Features of ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes

To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard homes.


This label identifies a home as having earned the ENERGY STAR
And with homebuyers increasingly interested in green building, energy efficiency is the place to start. That's because the energy used in homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and risks of global warming. So, the less energy used, the less air pollution generated. And the easy way to make sure a new home is energy efficient is to look for the blue ENERGY STAR mark, the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency.
Any home three stories or less can earn the ENERGY STAR label if it has been verified to meet EPA's guidelines, including: single family, attached, and low-rise multi-family homes; manufactured homes; systems-built homes (e.g., SIP, ICF, or modular construction); log homes, concrete homes; and even existing retrofitted homes.
ENERGY STAR qualified homes can include a variety of 'tried-and-true' energy-efficient features that contribute to improved home quality and homeowner comfort, and to lower energy demand and reduced air pollution:

1. Effective Insulation

Properly installed and inspected insulation in floors, walls, and attics ensures even temperatures throughout the house, reduced energy use, and increased comfort.

2. High-Performance Windows

Energy-efficient windows employ advanced technologies, such as protective coatings and improved frames, to help keep heat in during winter and out during summer. These windows also block damaging ultraviolet sunlight that can discolor carpets and furnishings.

3. Tight Construction and Ducts

Sealing holes and cracks in the home's "envelope" and in heating and cooling duct systems helps reduce drafts, moisture, dust, pollen, and noise. A tightly sealed home improves comfort and indoor air quality while reducing utility and maintenance.

4. Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment

• In addition to using less energy to operate, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems can be quieter, reduce indoor humidity, and improve the overall comfort of the home. When properly installed into a tightly sealed home, this equipment won't have to work so hard to heat and cool the home.

5. Efficient Products

• ENERGY STAR qualified homes may also be equipped with ENERGY STAR qualified products — lighting fixtures, compact fluorescent bulbs, ventilation fans, and appliances, such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines.

6. Third-Party Verification

With the help of independent Home Energy Raters, ENERGY STAR builder partners choose the most appropriate energy-saving features for their homes. Additionally, raters conduct onsite testing and inspections to verify the energy efficiency measures, as well as insulation, air tightness, and duct sealing details.

What is a HERS rating?
Home energy ratings provide a standard measurement of a home’s energy efficiency. Ratings are used for both and new and existing homes. In new homes rating often verify energy performance for the ENERGY STAR homes program, energy efficient mortgages, and energy code compliance. Homeowners who want to upgrade the home’s energy efficiency can use the energy rating to evaluate and pinpoint specific, cost-effective improvements. For existing homes, homeowners can receive a report listing cost-effective options for improving the home’s energy rating. An energy rating allows a homebuyer to easily compare the energy performance of the homes being considered.
There are two types of ratings:

• Projected ratings – Ratings performed prior to the construction of a home or prior to the installation of energy improvements to an existing home.
• Confirmed ratings – Ratings completed using data gathered from an on-site inspection, which could include performance testing of the home.

Confirmed ratings involve an on-site inspection of a home by a residential energy efficiency professional, a home energy rater. Home energy raters are trained and certified by a RESNET accredited home energy rater training provider.
The home energy rater reviews the home to identify its energy characteristics, such as insulation levels, window efficiency, wall-to-window ratios, the heating and cooling system efficiency, the solar orientation of the home, and the water heating system. Performance testing, such as a blower door test for air leakage and duct leakage, is usually part of the rating.
The data gathered by the home energy rater is entered into a RESNET accredited computer program and translated into rating score. The home receives a score between 1 and 100, depending on its relative efficiency. An estimate of the home’s energy costs is also provided in the report. The home’s energy rating is then equated to a Star rating ranging from one star for a very inefficient home to five stars for a highly efficient home.
Unlike an energy audit or a weatherization assessment, a home energy rating is a recognized tool in the mortgage industry. Home energy ratings can be used in a variety of ways in the housing industry. The star and the rating score provide an easily understandable means to compare more efficient homes by their relative energy efficiency, since a rating quantifies the energy performance of a home.

Who are home energy raters?
Home energy raters provide energy-efficiency strategies and tests for existing and new residential and commercial construction. Home energy raters play an integral part in the ENERGY STAR process. Raters offer two major types of services: 1) assistance in reviewing current construction practices and recommended improvements that will result in ENERGY STAR compliance; and 2) conducting HERS ratings.

In order to ensure that a home meets ENERGY STAR requirements, a builder may submit the plans for a home to a home energy rater for review, known as a plan review. Raters input information from the plans into specially designed computer simulation programs that estimate the annual energy use of both the builder's current house design and the MEC-based reference house. With this information, the HERS provider can determine a projected HERS rating -- based on plans -- of the current home's design. The rater can then make recommendations to the builder on construction practices so as to reach the ENERGY STAR level.

Once the home is built, the home energy rater performs a final inspection of the house. This inspection usually includes a blower door test (to test the leakiness of the house) and a duct test (to test the leakiness of the ducts). Results of these tests are entered into a computer simulation program to estimate the annual energy use of both the house being rated and the MEC-based reference house. The HERS rating process is identical to the plan review process except that actual construction and measured performance data are used.

What energy-efficiency features are required for an ENERGY STAR qualified new home?
To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must be independently verified to meet strict performance guidelines set by the U.S. EPA.  Typically, the energy-efficient features in ENERGY STAR qualified homes include a tight home envelope, well-sealed ductwork, properly installed and inspected insulation, high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment, and energy-efficient windows.  ENERGY STAR qualified lighting and appliances may also be included.
In general, EPA does not require that builders incorporate any specific individual energy efficiency measures.  Rather, ENERGY STAR requires that the energy improvements, in total, result in a home that is at least 15% more efficient than a home built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC).  Builders can select those energy efficiency measures that work best for their homes, so long as the overall performance target is met.

Can I upgrade my existing home to meet ENERGY STAR levels?
Yes. Existing homes can be qualified for the ENERGY STAR label if they meet ENERGY STAR's performance guidelines. However, it is not typically practical or cost-effective to bring an existing home to this level of efficiency. Nevertheless, the energy efficiency of existing homes can often be greatly improved using cost-effective retrofit techniques, particularly older homes.
If you decide that you do want to pursue getting the ENERGY STAR label for your home, you will need to hire a home energy rater to evaluate your home and make recommendations on the improvements that will need to be made to reach ENERGY STAR performance guidelines. Once the project is underway, the rater will conduct inspections and perform diagnostic tests to document the home's energy performance.