ROCK HILL—As part of its longstanding commitment to promoting energy efficient construction, York Technical College has received Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Training Provider Accreditation from the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). York Tech is the first college in the nation to receive this designation.

"Achieving this accreditation eliminates a major hurdle in allowing the college to train a workforce knowledgeable in energy efficient constructions methods for the future," said Rod Trump, director of York Technical College's Energy Resource Center.

Working with the South Carolina Energy Office and the major electrical providers in the two Carolinas, this accreditation is a significant step in York Technical College's ability to train Energy Star raters for both North and South Carolina.

A home energy rating involves an analysis of a home’s construction plans and onsite inspections. Based on the visual verification, the Home Energy Rater uses an energy efficiency software package to perform an energy analysis of the home’s design. This analysis yields a projected, pre-construction HERS Index. Upon completion of the plan review, the rater will work with the builder to identify the energy efficiency improvements needed to ensure the house will meet ENERGY STAR performance guidelines. The rater then conducts onsite inspections, a blower door test (to test the leakiness of the house) and a duct test (to test the leakiness of the duct system). Results of these tests, along with inputs derived from the plan review, are used to generate the HERS Index score for the home.

“Given that a great deal of energy in our state is used in the residential sector, this accreditation will go a long way to increase energy efficiency throughout the state,” said John Clark, director of the Energy Office. “York Tech will be providing a vital service to South Carolina as it trains professionals to indentify energy savings.”

In 2008, with strong support from the offices of Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. John Spratt, York Technical College's Energy Resource Center was able to secure $200,000 in federal funding to establish a Residential Energy Efficiency program in connection with the college’s established Building Construction Trades program to develop courses in energy efficient construction methods. These courses will strengthen the skills, capacity, and global competitiveness of the U.S. in the areas of energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Working closely with local home builders, the City of Rock Hill, the S.C. Energy Office, Carolina Community Action, and others, the college's Energy Resource Center—whose mission is to strengthen South Carolina’s energy, environmental and economic vitality through the use of renewable energy sources, energy conservation, energy efficiency, and the use of alternative fuel vehicles—has undertaken a number of initiatives related to energy efficient construction in recent years. These include hosting the SC/NC Home Energy Efficiency Conference as well as the Home Energy Expo.

For more information, contact Trump at (803) 981-7074 or rtrump@yorktech.com.

The HERS Index
The HERS Index is a scoring system established by the Residential Energy Services Network and recognized by the EPA in which a home built to the specifications of the HERS Reference Home (based on the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code) scores a HERS Index of 100, while a net zero energy home scores a HERS Index of 0. In order to be considered an Energy Star home it must score 85 or lower. The lower a home’s HERS Index, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the HERS Reference Home. 

York Technical College . 452 S. Anderson Road . Rock Hill, SC 29730