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The Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes program requires that ENERGY STAR qualified homes are performance tested by an approved technician to ensure that systems and equipment work as designed. Specifically technicians test:

1. Duct tightness for heating and cooling systems.

PT technicians are responsible for conducting the testing of duct systems, documenting results on the Performance Testing Label, as well as reporting results to the program BPS/HPS/Verifier.

2. Heat pump refrigerant charge and airflow.

Heat pumps depend on having the correct amount of refrigerant charge and airflow. If the charge or flow is too high or too low, the efficiency of the system suffers, sometimes dramatically.  Performance Testing Contractors are responsible for performing heat pump commissioning (testing of the refrigerant charge and air flow).

Manufacturers recommend certain standard operational tests when installing a new central air conditioner or heat pump to ensure the right charge level (typically, the “sub-cooling” test or the “superheat” test, depending on the type of system).

For all heat pumps, charge testing must be accomplished and documented with an approved proprietary system for the Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes certification. Proctor Engineering Group’s CheckMe! ™ and Honeywell’s Service Assistant are approved systems, and others may be approved for the ENERGY STAR Homes Northwest program. Central air conditioners and heat pumps also depend on having the correct amount of air flowing over the indoor coil for proper operation. Low air flow can hurt the efficiency of the system, sometimes dramatically.

There is an exception that may be allowed at the discretion of the Verifier or SCO. In the case of heat pumps with TXV metering devices on the outdoor unit, Performance Testing Contractors may document the charge test without the use of CheckMe!™ or Service Assistant. In these cases, a special TXV Form must be filled out and submitted to the verifier.

A copy of the documentation or paperwork from whichever method is used must be turned in to the BPS/HPS/Verifier for ENERGY STAR certification.

All heat pumps (with certain exceptions) must have air flow tested with the TrueFlow™ meter, duct tester, or using the temperature split method. Details of air flow testing are covered in the instructions for the TrueFlow meter and in the required training for use of CheckMe!™ or Service Assistant.

3. Building envelope tightness through a blower door test

A blower door tests the building enclosure for air tightness. By depressurizing the structure with a powerful fan and measuring the air flow across the fan, the air tightness of the building is determined. Homes using the Northwest BOP 2 (electric resistance, propane or oil) must be tested with a blower door to qualify for the ENERGY STAR Homes Northwest program. They must be 2.5 Air Changes per Hour (ACH) or less, when measured at 50 Pascals (Pa). Homes using BOP 1 may require testing at the discretion of the SCO or as a requirement of some utility programs.