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Become a Home Energy Score (HES) Assessor

Are you a home inspector, contractor, or an energy audit specialist? Expand your business with BayREN when you become an HES assessor. 

HES assessors provide a reliable, easy way to help owners understand their home’s energy performance and lower their utility bills. 

Once you enroll as an HES assessor you can offer your clients a customized energy-efficiency report — developed by the Department of Energy (DOE). 

And if they’ve already upgraded? Perhaps putting their home on the market? Many homeowners want to know their energy score to add resale value to the home. 

Your Incentives

  • Enrolled HES assessors are eligible to receive a $200 rebate for each home scored 
  • Additionally, a $50 bonus rebate is available if the assessor completes a short “Electrification Checklist” as part of HES
  • BayREN promotes your services and includes you in our certified Find an Assessor database

Rebates are not available in the cities of Berkeley* or Palo Alto. 

Steps to Becoming an HES Assessor

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) created the Home Energy Score as a national standard rating for homes. Get more details about the DOE HES.

  1. Please check the DOE’s recognized credentials before you begin. See the chart below.
  2. Next, download and complete the Assessor Participation Agreement (required) and Company Participation Agreement (if applicable).    
  3. Sign and email it to: BayRENHES@earthadvantage.org
    Once we receive your signed agreement and verify your building-related credentials, we will submit your information to the DOE. 
  4. The DOE will then provide you with detailed instructions on how to access DOE’s training and testing.
    Complete this two-part 3D Sim training and testing (referenced in the Participation Agreement) and gain access to the free 3D Sim tool. 
  5. Conduct your first HES Assessment with a mentor. BayREN will set it up for you.
    A program mentor will accompany you on your first assessment and rescore 5% of your assessments to ensure quality program wide.
DOE Recognized Credentials
DOE Recognized Credentials by Organization
Organization Credential
American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) ASHI Inspector or Certified Inspector
Build it Green Green Point Rater or Certified Green Building Professional
Building Performance Institute (BPI) Building Science Principles Certificate of Knowledge
California Real Estate Inspector Association CREIA Certified or Master Inspector
International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) Home Energy Inspector
National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI) Certified Real Estate Inspector
National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) Green Certified Professional, Certified Remodeler, or Master Certified Remodeler
North American Technician Excellence (NATE) Air Conditioning/Heat Pumps, Gas/Oil Heating, or Gas/Oil Hydronics
Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) HERS Rater
Berkeley: Building Emissions Saving Ordinance (BESO)

BayREN also partners with Berkeley to enroll assessors who can implement its Building Emissions Savings Ordinance (BESO). This ordinance has additional requirements for HES assessments, including holding a valid Berkeley business license. 

BESO requires an HES to be performed at time of listing of a home. Due to this requirement, scores in Berkeley are not eligible for an HES rebate through BayREN.

If you want to conduct Home Energy Scores in Berkeley, indicate this on the Assessor Agreement (from step #2 above). BayREN will work with you to complete the additional requirements. An assessor must be registered with us in order to be a BESO assessor.

See additional details when you visit Building Emissions Savings Ordinance (BESO).