CRES study guide
CRES · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The CRES (Certified Residential Energy Specialist) credential is aimed at people who assess and improve the energy performance of existing homes: home energy auditors, weatherization and retrofit technicians, insulation and air-sealing contractors, HVAC service staff moving into whole-house work, and raters or consultants supporting residential efficiency programs. It signals that a holder can look at a house as an interacting system rather than a list of unrelated upgrades. The CRES study guide has 8 sections and about 3,679 words.
01Building Science Fundamentals: Heat, Air, and Moisture in the Assembly
Building Science Fundamentals is the physics layer of the CRES exam. Items here rarely ask for a definition; they ask you to predict behavior - which way vapor drives, where the dew point lands, why tightening a house changed draft at a water heater, or how many BTU/h a ceiling loses at a design temperature.
458 words, about 2 min02Energy Assessment and Diagnostic Testing: Measuring Instead of Guessing
Energy Assessment and Diagnostic Testing covers how you measure a house: blower door, duct blaster, manometer, infrared camera, combustion analyzer, and the bill analysis that frames the visit. Exam items test whether you choose the right test, run it under valid conditions, and convert raw readings into the metrics programs actually use.
484 words, about 2 min03Building Envelope and Insulation: Specifying Assemblies That Perform as Drawn
Building Envelope and Insulation tests whether you can specify an assembly that performs as drawn: correct material, correct installed grade, continuous over framing, and compatible with the moisture regime. Expect questions on R-per-inch, attic and rim joist details, window ratings, and the gap between nominal and effective R-value.
492 words, about 2 min04HVAC and Mechanical Systems: Sizing, Airflow, and Verification
HVAC and Mechanical Systems asks you to size, verify, and diagnose. The exam favors load-based thinking: equipment should match the Manual J load, ducts should deliver the airflow the equipment needs, and the numbers you measure - static pressure, temperature split, refrigerant temperatures - tell you whether the installed system can reach its rated performance.
480 words, about 2 min05Air Sealing and Moisture Management: Finding the Boundary and Keeping It Dry
Air Sealing and Moisture Management is where durability points are won or lost. The exam tests whether you can find the pressure boundary, seal it in the right order and at the right plane, and keep the assembly dry in both winter and summer.
463 words, about 2 min06Health and Safety: Combustion, Carbon Monoxide, and Indoor Air Quality
Health and Safety is the domain that can end a project, or a client's life. Items cover combustion safety and combustion appliance zone (CAZ) testing, carbon monoxide action levels, ventilation requirements, and recognition of asbestos, lead, mold, and radon hazards.
478 words, about 2 min07Energy Modeling, Codes, and Program Standards: Baselines, Indices, and Rules
Energy Modeling, Codes, and Program Standards tests whether you can build a defensible baseline, run a model that matches the house you actually inspected, and report results in the currency a program uses - HERS Index, percent savings, or a code compliance path. A HERS Index of 100 equals the reference home: same geometry, size, and bedroom count, built to the reference specifications.
415 words, about 2 min08Customer Communication and Scope Development: Turning Findings into a Yes
Customer Communication and Scope Development covers the part of the job that determines whether the work actually happens: converting diagnostic findings into a prioritized, priced, and explained scope a homeowner can approve. Health and safety first, then the building shell (air sealing and insulation), then mechanical systems sized after load reduction, then renewables.
409 words, about 2 min