105.1 Accreditation
All HERS Software Tools shall be accredited by RESNET based on compliance with the test criteria specified in the most current version of RESNET Publication 002 Procedures for Verification of RESNET Accredited HERS® Software Tools and Chapter 3 – National Home Energy Rating Technical Standards of MINHERS.
Changes to the requirements of Publication 002 – Procedures for Verification of RESNET Accredited HERS® Software Tools shall be governed by RESNET’s Standards Development Committee 300 – Inspections, Testing, and Calculations of Energy Ratings.
105.2 Software Technical Appeals
105.2.1 Technical appeals for software tools shall be submitted to the RESNET Standing Software Consistency Committee (SCC) for resolution. Software accreditation shall not be delayed due to a Software Technical Appeal.
105.3 Version Requirement
For the purposes of conducting Home Energy Ratings, as defined in these Standards, all users of RESNET Accredited Software shall use an approved version of one of the RESNET Accredited Software Tools as required by section 105.3 Rating Software Changes and Chapter 5 section 502.3 Publication of Standards and listed in the “National Registry of Accredited Rating Software Programs” posted on the RESNET website.
105.4 Rating Software Changes
When a new version of an Approved Software Rating Tool is released, the new version shall be used for Ratings on Dwelling Units or Sleeping Units with a Building Permit Date on and after the following timelines:
i. The 6-month anniversary of the software release date,
ii. If the software version was released in response to an amendment of any rating standard, the Mandatory Compliance Date determined pursuant to section 502.5 – Defining the Mandatory Compliance Date for an Amendment and 502.6 – Defining the Transition Period for an Amendment,
iii. A date specified by the RESNET Standards Management Board.
Alternatively, the date of the Certified HERS Rater’s or RFI's first site visit, the date of the application of the permit, or the date of the contract on the home, or the date of an application for low-income tax credits or government administered competitive financing for a project meeting the State or local government definition for low income or affordable housing are permitted to be used as the Building Permit Date.