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Energy Rating (“HERS”)

Drawing from diverse backgrounds in architecture, construction, engineering and building science, Populus guides architects and builders through the high-performance design process providing energy modeling, consulting and energy code HERS rating services. We specialize in consulting services that put builders and architects in control.

At Populus, we won’t give you just one path to reaching your project’s energy performance target. You tell us your goals - we’ll deliver a menu of energy efficiency strategies that preserve the aesthetic integrity of your project as well as your budget.

It doesn’t stop there. Populus also offers energy modeling and HERS Rating services to measure home energy efficiency performance and demonstrate code compliance.

Municipalities throughout the world are adopting green building codes that address issues from indoor air quality to energy efficiency. While traditional building codes required strict compliance with a set of prescriptive requirements, the next generation of building codes is performance-based in nature, giving design teams the flexibility to tailor their own paths to compliance. These codes not only put the power of choice back in the hands of architects and builders, they reward efficient design and open opportunities for innovation.

In the City of Boulder, unincorporated Boulder County, and the Town of Superior performance-based energy codes require that residential projects achieve a specified HERS Index Score. For the City of Boulder’s Green Points and Boulder County’s BuildSmart programs, the required HERS Index Score is determined by the area of conditioned space and/or the extent of a remodel project. In the Town of Superior, HERS rating requirements apply only to new construction and vary depending on square footage.

Learn more about the City of Boulder’s Green Points Program

Learn more about Boulder County’s BuildSmart Program

Learn more about Superior’s Green Building Program