Worcester urges early planning for energy code compliance
Worcester is advising residents planning new development projects to choose a compliance pathway and line up experts like HERS raters early to avoid costly delays.
The Town of Worcester is advising residents and developers planning new construction projects to plan ahead when it comes to meeting compliance requirements.
According to the announcement, the size and type of a project may determine whether someone needs to select the right compliance pathway before designs begin, hire a Passive House design expert, or engage a HERS rater early in the process. The town says these steps are far easier and less expensive to take during a project's early planning stages than to address later through retrofits.
The town also recommends contacting a HERS rater and National Grid early in the process to make sure work orders are in place, which it says helps prevent costly delays.
A HERS rater evaluates a home's energy efficiency using the Home Energy Rating System, a standard used in the building industry.
Source: Town of Worcester announcement, October 29, 2026.
Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the original announcement.
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