The Commission may approve third-party quality control programs that serve some of the function of HERS Raters for diagnostic testing and field verification purposes but do not have the authority to sign compliance documentation as a HERS Rater. The third-party quality control program shall provide training to installers regarding compliance requirements for duct sealing. The third-party quality control program shall collect data from participating installers for each installation completed for compliance credit, provide data checking analysis to evaluate the validity and accuracy of the data to independently determine whether compliance has been achieved, provide direction to the installer to retest and correct problems when data checking determines that compliance has not been achieved, require resubmission of data when retesting and correction is directed, and maintain a database of all data submitted by installers and shall provide functionality that allows Energy Commission staff to query retained data or documents. The data that is collected by the third-party quality control program shall be more detailed than the data required for showing compliance with the Standards, shall provide an independent check on the validity and accuracy of the installer’s claim that compliance has been achieved, and shall not be alterable by the installer to indicate that compliance has been achieved when in fact compliance has not been achieved.
The HERS Provider shall arrange for the services of a HERS Rater to conduct independent field verifications of the installation work performed by the participating Third Party Quality Control Program installing contractor. The HERS rater shall complete all of the responsibilities of a HERS Rater as specified in Appendix NA1, with the exception that sampling shall be completed for a group of up to thirty space conditioning systems with a minimum sample of one out of every thirty sequentially completed units from the group. The HERS Rater shall be an independent entity from the third-party quality control program. Re-sampling, full testing and corrective action shall be completed as specified in NA1.6.4 with the exception that the group size can be up to thirty systems.
The third party quality control program shall not impose restrictions on the HERS Rater or the HERS Provider that limit their independence, or the ability of the HERS Rater or the HERS Provider to properly perform their functions. For example, the third party quality control program shall not impose restrictions on a HERS Rater’s use of equipment beyond that required by the Energy Commission.
The third-party quality control program shall meet all of the requirements imposed on of a HERS Rater specified in the Commission’s HERS Program regulations (California Code of Regulations, Title 20, Division 2, Chapter 4, Article 8, Sections 1670 -1675), including the requirement that they be an independent entity from the builder the HERS Rater for the units, and the subcontractor installer as specified by Section 1673(j). However, a third-party quality control program may have business relationships with installers participating in the program to advocate or promote the program and an installer’s participation in the program and to advocate or promote products that the third-party quality control program sells to installers as part of the program.
Prior to approval by the Commission, the third party quality control program shall provide a detailed explanation to the Commission of 1) the data that is to be collected from the installers, 2) the data checking process that will be used to evaluate the validity and accuracy of the data, 3) the justification for why this data checking process will provide strong assurance that the installation actually complies, and 4) the format for the database that will be maintained and the functionality that will allow Energy Commission staff to query retained data or documents. The third-party quality control program may apply for a confidential designation of this information as specified in the Commission’s Administrative Regulations (California Code of Regulations, Title 20, Division 2, Chapter 7, Article 2, Section 2505). The third-party quality control program shall also provide a detailed explanation of the training that will be provided to installers and the procedures that it will follow to complete independent field verifications.
The third party quality control program licensed/certified installing contractor and the installing contractor’s responsible installing technicians shall be required to be trained in quality installation procedures, the requirements of Appendix NA1, and any other applicable specialized third party quality control program-specific procedures as a condition for participation in the program. The training requirements also apply to the installing contractor’s specialty subcontractors who provide Third Party Quality Control Program services. All installation verification and diagnostic work performed in the program shall be subject to the same quality assurance procedures as required by the Energy Commission’s HERS program regulations.
The third-party quality control program shall be considered for approval as part of the rating system of a HERS Provider, which is certified as specified in the Commission’s HERS Program regulations, Title 20,Division 2, Chapter 4, Article 8, Section 1674. A third-party quality control program can be added to the rating system through the re-certification of a certified HERS Provider as specified by Title 20, Division 2, Chapter 4, Article 8, Section 1674(e).