Hopedale, MA Stretch Energy Code Support

Hopedale adopted the Stretch Code, effective January 1, 2021 on the state's adoption list, and it has not moved to the Specialized (Opt-In) Code. That puts Hopedale projects on the performance-based Stretch Code path.

For new homes in Hopedale, that means a HERS 42 score with gas or other fuel-burning equipment, HERS 45 if the home is all-electric, or Passive House certification. Renovations and additions over 1,000 sq ft or over 100% of the existing home target HERS 65 (mixed-fuel) or 70 (all-electric), while smaller additions and alterations can still use REScheck or the prescriptive path. Commercial buildings up to 20,000 sq ft can use COMcheck.

Hitting a HERS 42 or 45 target is mostly about the envelope: continuous air sealing at the rim joists, attic hatches and penetrations, insulation installed without gaps, and balanced ventilation sized to the tested air tightness.

In Hopedale, building permits go through the Building Department. Applications are filed online through PermitEyes.

Air sealing is where most scores are won or lost. Attic hatches, rim joists, recessed lights and plumbing penetrations are the usual leaks in Hopedale homes, so we mark them on the plans and check them on site before insulation is covered.

Duct leakage counts too. Ducts outside the conditioned space have to be sealed and tested, and keeping them inside the thermal envelope makes the target much easier to reach.

Equipment choices move the score as much as insulation does: a right-sized heat pump, a heat pump water heater and efficient windows can each take points off the HERS index.

We work in Hopedale from our Framingham office at 68 South St, preparing the energy paperwork, checking air sealing on site and finishing with blower door and duct testing before the final inspection.