image with the real estate agents as promoting themselves (Home Inspectors) as “Deal-Killers”, and we all know that 90% (estimating here) of all ASHI Home Inspectors treasures thier love for real estate agent/broker relationships…
Okay, I’m done ranting for now, 
so I will turn it back over to guys…
I’ll be happy to look at it and respond to you by email.
I created, and proposed, a like-numerical report and system for a major national insurance company. They were thinking about starting a simple, quick inspection program to check houses before they issued insurance. They had been burned in the past by insuring houses that had boarded-up windows. The report listed about 25 home areas, and were judged on a scale of one to eight, with the scores averaged, and a total numerical number result. All they wanted was a number. The idea collapsed when the company realized that homes deteriorate over time, and the reports would have to be done again. Now, they are dependent on insurance agents-to-be, to drive by to see if someone is living in the home. “Too expensive” they said.
Still have that form somewhere…
I thought ASHI was sending contributions to the NAR; maybe it was just a rumor.
I hope Nick acts fast on this thing, so we can be the one with the first foot in the door.