Home energy work runs in the family
Home Star Iowa is Rob Novak — a BPI Certified Building Analyst and Trainer, RESNET HERS Rater, and DOE Home Energy Score Assessor based in Cedar Rapids, with roots in a family HVAC business founded in 1934.
Why do homes with the right equipment still feel wrong?
Home energy work runs in the family. I grew up around Novak Heating and Air Conditioning — a family HVAC business founded in 1934 — and spent 15 years in the trade before a simple question changed my direction: why do so many homes have the right equipment and still feel uncomfortable, drafty, or expensive to heat?
That question led me to building science. In 2009 I became a BPI-certified trainer, and I’ve been conducting certification training across the United States ever since. I founded Home Star Iowa to focus entirely on whole-house performance — the intersection of the building envelope, mechanical systems, and the people living inside.
Today I hold DOE Home Energy Score assessor status and a full suite of BPI certifications. I’ve assessed homes across Eastern Iowa and helped homeowners in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and surrounding communities understand exactly what their house is doing — and what it should be doing. Home Star Iowa is also proudly veteran-owned — measure it right, document it, and stand behind the number is how I was trained to work, and it’s how every test here gets done.
Assessor credentials
Home Star Iowa is a BPI Testing Center. Rob’s credentials span the Building Performance Institute, RESNET, and the U.S. Department of Energy — a combination that’s unusual in the Eastern Iowa market.
HERS Rater & QA Designee
Rates new construction energy efficiency; required for ENERGY STAR homes and many code compliance paths.
Home Energy Score Assessor
Official DOE program that rates homes 1–10 for energy use; recognized by lenders, real estate agents, and utility programs.
Building Analyst-T
The foundational whole-house diagnostic certification from the Building Performance Institute.
Building Analyst-P
Advanced certification focused on the building envelope: insulation, air sealing, windows, and moisture.
Heating Professional
Certification covering the diagnosis and performance of residential heating systems.
AC & Heat Pump Professional
Certification covering the diagnosis and performance of cooling and heat pump systems.
Whole House Air Leakage Control Installer
Residential Building Envelope Whole House Air Leakage Control Installer (RBE-WHALCI).
Healthy Home Evaluator (HHE)
Evaluates the home for health and safety hazards alongside energy performance.
Serving Eastern Iowa from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City, and beyond
Based in Cedar Rapids and working throughout the surrounding region. A few of the communities we serve:
Ready to find out what your home is actually doing?
Whether you need a Home Energy Score for a sale or refinance, a full diagnostic assessment, or help qualifying for utility rebates — I can help.