Home Builders NC
What is a HERS Rating?
HERS = Home Energy Rating Score
Any home can be "rated" by a certified third party Home Energy Rater. Whether you're buying new or buying an older home in a great location, a HERS score will help you understand how much energy your new home requires.
The home energy rater will provide an analysis of the home, including review of floor plans, onsite inspections, and tests such as a blower door test (to test the leakiness of the house) and a duct test (to test the leakiness of the ducts).
A complex software program analyzes all the data, and provides a HERS Index score for the home.
What does HERS point mean?
Each 1 point reduction implies a 1% energy savings versus standard construction. A home with a HERS Index score of 150 will most likely require 50% more energy than a home built to today's standards.
A home with a HERS Index score of 75 will require 25% less energy than a home built to today's standards.
What are common HERS scores to see?
Standard New Construction = 100
A new home built to standard construction guidelines generally has a HERS (Home Energy Rating Score) of 100.
ENERGY STAR Construction = 85
A new home built to ENERGY STAR guidelines generally has a HERS (Home Energy Rating Score) of 85 or below.
Yearly energy costs are planned to be 15% lower than in a home built to standard construction.
20 Year Old Home = 120 to 150
In general, older homes have higher energy requirements. This can vary greatly depending on the home and any improvements made, so it is a very good idea to have an older home rated before purchase.
A score of 150 means that yearly energy costs will be 50% higher than in a home built to today's standard construction.
70 Year Old Home = 250???
Very old homes have the lowest energy efficiency. But energy requirements will vary significantly depending on the improvements made to the home.
A score of 200 means that yearly energy costs will be 100% higher than in a home built to today's standard construction.
What Should I Consider Before Buying My New Home?
It's wise to consider not just the price tag of the home, but also the price tag of the monthly energy costs (and the carbon footprint of those energy costs).
Green Home Builders in North Carolina - Green Building Resources
Bayer MaterialScience High Performance Residential Program - Guaranteed Savings
Green Building - What's in a Green Home?
What Is Geothermal? Homes with Geothermal Heating and Cooling
Green Home Features Available in Raleigh
Finding Your New Home in the Raleigh Area
Stanton Homes makes it easy! We'll guide you through the entire process - select from thousands of different floor plans, and hundreds of different locations, with a focus on new custom homes in the upper $100s to the $500s. Custom design build options available too!
Call 919-278-8070 or visit www.StantonHomes.com to find out more about new homes in the Raleigh area today.
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Articles copyright Stanton Homes 2006-2011. Unauthorized use is not permitted. Provided for informational purposes only, no claims are made by Stanton Homes regarding the validity of any statements. Please note: all listing information per MLS, and current as of posting date. Information subject to change. Stanton Homes does not make claims to ownership of any lot listings, but can work with homebuyers to purchase available lots and build. Home plans to be approved on an individual basis, subject to neighborhood restrictive covenants and lot restrictions. Ask for further information regarding any community, lot or floor plan. Photos represent typical homes and details of each neighborhood, to help highlight different options available in the Raleigh/Triangle area. No claim of ownership is made to homes or land pictured.






