Home Energy Score (HEScore)

Table 1
Number	Question	Option A	Option B	Option C	Option D	Stephen Quirk: Correct answer should be copied directly from the possible answer b/c the logic looks at the text exactly. Correct Answer	Description
1	If a blower door test is performed, the air leakage value must be entered into the Scoring Tool as…	ACH50	ACHnat	CFM50	CFMnat	CFM50
2	Which of the following is part of the data entry for a Home Energy Score assessment?	Number of lights	Thermostat settings	Roof color	Number of occupants	Roof color
3	Which of the following appliances directly affects the Home Energy Score?	Computers & TVs	Lighting	Cooking	Hot water	Hot water
4	Which of the following energy use types is assumed based solely on the size of the house?	Heating	Cooling	Hot water	Lighting	Lighting
5	Which of the following is a baseload energy use?	Heating	Cooling	Hot water	Computers & TVs	Computers & TVs
6	When is a blower door test result required to be entered in the Home Energy Score data entry?	When it is unknown whether the house has been professionally air sealed	Always	Never	Only in cold climates	Never
7	When is combustion safety testing required as part of the Home Energy Score?	Always	Never	When there is a combustion water heater present	When there is a combustion furnace or boiler and combustion water heater present	Never
8	When entering data into the Home Energy Scoring Tool, the area of the conditioned crawlspace should be included in the conditioned floor area.	True	False	N/A	N/A	False
9	If a duct leakage test is performed, the leakage number must be entered as ...	CFM25	CFM50	CFMnat	The Home Energy Score does not accept duct leakage data	The Home Energy Score does not accept duct leakage data
10	When entering HVAC equipment data to generate a Home Energy Score, which value will best represent the efficiency of the equipment?	Generic average efficiency for that type of equipment	Year installed date	"EnergyGuide" label efficiency, or default value from the Assessor Calculator	De-rated efficiency calculation	"EnergyGuide" label efficiency, or default value from the Assessor Calculator
11	When doing a Home Energy Score assessment, the basement is considered conditioned when …	the basement is finished	the hvac equipment and ducts are in the basement	there are duct supply registers or radiators in the basement	there is insulation on the basement walls	there are duct supply registers or radiators in the basement
12	Which of the following is not part of the Home Energy Score Report generated by the Tool?	Energy Saving Tips	Recommended Improvements	Home Facts	The Score	Energy Saving Tips
13	The Home Energy Score is based on an estimate of the home's…	total source energy	total site energy	heating, cooling and hot water source energy	heating, cooling and hot water site energy	heating, cooling and hot water source energy
14	If a house in Minneapolis, MN, has the same Score as a house in Houston, TX, ...	the energy bills will be similar	the estimated total energy use will be similar	the house characteristics are the same	the efficiency of the two houses is similar	the efficiency of the two houses is similar
15	Which of the following house types can be assessed using the Home Energy Scoring Tool?	Mobile home	Floating home	Townhouse or Rowhouse	Apartment house	Townhouse or Rowhouse
16	What installation cost is used to determine the payback of each improvement on the recommendations page in Home Energy Score?	State average	Assessor estimate	Local average	National average	National average
17	The recommendations listed on the last page of the Home Energy Score are included if the payback is less than or equal to ...	1 year	5 years	10 years	12 years	10 years
18	The Home Energy Scoring Tool 10 point scale is adjusted for house size, so different size houses with the same components and in the same geographical location will have the same score.	True	False	N/A	N/A	False
19	What type of rating does the Home Energy Score provide?	Operational	Asset	Functional	Expense	Asset
20	If the building efficiency characteristics and components of a large house and a small house are the same …	the houses will score the same	the large house will use more energy	the large house will score better than the small house	the houses will use the same amount of energy	the large house will use more energy
21	If all recommendations are implemented, the dollar savings displayed on the Home Energy Score front page (label) represents the amount a typical homeowner can expect to save in ____ (how long?)	1 year	2 years	5 years	10 years	1 year
22	What utility rate is used to calculate the dollar savings amounts in the Home Energy Score report?	National average	Local average	State average	Actual rate	State average
23	If a house has multiple window types on one side, the data entered into the Home Energy Scoring Tool for that side of the house should represent the characteristics of…	the newest windows	the oldest windows	the windows with the largest combined area	the least efficient windows	the windows with the largest combined area
24	Must the Assessor provide the recommendations generated by the Home Energy Scoring Tool?	Yes, the Scoring Tool recommendations must always be provided	No, it is not mandatory that recommendations be provided	No, as long as the Assessor provides customized recommendations that pertain to the home	No, as long as the Assessor provides generic recommendations similar to the Scoring Tool recommendations	No, as long as the Assessor provides customized recommendations that pertain to the home
25	Which of the following will translate a Home Energy Score into a HERS index?	Multiplying the Home Energy Score by 10	Adding 100 to the Home Energy Score and multiplying the sum by 0.75	Dividing the calculated total energy by 125	It cannot be translated	It cannot be translated
26	How does the Home Energy Score account for the weather?	It doesn't account for weather differences	It uses meteorological data associated with the home's zip code	It uses different thermostat settings based on zip code	It uses state average weather conditions	It uses meteorological data associated with the home's zip code
27	When performing a Home Energy Score assessment the Assessor should…	use a duct blaster to assess duct leakage	inspect the attic to assess the insulation	inspect the attic and foundation to locate thermal bypasses	inspect the attic and foundation to assess moisture issues	inspect the attic to assess the insulation
28	When doing a Home Energy Score assessment the Assessor should make every effort to determine the…	conditioned floor area	efficiency of the heating system	average ceiling height	all of these choices	all of these choices
29	When doing a Home Energy Score assessment the Assessor should…	close all windows and exterior doors	identify major thermal bypasses	calculate window sizes and floor areas	perform a blower door test	calculate window sizes and floor areas
30	The Home Energy Score program is administered by…	the Environmental Protection Agency	the Building Performance Institute	the Residential Energy Services Network	the Department of Energy	the Department of Energy
31	Which of the following factors will not affect a home's Score?	Height of the home	Home's zip code	Number of occupants in the home	Size of the windows	Number of occupants in the home
32	An Assessor's status will be de-activated if he/she has not scored a home in ______ months.	3	4	6	12	6
33	What is the Home Energy Score range?	1 to 10	0 to 10	0 to 100	1 to 100	1 to 10
34	Why does the sum of the savings of the individual recommended improvements not equal the total savings on the Score page?	Due to round off error	Due to the interactive effects of multiple improvements	Because the "Do Now" recommendations are more heavily weighted than the "Replace Later" recommendations	Because the "Replace Later" recommendations are more heavily weighted than the "Do Now" recommendations	Due to the interactive effects of multiple improvements
35	Does the Home Energy Score provide a comprehensive list of recommendations?	No, it provides asset related recommendations only	No, it provides operational recommendations only	Yes	No, it only provides recommendations that require contractor installation	No, it provides asset related recommendations only
36	Is the Home Energy Score intended to be used as a replacment for a comprehensive energy audit?	No	Yes	No, with the exception of weatherization assistance programs	Yes, for low income neighborhood programs	No
37	What is the Home Energy Score?	A comprehensive energy audit	A method for comparing the energy efficiency of houses	A replacement for a HERS rating	All of these choices	A method for comparing the energy efficiency of houses
38	Which of the following should be included when calculating the house size?	An unfinished, conditioned basement	A conditioned crawlspace	A finished, unconditioned basement	A garage under a conditioned space	An unfinished, conditioned basement
39	The home you are scoring is a 35' by 20' rectangle, one story over a full basement. The forced air heating system is located in the basement and the duct registers are all on the first floor. The conditioned floor area (sq.ft.) should be entered as...	700	1050	1400	2100	700
40	Which of the following are included in the "Home Facts" section of the Home Energy Score Report?	The source energy needed to heat, cool and provide hot water for the home	The source energy needed for all energy using systems in the home.	The site energy use for each fuel used in the home (e.g., kwh, therms, gallons of oil)	All of these choices	All of these choices
41	Which of the following allows the Home Energy Score to provide an "apples to apples" comparison of homes?	It compares the energy use based on the current number of occupants	It applies standard assumptions of occupant behavior	It only compares homes that have received a Home Energy Score	It utilizes net metering utility data to compare energy use	It applies standard assumptions of occupant behavior
42	If the homeowner can provide historical utility bill data for the home, the assessor…	can use it to create a more accurate home energy score	can calibrate the home energy score model	cannot input it into the home energy score	can provide more accurate energy savings estimates	cannot input it into the home energy score
43	Of the following Scoring Tool data elements, which is the most important to input correctly (i.e. the most critical for determining the home's Score)?	Conditioned floor area	Ceiling height	HVAC system efficiency	Window type	Conditioned floor area
44	Which of the following is/are acceptable source(s) for the Assessor to use to obtain the conditioned floor area of a home being scored?	Real estate listing	Tax assessment records	Zillow	None of these choices	None of these choices
45	Which of the following will improve a home's Home Energy Score?	Replace an old natural draft furnace with a new condensing furnace	Replace an old refrigerator with a new ENERGY STAR refrigerator	Replace an old washer & dryer with a new ENERGY STAR washer & dryer	All of these choices	Replace an old natural draft furnace with a new condensing furnace
46	Which of the following would cause a mismatch between the Home Energy Score energy use and the actual utility use?	The tool calculates lighting use based on house size	The tool assumes the number of people in the house	The thermostat settings in the tool are assumed	All of these choices	All of these choices
47	When entering a home's roof/attic and foundation areas, the roof/attic area must be...	the same or smaller than the foundation area	the same or larger than the foundation area	the same as the foundation area	the areas are not related	the same or larger than the foundation area
48	If the wall insulation R-value cannot be readily determined through on-site inspection, the Assessor should...	ask the homeowner what the R-value is	consult with a local contractor to determine the R-value	use the Assessor Calculator to determine the default R-value	use the Assessor Calculator to calculate the de-rated R-value based on a "Good" quality installation	use the Assessor Calculator to determine the default R-value
49	When using the Assessor Calculator to determine the default R-value of wall insulation, it's important to know...	whether the wall cavity is 3.5 inches or 5.5 inches deep	what zip code the home is in	what region of the country the home is in	Both A and C	Both A and C
50	The only difference between two identical homes being scored on the same street is that one is heavily shaded by large trees and the other isn't. The heavily shaded home will have...	lower cooling costs and therefore a higher Home Energy Score	less exposure to the elements and therefore a higher Home Energy Score	the same Score as the other home because shading does not affect a home's Score	Both A and B	the same Score as the other home because shading does not affect a home's Score