Page 30 - Green Builder May-June 2020 Issue

According to a Green Builder Media survey, builders are:

No change--it's business as usual
Laying off workers
Pivoting to other products/services

Closed offices, sales centers, and/or model homes
Budget/spending freeze
Requiring sick employees to stay home
Requiring employees to work from home/remotely
Suspended all non-essential travel

Enhancing cleaning/sanitizing practices
Practicing social distancing
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

“The Industry Will Rebound”

Steve Baden, Executive Director GB: Can you translate what that means to GB: Will the coronavirus will create
RESNET, Lake Forest, CA someone trying to get a home rated? systemic, long-term change in the building
SB: Sure. First off, we’re providing guidance on industry or ratings such as HERS?
GB: How is the coronavirus changing how how HERS Raters and Rating Field Inspectors SB: At this time it’s hard to say; [it] will depend
your organization works? can limit exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic on how long the pandemic and economic
SB: The RESNET team already worked from when they go to a construction site to conduct slowdown lasts. There are hopeful signs that
dispersed home offices, so we will not be af- the inspections and testing. the housing industry will rebound. Mortgage
fected by the quarantine. To ensure employee GB: That makes sense. Can any of the rating interest rates are historically low, meaning
and public health, RESNET employees will not process be done remotely? buying a home is more affordable, and with the
be traveling to meetings or conferences [until SB: We’ve proposed an emergency interim federal Paycheck Protection Program, builders
conditions improve]. In addition, the RESNET amendment to RESNET’s standard, which will can keep staff rather than simply laying them
Quality Assurance Team is working on alterna- allow diagnostic testing alternatives. In other off as happened in the 2007-2008 recession.
tives to onsite quality assurance monitoring. This will mean that the builders will not lose the
words, raters can allow default values in lieu of
GB: So you’re looking at ways to keep HERS field testing. infrastructure and will be able to start building
energy ratings moving forward? GB: How can builders, architects and so on again.
SB: Yes, but it’s important to note that the keep up with changes like that? GB: Which aspects of building do you
pandemic is having an impact on the energy SB: We have set up a new web page—RESNET expect to be most impacted?
rating industry in two ways: COVID-19 Updates—that keeps the industry up SB: Healthy homes will become more
1. Demand. With the general slowdown in to date during the pandemic. The web page covers: normalized. High performance energy efficient
home construction, the demand for HERS construction is the foundation for a healthy
■ RESNET COVID-19 Announcements
ratings is expected to slow. RESNET is home, and we expect to see growing interest
■ Resources for Rating Industry on COVID-19
closely tracking rating activity to discern Pandemic from builders, homeowners and others in the
longer trends. future.
■ General Resources on the COVID-19
2. Safe scheduling. With all states having Pandemic—Covers such resources as
proclaimed social distancing, there will OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces
be challenges in scheduling ratings. Even for COVID-19, NAHB Construction Jobsite
though most states have determined Safety Recommendations for Coronavirus,
construction as an essential activity and and Builder Coronavirus Construction Limits:
not affected by the close of business State-by-State Tracker.
proclamations, there is the concern over
HERS Rater safety.

24 GREEN BUILDER May/June 2020 www.greenbuildermedia.com

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